High Blood Pressure HBP or Hypertension
These
days the heart disease of hypertension is rampant and we need to have
sufficient information about it to curb it. Going through this article
will definitely enable you to have a thorough understanding about High
Blood Pressure and all aspects associated with it.
HBP or hypertension Diagnosis
Your doctor or expert will generally
position an inflatable arm cuff around your arm to assess your blood pressure
using a pressure-measuring gauge to assess your blood pressure.
There are two figures in a reading of
blood pressure provided in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).
When your heart
beats (systolic pressure), the first or upper number measures the pressure in
your lungs.
The second number, or lower, measures the pressure between beats in
your lungs (diastolic pressure).
Measurements of blood pressure fall into four general classifications:
1. Normal blood pressure. If it is below 120/80 mm Hg, your
blood pressure is normal.
2. Elevated blood pressure. High blood pressure is a systemic
pressure of 120 to 129 mm Hg and a diastolic pressure of less than 80 mm Hg.
Without taking measures to regulate blood pressure, elevated blood pressure
tends to get worse over time.
3. Stage 1 hypertension. Stage 1 hypertension is a systolic
pressure of between 130- and 139-mm Hg or a diastolic pressure of between 80-
and 89-mm Hg.
4. Stage 2 hypertension. More severe hypertension,
hypertension in phase 2 is a 140 mm Hg or greater systolic pressure or a 90 mm
Hg or higher diastolic pressure.
It is essential to read both figures
in a blood pressure reading. But even more critical is the systolic reading
after 50 years of age. Isolated systolic hypertension is a disorder with normal
diastolic pressure (less than 80 mm Hg) but with elevated systolic pressure
(higher than or equal to 130 mm Hg).
This form of high blood pressure is
prevalent among individuals over 65 years of age.
Before diagnosing you with high blood
pressure, your physician will probably take two to three blood pressure
measurements at three or more distinct appointments each.
This is because blood
pressure usually differs throughout the day, and during doctor visits (white
coat hypertension), it can be increased.
In both arms, your blood pressure
should usually be evaluated to determine if a distinction exists. Using a
suitable-sized arm cuff is essential.
Your health care provider may ask for
your blood pressure to be recorded at home to provide further data and verify
if the blood pressure is high.
A 24-hour blood pressure surveillance
test called ambulatory blood pressure monitoring may be recommended by your
doctor to verify that you have high blood pressure.
The test unit measures your
blood pressure periodically over 24 hours and gives a more exact image on the
average daily and night time of changes in blood pressure. These devices
cannot, however, be reimbursed at all medical facilities.
If you have any high blood pressure,
your physician will review your history of medicine and do a physical test.
Routine testing, for example,
urinalysis, blood tests, cholesterol tests and an electrocardiogram, may be
recommended for your doctor. It is a test that measures the electrical activity
of your heart.
Your doctor may suggest further tests for additional indications
of heart disease, such as an echocardiogram.
Take blood pressure at home
Monitoring your blood pressure at
home is a significant way to verify whether your blood pressure therapy works,
check if you have high blood pressure, or diagnose worsening high blood
pressure.
Home blood pressure monitoring is
widespread and cheap, and you don't need a prescription to purchase one.
Home
blood pressure surveillance is not a replacement for your doctor's visits, and
home blood pressure tracking may have certain constraints.
Make sure a validated device is used
and make sure the cuff fits. Bring the monitor to your doctor's office once a
year to verify its precision.
Talk to your physician about starting blood
pressure checking at home.
The American Heart Association does
not recommend devices that measure your blood pressure on your wrist or finger.
High Blood Pressure Diagnosis and Treatment
You can go a long way to controlling
high blood pressure by changing your lifestyle.
Your physician may suggest
lifestyle modifications, including:
- Getting physical exercise regularly
- Eat a cardiac diet with less salt
- Limit your alcohol consumption
- If you are overweight or obese, maintain a good weight or lose weight
But modifications in lifestyle are
not enough at times. Your doctor may suggest medication to reduce your blood
pressure with diet and exercise.
Your objective of treating blood
pressure relies on how healthy you are.
Your objective for treating blood
pressure should be below 130/80 mm Hg if:
· You are suffering from chronic renal
illness, diabetes, or heart illness.
· You are an excellent 65-year-old
adult
· You are a healthy adult younger than
65 years of age with a 10% or greater risk of developing cardiac illness over
the next ten years.
Although, the optimal blood pressure
target is 120/80 mm Hg or lower, physicians are uncertain if you need therapy
(medication) to achieve that.
You are not required to change your
medicines if you're 65 years old or older and drugs produce reduced systolic
blood pressure (e.g., less than 130 mm Hg), unless they cause adverse impacts
on your health or quality of life.
Depending on your blood pressure and
other medical issues, your doctor prescribes the category of medicines.
It is
useful to create a personalized therapy plan with a team of medical experts who
are experienced in treating high blood pressure.
Medicines for treating high blood pressure
Thiazide diuretics. Diuretics sometimes referred to as
water pills, are medicines that operate on your kidneys to assist remove sodium
and water from your body and reduce blood volume.
In high blood pressure medicines,
thiazide diuretics are often the first, but not the only, option.
Chlorthalidone, hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide) and others are diuretics of
thiazide.
If you are not taking a diuretic and
your blood pressure stays high, speak to your doctor about adding a drug or
replacing it with a diuretic you are presently taking.
For individuals of
African ancestry and elderly individuals, diuretics or calcium channel blockers
may operate better than angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors alone.
Increased urination is a common side effect of diuretics.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)
inhibitors. These
medicine, such as lisinopril (Zestril), benazepril (Lotensin), captopril
(Capoten) and others assist in relaxing blood vessels by preventing the
development of a natural chemical that narrows blood vessels. People with
chronic kidney disease may profit as one of their medicines from getting an ACEinhibitor.
Angiotensin II receptor blockers
(ARBs). These
medicines assist in relaxing the blood vessels by preventing the action of a
natural chemical that narrows the blood vessels, not the formation. Candesartan
(Atacand), losartan (Cozaar) and others are among the ARBs. People with chronic
kidney disease may profit as one of their drugs from getting an ARB.
Calcium channel blockers. These drugs including amlodipine
(Norvasc), diltiazem (Cardizem, Tiazac, etc.) and others help relax your blood
vessel muscles.
Some of them slow down your heart rate. For elderly individuals
and individuals of African ancestry, calcium channel blockers may operate
better than ACE inhibitors alone.
Grapefruit juice interacts with
certain blockers of the calcium channel, raising blood concentrations of the
drug and placing you at a higher risk of side effects.
If you are worried about
interactions, talk to your physician, or pharmacist.
Additional medicines sometimes used to treat high blood pressure.
If you have difficulty achieving your
blood pressure objective by combining the medicines mentioned above, your
doctor may prescribe:
Beta-blockers. These drugs reduce your heart's
workload and open your blood vessels, causing your heart to beat more slowly
and less forcefully.
Acebutolol (Sectral), atenolol (Tenormin) and others are
beta-blockers.
Beta-blockers are usually not
recommended as the only medication you are prescribed, but they can be useful
when combined with other medicines for blood pressure.
Alpha-blockers. These drugs decrease blood vessel
nerve impulses, minimizing the impacts of natural chemicals that narrow blood
vessels.
Doxazosin (Cardura), prazosin (Minipress) and others are among the
alpha-blockers.
Alpha-beta blockers. Alpha-beta blockers slow the
heartbeat to decrease the quantity of blood to be pumped through the vessels in
addition to reducing nerve impulses to the blood vessels.
Carvedilol (Coreg)
and labetalol (Trandate) are alpha-beta blockers.
Antagonists of aldosterone. Spironolactone (Aldactone) and
eplerenone (Inspra) are examples of these.
These medications block the impact
on the blood pressure of a natural chemical that can lead to salt and fluid
retention.
Vasodilators. These drugs, including hydralazine
and minoxidil, operate straight on your muscles' walls, avoiding tightening of
the muscles and reducing your arteries.
Renin-inhibitors. Aliskiren (Tekturna), the kidney enzyme
that begins a chain of chemicals that raises blood pressure, slows down renin
production.
Aliskiren operates by decreasing
renin's capacity to start this process. You should not bring aliskiren with ACE
inhibitors or ARBs because of the danger of severe complications, including
stroke.
Central-acting agents.
These drugs stop your brain from signaling the heart rate of your
nervous system and reducing the blood vessels. Clonidine (Catapres, Kapvay),
guanfacine (Intuniv, Tenex), or methyldopa, are some of the examples.
Your doctor might prescribe a
combination of low dosage medicines instead of large doses of one single
medicine to reduce the number of daily doses you need.
Two or more drugs are
more efficient than one. They are usually efficient.
It is sometimes a question
of trial and error to find the most effective medicine or drug combination.
Hypertension resistance: if your blood pressure is hard to control
If your blood pressure stays
stubbornly high, you may have strong hypertension even if you have at least
three kinds of hypertension medication, one of which is generally a diuretic.
People who have regulated high blood
pressure but at the same moment take four distinct kinds of medication are also
regarded to have resistant hypertension in order to attain this control.
It is
usually necessary to reconsider the likelihood of a secondary cause of high
blood pressure.
Having resistant hypertension does
not imply that you will never lower your blood pressure. Indeed, if you and
your doctor can recognize what's behind your persistently high blood pressure,
there's an excellent possibility you'll be able to achieve your objective with
more efficient therapy.
Other HBP medicines
Even though diet and exercise are the
best strategies to reduce blood pressure, supplements may also assist to reduce
your blood pressure. More study is, however, necessary to determine the
possible advantages. In other words:
· Folic acid
· Fiber, such as psyllium blond and
bran wheat
· Minerals like magnesium, calcium,
potassium, etc.
· Supplements or goods that boost
nitric oxide or expand blood vessels such as cocoa, coenzyme Q10, L-arginine or
garlic
· Omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty
fish, fish oil supplements with high doses of flaxseed.
Some study is investigating whether
vitamin D can lower blood pressure, but more research is required.
Although it is best to include these
supplements as ingredients in your diet, pills or capsules may also be taken.
Talk to your doctor before adding to your blood pressure therapy any of these
supplements.
Some supplements may interact with drugs, resulting in damaging
side effects, such as an enhanced danger of bleeding that may be deadly.
You can also exercise relaxation
techniques to assist you to relax and decrease your stress levels, such as deep
breathing or meditation. These methods can reduce your blood pressure
momentarily.
Your physician or specialist in hypertension may:
· Check for other circumstances and
suggest that you do not take any medication that worsens your blood pressure.
· Assess your prospective causes and
determine whether they can be addressed.
· Recommend that you monitor your blood
pressure at home to see if your doctor's office may have higher blood pressure
(white coat hypertension).
· Suggest healthy lifestyle
modifications, such as a healthy diet with less salt, a good weight, and how
much alcohol you drink.
· Consider adding an antagonist of
aldosterone such as spironolactone (Aldactone), which can lead to resistant
hypertension control.
· Make changes to your medications for
high blood pressure to achieve the most effective combination and doses.
Some experimental therapies such as
ablation of renal sympathetic nerves (renal denervation) by catheter-based
radiofrequency and electrical stimulation of carotid sinus baroreceptors are
being researched.
If you are not taking your medicines
for high blood pressure precisely as directed, your blood pressure may be
paying the cost. If you skip doses because you are unable to afford the
medication because you have side effects or forget to take your medicines,
speak to your doctor about alternatives. Without guidance from your doctor,
don't alter your therapy.
Home and lifestyle solutions for BP
Lifestyle modifications can assist
you in managing elevated blood pressure and stopping it even if you take
medicine for blood pressure. What can you do here?
Increase physical exercise. Regular physical activity can
contribute to a reduction in your blood pressure, stress management and health
risk and weight control.
Go for a mild aerobic activity for at
least 150 minutes per week or 75 minutes per week or combine a mild and
energetic activity.
For instance, try to walk quickly for 30 minutes most days
of the week.
Or attempt interval training, where brief explosions of intense
activity and brief periods of light retrieval alternate.
To do exercises at
least two days per week for muscle reinforcement.
Lower your diet's salt. To restrict the amount of sodium to
less than 2,300 mg per day.
Reduced consumption of sodium, 1,500 mg or less
daily is however optimal for most adults.
While reducing the quantity of salt
you consume with the spring shaker, you should usually also take into
consideration how much salt you eat in processed foods, such as canned soups or
frozen dinners.
Keep your weight healthy. If you are overweight or obese,
maintaining a proper weight can assist you to regulate your high blood pressure
and reduce the risk of associated health issues.
Generally, with each kilogram
(about 2.2 pounds) of weight you lose, you can decrease your blood pressure by
about 1 mm Hg.
Limit the amount of alcohol. Alcohol can increase your blood
pressure even if you are healthy.
Do this in moderation if you choose to
consume alcohol.
This implies up to one drink per day for females for healthy
adolescents, and up to two beverages per day for males.
One beverage is twelve
ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-resistant liquor.
Don't smoke. Tobacco can damage the walls of the
blood vessels and accelerate the process of plaque building in the arteries.
Ask
your physician to assist you in stopping smoking.
Eat healthy food. Eat good food. Eat a cardiovascular
diet.
Please test dietary approaches that emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole
grains, poultry, fish and fatty dairy foods to stop hypertension (DASH) diet.
Get plenty of potassium to avoid and regulate hypertension.
Eat fewer trans-fat
and saturated fat.
Controlling stress. Reduce as much stress as you can.
Practice healthy methods of coping, such as relaxing muscles, breathing deeply
or meditation.
It can also assist to get regular physical exercise and plenty
of sleep.
Check the blood pressure at home. Home blood pressure testing can
assist you to maintain your blood pressure tabs closer, demonstrate if the
medication works, and even warn you and your doctor about future problems.
Home
blood pressure tracking is not a replacement for your doctor's visits, and home
blood pressure monitoring may have certain constraints.
Even if you usually
read, do not stop or change your medicine or change your diet without first
speaking to your doctor.
Check with your doctor if your blood
pressure is under control how often you need to check it.
During pregnancy, control blood
pressure. If you are
a high blood pressure lady, discuss how to manage your blood pressure during
pregnancy with your doctor.
Relax or breathe slowly deeply. To assist you to relax, practice
taking profound, slow breaths. Some tools are accessible to encourage slow,
deep breathing.
Device-guided breathing may be a sensible nondrug alternative
to lower blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association,
particularly if anxiety accompanies high blood pressure or conventional
treatments are not well tolerated.
Coping with BP and Support
High blood pressure is not an issue
you could deal with and ignore. This is a requirement that you must handle
throughout your whole life.
Take your medicines correctly to maintain your
blood pressure under control.
· Make healthy habits. Eat healthy foods, lose weight and
get periodic exercise.
Limit alcohol.
Quit smoke when you smoke.
· Don't stop taking your medicinesif
side impacts or expenses pose issues. Ask for other alternatives for your doctor.
· Plan frequent visits to the doctor. A team effort is needed to treat
high blood pressure effectively.
Your doctor can't, and you can't, do it alone.
Work with your physician to ensure that your blood pressure is secure and
maintained.
· Stress management. Say no to additional assignments,
release adverse ideas, keep excellent relations, and be patient and hopeful.
It can be challenging to stick to
lifestyle changes, especially when you don't see or feel high-pressure
symptoms.
Recall the hazards of uncontrolled blood pressure if you need a
motive.
It can also assist you to receive your friends and family support.
Prepare your Appointment
Have an appointment with your family
doctor to have your blood pressure checked if you believe you may have high
blood pressure.
There is no need for unique preparations
to check your blood pressure.
You may want to wear your appointment with a
short-sleeved shirt so that the blood pressure cuff can fit correctly around
your arm.
Before your test, avoid eating, drinking caffeinated drinks, and
smoking.
Before measuring your blood pressure, plan to use the toilet.
Since some medications like over -
the-count cold drugs, anti-depressants, birth control pills and so on can boost
your blood pressure, it might be a good idea to bring your doctor's appointment
with a list of medications and supplements.
Do not stop taking any prescription drugs that, without the guidance of your doctor, you believe may influence your
blood pressure.
It's a good idea to be ready for your
appointment because meetings can be short and there's often plenty to discuss.
Here's some data for you to prepare for your appointment and your doctor's
expectations.
What can you do under High Blood Pressure?
Write down any symptoms you have. High blood pressure rarely has
symptoms, but heart disease is a risk factor.
It can assist your doctor to
decide how aggressively your high blood pressure needs to be treated if you
have symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath.
Write down critical private information, including a family history of high
blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, heart illness, stroke, kidney or
diabetes, and any significant stresses or latest changes in life.
Take with you, if necessary, a family member or friend
Remembering all the information given to you during an appointment can be hard
at times.
Someone accompanying you may remember something you've missed or
forgotten.
Be ready to discuss your diet and practices of activity.
If you are not already following a diet or workout routine, be prepared to
discuss any difficulties you may encounter in getting started with your doctor.
Make a list of all the medicines you are taking, vitamins, or
supplements.
Question your doctor, write down your queries.
Your time with your doctor is
restricted, so you can make the most of your time together by preparing a list
of issues.
In the event, that time runs out, list your questions from the most
important to the least important.
Some fundamental issues to ask your physician
about elevated blood pressure include:
- Do I need to follow any constraints?
- What kind of tests am I going to need?
- Do I need any drugs?
- What products do I have to eat or prevent?
- How often do I need to plan my blood pressure appointments?
- Am I supposed to monitor my blood pressure at home?
- What are the solutions to your main suggested strategy?
- I have other circumstances of health. How can I handle them together best?
- Does the medicine you prescribe for me have a generic option?
- Is there any printed material or brochures that I can bring back with me?
- What is a suitable physical activity level?
- Which online sources are you suggesting to visit?
- Do I need to see a specialist?
- How frequently do I need to visit a cardiologist?
Besides the questions you've been
preparing to ask your doctor, do not hesitate to ask questions at any time
during your appointment that you don't comprehend.
What to expect from your doctor during HBP treatment?
Several issues your doctor will
probably ask you. Being prepared to respond to them can reserve time to spend
more time on any points you want to spend.
Your physician may ask:
- Are you smoking?
- Do you have cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, or heart disease family history?
- Do you have alcohol to drink? How many beverages are there in a week?
- When have you checked your blood pressure last? So, what was your measurement of blood pressure?
- What are the habits of your diet and practice?
Meanwhile, what you can do
Making healthy lifestyle
modifications like quitting smoking, eating healthy foods, and becoming more
physically active is never too early. These are primary lines of protection,
including heart attack and stroke, against high blood pressure and its
complications.
NB:
This article is not a medical advice but is based on prevalent medical
media information. Consult an authorized doctor for decisions.
Author's Bio
 |
| Dr. Shawna Reason |
Education: MBBS, MD
Occupation: Medical Doctor / Virologist
Specialization: Medical Science, Micro Biology / Virology, Natural Treatment
Experience: 15 Years as a Medical Practitioner
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