Hypertension Expert in Perumbakkam
Your Trusted Partner in Hypertension
High blood pressure is when the force of blood pushing against your artery walls is consistently too high. We are here to provide you with top-notch care and guidance to tackle your problems.
Understanding Hypertension
Types of Hypertension
High blood pressure is when the force of blood pushing against your artery walls is consistently too high. This damages your arteries over time and can lead to serious complications like heart attack and stroke. “Hypertension” is another word for this common condition.
Healthcare providers call high blood pressure a “silent killer” because you usually don’t have any symptoms. So, you may not be aware that anything is wrong, but the damage is still occurring within your body.
Primary hypertension: Causes of this more common type of high blood pressure (about 90% of all adult cases in the U.S.) include aging and lifestyle factors like not getting enough exercise.
Secondary hypertension: Causes of this type of high blood pressure include different medical conditions or a medication you’re taking.
Primary and secondary high blood pressure (hypertension) can co-exist. For example, a new secondary cause can make blood pressure that’s already high get even higher.
You might also hear about high blood pressure that comes or goes in certain situations. These hypertension types are:
White coat hypertension: Your BP is normal at home but elevated in a healthcare setting.
Masked hypertension: Your BP is normal in a healthcare setting but elevated at home.
Sustained hypertension: Your BP is elevated in healthcare settings and at home.
Nocturnal hypertension: Your BP goes up when you sleep
Symptoms of Hypertension:
Most people with high blood pressure have no symptoms, even if blood pressure readings reach dangerously high levels. You can have high blood pressure for years without any symptoms.
A few people with high blood pressure may have:
- Headaches
- Shortness of breath
- Nosebleeds
However, these symptoms aren’t specific. They usually don’t occur until high blood pressure has reached a severe or life-threatening stage.
Causes of Hypertension:
- Unhealthy eating patterns (including a diet high in sodium).
- Lack of physical activity.
- High consumption of beverages containing alcohol.
- Secondary hypertension has at least one distinct cause that healthcare providers can identify. Common causes of secondary hypertension include:
- Certain medications, including immunosuppressants, NSAIDs and oral contraceptives (the pill).
- Kidney disease.
- Obstructive sleep apnoea.
- Primary aldosteronism (Conn’s syndrome).
- Recreational drug use (including amphetamines and cocaine).
- Renal vascular diseases, which are conditions that affect blood flow in your kidneys’ arteries and veins. Renal artery stenosis is a common example.
Prevention
Cut down on sodium: To prevent hypertension, you should reduce the amount of sodium in your diet. Try to keep it below 1,500 milligrams a day
Follow a healthy eating plan: This is an important step in keeping your blood pressure normal. The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) emphasizes adding fruits, vegetables and whole grains to your diet
Keep a healthy weight: Going hand-in-hand with a proper diet is keeping a weight that’s healthy for you. Losing excess weight with diet and exercise will help lower your blood pressure to healthier levels.
Keep active: Even simple physical activities, such as walking, can lower your blood pressure (and your weight).
Drink alcohol in moderation: Having more than one drink a day (for women or people assigned female at birth) or more than two drinks a day (for men or people assigned male at birth) can raise blood pressure. One drink is defined as 1 ounce (oz) of alcohol, 5 ounces of wine or 12 ounces of beer
Treatments
Lifestyle changes to lower your blood pressure:
You may be wondering if you can lower your blood pressure naturally. Yes, in some cases, it’s possible to lower your blood pressure without medication. For example, your provider may recommend starting with lifestyle changes if you have elevated blood pressure or stage 1 hypertension.
Here are some proven ways to lower your blood pressure naturally:
Keep a weight that’s healthy for you. Your healthcare provider can give you a target range.
Eat a healthy diet. An example is the DASH diet. This is a way of eating that’s full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy.
Cut down on salt. Ideally, limit your sodium intake to no more than 1,500 milligrams (mg) per day. If this is too difficult at first, you can start by reducing your daily intake by at least 1,000 milligrams.
Get enough potassium. Try to consume 3,500 to 5,000 milligrams per day, ideally through the foods you eat rather than supplements. Some foods high in potassium include bananas, avocados and potatoes (with skin).
Exercise. Ask your healthcare provider for tips to get started. In general, start slow and work your way up to 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week. Resistance training (like lifting light weights) is also helpful.
Limit alcohol. If you choose to drink beverages containing alcohol, do so in moderation.
Medications to lower your blood pressure:
Four classes of blood pressure medications are “first-line” (most effective and commonly prescribed) when starting treatment:
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors block the production of the angiotensin II hormone, which the body naturally uses to manage blood pressure. When the medicine blocks angiotensin II, your blood vessels don’t narrow.
Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) block this same hormone from binding with receptors in the blood vessels. ARBs work the same way as ACE inhibitors to keep blood vessels from narrowing.
Calcium channel blockers prevent calcium from entering the muscle cells of your heart and blood vessels, allowing these vessels to relax.
Diuretics (water or fluid pills) flush excess sodium from your body, reducing the amount of fluid in your blood. People often take diuretics with other high blood pressure medicines, sometimes in one combined pill.
Frequently Asked Question on Hypertension
High blood pressure usually develops over time. It can happen because of unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as not getting enough regular physical activity. Certain health conditions, such as diabetes and having obesity, can also increase the risk for developing high blood pressure.
If left for too long, or if the hypertension is severe enough, it can damage the brain and cause symptoms such as headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, restlessness and blurred vision. In rare cases, it can even cause brain swelling which can lead to drowsiness and coma.
Stage 2 hypertension. Blood pressure higher than 180/120 mm Hg is considered a hypertensive emergency or crisis
As a general guide: ideal blood pressure is considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg. high blood pressure is considered to be 140/90mmHg or higher. low blood pressure is considered to be below 90/60mmHg
While there is no cure for high blood pressure, it is important for patients to take steps that matter, such as making effective lifestyle changes and taking BP-lowering medications as prescribed by their physicians