High blood pressure is known as hypertension, and it occurs when the force of blood pushing against your artery walls is consistently too high. This can significantly damage your arteries over time and can lead to serious complications like heart failure or stroke. It can be hard to detect hypertension due to its lack of symptoms. Jonathan Pankow, M.D. and team are well qualified and highly skilled in the personalised management of hypertension to help avoid life-threatening complications.
Insight- Hypertension And Its Causes
Your arteries can narrow over a period of time due to an abnormal buildup of plaque along the walls. This can lead to an increase in the pressure when the force of the blood against the walls of your arteries is higher than it should be.
Hypertension could also develop secondary to any underlying medical condition or medication. High BP could be a result of the following:
- Diabetes
- Sleep apnea
- Kidney disease
- Thyroid glands
- Adrenal gland disorders
- Contraceptive pills
- Nasal decongestants
- Overuse of certain prescription painkillers (like NSAIDs)
There are several risk factors that could predispose you to develop hypertension, such as:
- Being over 55 years of age
- Hereditary (running in families)
- Obesity
- High sodium diet
- Increased alcohol consumption
- Tobacco use
- Lack of physical activity
Hypertension Management And Its Importance
Healthcare professionals recommend treatment based on your blood pressure readings, causes of high BP, and the underlying cause.
- A healthy diet and lifestyle changes
- Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet that should include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy
- Cut down on the salt intake
- Consume enough potassium, and include foods like bananas, avocados, and potatoes
- Maintain an optimal weight
- Exercise regularly through regular walks, running, jogging, cycling, swimming, and lifting light weights
- Limit tobacco use and alcohol consumption
- Medications: There are 4 classes of blood pressure drugs considered as the first line of treatment by most doctors.
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)
- Calcium channel blockers
- Diuretics (water or fluid pills)
- Treatment of the underlying medical condition
- Your doctor will identify the underlying cause that leads to high BP and work on correcting it.
- For example, treating kidney disease may improve kidney function and help regulate blood pressure.
Managing high BP is important to avoid the following:
- Heart attack
- Eye problems
- Stroke
- Heart failure
- Cognitive problems
- Reduced kidney functions
Takeaway
Hypertension can be risky and dangerous if not diagnosed and treated early since it can cause serious life-threatening medical emergencies. But thankfully making healthy lifestyle choices through diet and exercise, and medications can make a big difference in enhancing your quality of life.
