December 10, 2019

Everything You Need to Know About High Blood Pressure

Filed under: blood pressure — @ 9:34 pm

Did you know that over 75 million Americans have high blood pressure?

That means one in every three adults have high blood pressure..

Are you worried that you may be suffering from high blood pressure? If you’re interested in learning how to take better care of your health, understanding what high blood pressure is and how to manage your condition is essential….

That’s why today, we’ve created a complete guide to help you better understand everything you need to know about high blood pressure. Keep reading to learn more!..

What Is High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure is also referred to as hypertension. This medical condition happens when the blood pressure, which is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels, is too high on a consistent basis.

Whenever your heart beats, your blood pressure pushes your blood through your blood vessels. These blood vessels include veins, couplers, and arteries.

There are two different types of high blood pressure.

Primary Hypertension

Primary hypertension is also referred to as essential hypertension. This diagnosis comes when doctors are unable to identify the cause of your high blood pressure. This type of blood pressure problem can take several years to develop.

Secondary Hypertension

Secondary hypertension happens when a medication or a problem with your health is causing your blood pressure to be elevated. Adrenaline problems, certain medications, kidney problems, and sleep apnea can all be contributing factors for developing secondary hypertension.

What Are the Symptoms of High Blood Pressure?

One of the most dangerous aspects of high blood pressure is that many people don’t know they have it. The only way to know if you’re suffering from high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure regularly checked by a doctor.

It’s especially important to have regular check-ups on your blood pressure if you are related to people who also suffer from high blood pressure.

The most common symptoms of high blood pressure include:

Chest pain
Vision problems
Confusion
Fatigue headaches
Irregular heartbeat
Blood in urine
Pounding in your neck, chest, and ears

If you have noticed that you have any of these up above listed symptoms, you must make an immediate appointment with your doctor. These symptoms may also be a sign that you’re having a crisis that could lead to a stroke or heart attack.

What Causes High Blood Pressure?

The exact cause of high blood pressure hasn’t yet been discovered by scientists, however, researchers found that several contributing factors can increase your chances of developing high blood pressure.

These contributing factors are:

Stress
Genetics
Chronic a few things
Thyroid disorders
Adrenal disorders
Sleep apnea
Dizziness
Shortness of breath
Nosebleeds
Changes in vision
Smoking
Being obese or overweight
Consuming too much alcohol
Lack of physical activity

Eating a healthy diet, consuming alcohol in moderation, keeping physically active, and managing your stress levels are the best ways you can prevent your chances of developing high blood pressure.

How Is High Blood Pressure Diagnosed?

You can be diagnosed with high blood pressure by a blood pressure monitor. Most doctors will have your blood pressure tested with a blood pressure monitor when you go for a checkup.

To test your blood pressure, a nurse places a band around your arm. This band is attached to a pump and a blood pressure meter.

As the nurse squeezes the pump, it will tighten around your arm. The nurse will be able to read two numbers that measure blood pressure.

The first number that they’ll read is a systolic number, which is the measurement of when your heart is squeezing blood out. The bottom number that the rate is the diastolic reading, which is the pressure that your heart put out when it’s filling up with blood.

When the top number is 120 and the bottom number is less than 80, you’re in a normal blood pressure range
When the tub levels are between 120 to 139, with the bottom numbers between 80 to 89, you have pre-hypertension levels.
Stage one high blood pressure has the top numbers between 140 to 159 on top, well the bottom numbers are 90 to 99.
Stage two high blood pressure as a top number had 160 your higher with 100 or lower with the bottle number.

If you don’t go to the doctor’s office frequently, you should have your blood pressure checked at least once every two years. If you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure in the past or you have loved one who also has high blood pressure, you should have your blood pressure checked more frequently.

Additional Testing

Blood pressure levels do change throughout the day. Your doctor may conduct more tests if your blood pressure level stays too high to see if there’s an underlying medical condition that needs to be treated. Some of these tests can include:

Cholesterol screening
Blood tests
Urine test
Electrocardiogram
Heart and kidney ultrasound

The results of these blood tests can help your doctor to figure out if there’s a medical condition that’s causing your body to regulate your blood pressure. Your medical professional will also get better insight if your blood pressure is affecting your organs.

Getting Treatment for Your High Blood Pressure

If you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, your doctor will talk to you about treatment options and lifestyle changes that you need to make to get your blood pressure back down to a healthy level.

Has your doctor recommended a blood pressure medication? Click here if you’re looking to fill your blood pressure prescription.

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January 29, 2014

Negative Side Effects of Energy Drinks: Blood Pressure

Energy drinks are consumed on a daily basis by many people. From Red Bull to Monster to less popular brands, it seems that new energy drinks are being created every single day. Some energy drinks have had much controversy surrounding them, like Four Loco and 5 Hour Energy, while others, like Red Bull and Monster, have gone relatively unscathed. Regardless of the brand or the controversy surrounding it, new studies have shown that there are negative side effects of energy drinks, surrounding cardiovascular health.

Energy Drink Side Effect 1: Increased Heart Rate

The main cause for concern when it comes to energy drink consumption is the increased heart rate. Cardiologists measure something called the QT interval, which is a measure of the electrical system of the heart that indicates heart’s rhythm. QT intervals were increased by as much as 10 milliseconds per energy drink consumed, which has doctors extremely concerned. While 10 milliseconds may not seem like a large increase, for the heart’s rhythm, it is. Since many people who consume energy drinks have two to three or more per day, and increasing QT by 30 milliseconds is enough to cause potentially life-threatening heart arrhythmias, doctors believe that, in light of this new study, energy drink consumption can lead to arrhythmia, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, heart disease, and even death.

Energy Drink Side Effect 2: Heart Rate and Blood Pressure

Any time you increase the heart rate, you will experience increased blood pressure. Think of your veins as garden hoses. If you pulse water through at a steady and consistent pace, it will flow rather well and the pressure inside the hose will remain stable. However, if you pulse water through very rapidly, this causes more water to be pushed through, causes the pulse generator, in your body’s case the heart, to work harder and causing the resulting pressure to be greater. This increased blood pressure combined with the arrhythmia created by the ingredients in energy drinks can lead to heart attack, heart disease, or death.

Energy Drinks Have No Guidelines

What is also unsettling is that energy drinks are not subject to guidelines imposed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on other products, like soft drinks. A can of soda normally has about 70 mg of caffeine. However, since most energy drinks are sold as dietary supplements instead of food, they can contain between 160 and 500 mg of caffeine per serving, or more. Combine that with the taurine and other chemicals in the products and the health implications could be disastrous.

Overall, doctors say that balance in everything, including energy drinks, should not pose any threat to your health. However, the amount of energy drinks a person consumes can easily add up to a dangerous situation for his or her heart and overall health. Limiting the amount of energy drinks you consume can help to mitigate any health impacts, but to be safe, water, tea, and other types of drinks that are not chemically infused and that don’t contain exorbitant amounts of caffeine are the best way to go.

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October 8, 2009

How to Lower High Blood Pressure

Filed under: angina,blood pressure,cholesterol,heart disease,high blood pressure,hypertension,kidney failure,quit smoking,stroke,Uncategorized — @ 4:48 pm

Many people don’t realize how bad high blood pressure can be for your body, and even more don’t know how to lower high blood pressure even after they know they have it. High blood pressure can lead to early damage of the blood vessels and heart. This can cause strokes, kidney problems, and heart disease.

Because high blood pressure does not normally present any sort of symptoms it is important to get you blood pressure tested regularly. There are ways though that you can help keep your blood pressure down and decrease the risk of any potential outcomes of high blood pressure.

Don’t smoke cigarettes or use any tobacco product.
Try to lose weight if you’re overweight
Moderate intensity exercise 30 to 60 minutes, 4 to 7 days per week
Limit how much sodium you eat.
Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
Eat foods containing enough potassium, calcium and magnesium.
Avoid fat and cholesterol.
Try relaxation techniques

There are also medications that can be taken to help lower your blood pressure. Medications are important and you may need to take them, but switching your lifestyle habits will make you healthier and if you don’t have high blood pressure may save you from developing it in the first place.