High Blood Pressure Overview and Treatment
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, has been referred to as the heart’s silent killer because of its minimal or unseen symptoms. What is blood pressure and how does it affect the heart? Revolution Health states: “[w]ith each beat of the heart, blood is pumped out of the heart and into the blood vessels, which carry blood throughout your body. Blood pressure is the measurement of the pressure or force inside your blood vessels (arteries) with each beat of the heart. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, means the pressure in your arteries is above the normal range”.
Blood pressure is measured in systolic pressure (pressure in the arteries when the heart beats and fills the arteries with blood) and diastolic pressure (pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats). A normal reading ranges between 115/75 to about 140/90. Do you suffer from high blood pressure? Here are some tips on how to treat high blood pressure:
- You can help lower your blood pressure by making healthy changes in your lifestyle. If those lifestyle changes don’t work, you may also need to take pills. Either way, you will need to control high blood pressure throughout your life.
- If you have prehypertension, your doctor will likely recommend lifestyle changes. These may include losing extra weight, exercising, limiting alcohol, cutting back on salt, quitting smoking, and eating a low-fat diet that includes more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods.
- If you have high blood pressure without any organ damage or other risk factors for heart disease, your doctor may recommend that you take medicine in addition to making lifestyle changes.
- If you have high blood pressure and have some organ damage or other risk factors for heart disease, you may need to try various combinations of medicines in addition to making big lifestyle changes.
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