Hypertension

What is Hypertension?

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, can be a dangerous gateway to more serious, life-threatening cardiac conditions. This often silent condition can also affect your kidneys, brain and vision, so it’s essential to devise a plan to monitor and control blood pressure properly. Uncontrolled hypertension can have long-term, life-threatening consequences as it puts people at risk of severe health problems like cardiovascular disease, heart attack, peripheral vascular disease, stroke and kidney disease.

High blood pressure occurs when the force of the blood pushing against the walls of your arteries is consistently too strong. This forces your heart to work harder.

Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Medical professionals classify hypertension as a blood pressure reading of 130/80 mm Hg or higher. The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association divide blood pressure into four categories.

• Normal blood pressure: Readings of 120/80 mm Hg or lower
• Elevated blood pressure: The top, or systolic blood pressure number, ranges from 120 to 129 mm Hg and the bottom, or diastolic blood pressure number, is below 80 mm Hg
• Stage 1 hypertension: The top number ranges from 130 to 139 mm Hg, or the bottom number is between 80 and 89 mm Hg
• Stage 2 hypertension: Systolic blood pressure is 140 mm Hg or higher, and diastolic blood pressure is 90 mm Hg or higher

Blood pressure higher than 180/120 mm Hg is considered a hypertensive emergency that patients should deal with immediately.

If you need help to control your blood pressure, schedule an appointment with Dr. Kaur for a consultation and development of your customized plan to manage blood pressure.

WHAT CAUSES HYPERTENSION?

The exact causes are unknown, but those the following risk factors often several factors may play a role:

• Smoking or vaping
• Obesity
• Lack of physical activity
• Using too much salt
• High alcohol consumption
• Stress
• Age
• Genetics and family history
• Chronic kidney disease,
• Adrenal and thyroid disorders
• Sleep apnea
• Diabetes
• Lack of exercise
• Low potassium levels

Essential Hypertension

The underlying cause of hypertension cannot be found in as many as 95% of cases in the United States. These are classified as essential hypertension. Even though it’s somewhat mysterious, it has been linked to certain risk factors.

High blood pressure runs in families and affects more men than women. Blacks are twice as likely as whites to have it, although the gap begins to narrow around age 44. After age 65, black women have the highest incidence. Essential hypertension tends to develop slowly over many years. Plaque buildup in the artery walls puts patients at high risk of hypertension.

Diet and lifestyle factors also considerably influence essential hypertension. The link between salt and high blood pressure is especially compelling. People who add no salt to their food show almost no traces of essential hypertension. Most people with high blood pressure are “salt sensitive” and must reduce their intake.

Secondary Hypertension

When a direct cause can be identified, the condition is described as secondary hypertension. Kidney disease ranks highest among the causes of secondary hypertension. It can also be triggered by tumors or other abnormalities that cause the adrenal glands to secrete excess amounts of hormones that elevate blood pressure. Birth control pills and pregnancy can boost blood pressure, as can medications that constrict blood vessels.

An underlying medical condition causes this type of high blood pressure. It tends to appear suddenly and cause higher blood pressure than primary hypertension. Proper treatment of secondary hypertension often controls both the high blood pressure and the condition that causes it. Effective treatment reduces the risk of serious complications, including heart disease, kidney failure and stroke. Conditions and medicines that can lead to secondary hypertension include:

• Adrenal gland tumors
• Blood vessel problems present at birth, also called congenital heart defects.
• Cough and cold medicines, some pain relievers, birth control pills, and other prescription drugs
• Illegal drugs, such as cocaine and amphetamines
• Polycystic kidney disease
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Thyroid problems
• Cushing syndrome

Sometimes, just getting a health checkup causes blood pressure to increase. This is called white-coat hypertension.

SYMPTOMS OF HYPERTENSION

Most of the time, people are unaware that they have hypertension. Approximately one-third of all those who have high blood pressure don’t realize that they have it because it’s primarily a silent disease. Sometimes, when blood pressure is extremely high, it can produce the following symptoms:

• • Frequent, severe headaches
  • Confusion
  • Fatigue
  • Chest pain or severe pounding in the chest, neck and ears
  • Breathing difficulties
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Blood in the urine
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Blurred vision or other vision changes
  • Anxiety
  • Nosebleeds

MANAGING HYPERTENSION

Managing high blood pressure is a lifelong commitment. Whether due to lifestyle choices or genetic predispositions, Dr. Kaur will help determine the major issues for your high blood pressure and develop a long-term plan that will pay dividends in your health. Some major lifestyle modifications we encourage are eating a healthy diet, plenty of exercise, dropping excess weight, quitting smoking, and reducing the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Adopting these heart-healthy lifestyle habits will significantly impact blood pressure. The article DASH Diet: Reducing Hypertension through Diet and Lifestyle, indicates that although initially implemented as a dietary plan to lower blood pressure, DASH has many advantages to help reverse health problems along with lowering blood pressure.

But other risk factors, like genetic predispositions, can impact the blood pressure levels of patients with family histories of diabetes and high cholesterol. Men and women older than 65 need their blood pressure checked more as they age. Patients with high blood pressure require the advice of a medical professional, so if you’re within these criteria, Dr. Kaur can help lower high blood pressure back to safe levels and continuously have your blood pressure measured to monitor your progress and ensure you achieve your ultimate blood pressure goal.

WHEN MEDICATIONS ARE REQUIRED

In some cases, medications might be the best action if lifestyle modifications do not significantly lower your high blood pressure. Dr. Kaur will fine-tune your treatment plan for the most effective combination of lifestyle changes and medication. Many different types of drugs can treat high blood pressure, including the following:

• Beta-blockers to reduce the workload on your heart and open your blood vessels
• ACE (Angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitorst hat relax muscles in the blood vessels and are ideal for people with chronic kidney disease
• Diuretics to help eliminate sodium and water in the kidneys, reducing blood volume
• Renin inhibitors to slow the production of the renin enzyme in your kidneys, which can lead to elevated blood pressure
• Calcium channel blockers help relax the blood vessel muscles, often reducing heart rate

WHY HYPERTENSION NEEDS TREATMENT

Most people who suffer from hypertension never have signs or symptoms, even when levels become dangerously high. Some people may have headaches, shortness of breath or nosebleeds, but these symptoms are non-specific and often won’t occur unless blood pressure reaches dangerously high levels. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can decrease blood flow and oxygen to the heart, damaging the heart and blood vessels and ultimately leading to heart failure or stroke and sometimes death.

Hypertension should always be taken seriously, and a significant overhaul of your current lifestyle may be needed to prevent your health from deteriorating. Expect to have your blood pressure checked as a routine part of your medical appointment. Make sure it is checked in both arms to see if there is a difference.

If you want a health treatment plan for high blood pressure that addresses your unique concerns and issues, stop by VIVAA in Bellevue, WA, today to schedule a personal consultation, or call us at 425-250-9999. We will help find the best plan for all types of primary care services.