High Blood Pressure Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Medical experts call high blood pressure (high BP) as hypertension. High blood pressure is a common health issue across the world.

According to the World Health Organisation, the world has approximately 1.28 million people with hypertension. Around 46% of those people are unaware of this health problem. And 42% of adults get proper diagnosis and treatment. Only 21% of adults with hypertension keep their blood pressure under control.

In this post, learn about high blood pressure symptoms and treatment options with a few basics.

What is High Blood Pressure?

Hypertension or high blood pressure occurs when the artery walls of your body face a higher force of blood constantly. Health experts or doctors measure it using two readings

• Systolic pressure - It reflects the blood force when the heart beats.
• Diastolic pressure - It reflects the pressure when the heart takes a rest between beats.

The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology have divided blood pressure into the following four categories:

• Normal Blood Pressure - lower than 120/80 mm Hg.
• Elevated Blood Pressure- The top number of blood pressure ranges from 120 to 129 mm Hg and the bottom number is below 80 mm Hg.
• Stage 1 Hypertension- The systolic pressure ranges from 130 to 139 mm Hg while the diastolic pressure ranges from 80 to 89 mm Hg.
• Stage 2 Hypertension- The systolic is 140 mm Hg or higher while the diastolic pressure is 90 mm Hg or higher.

High Blood Pressure Symptoms

Usually, people with hypertension experience no visible signs. A high blood pressure with a higher reading like 180 mmHg / 120 mmHg makes a person have chest pain, blurred vision, and allied signs.

Here are some common BP symptoms you could face if you have hypertension:

• Severe headaches
• Chest pain
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Difficulty breathing
• Vomiting
• Anxiety
• Blurred vision or other vision changes
• Nosebleeds
• Confusion
• Abnormal heart rhythm
• Buzzing in the ears

Consulting a cardiologist or heart specialist is essential if you notice any of the above-mentioned hypertension symptoms.

What Causes High Blood Pressure Disease

The causes of high blood pressure have multiple factors that are as follows:

Bad Lifestyle

Unhealthy lifestyle choices like too much alcohol consumption, a diet with high salt, smoking, and lack of physical activities in daily life increase the risk.

Due to these bad lifestyle choices, your cardiovascular system faces an increased strain. It could lead you to hypertension with time.

Ageing

With time, there is a gradual decrease in the stiffness and elasticity of the arteries. This decrease works as a barrier in the blood circulation or flow and causes an increase in the blood pressure level.

Stress

Stress or anxiety is common in today’s world. Severe stress triggers the blood pressure level temporarily. The constant stress of a higher level could lead you to hypertension.

Family History

You have a higher risk of blood pressure if anyone in your family has a history of hypertension. It occurs due to the inherited genes.

Obesity

Heavy body weight puts extra strain on the blood vessels and heart. It makes the cardiovascular system work harder for the proper blood circulation throughout the body. Gradually, this strain could lead to high blood pressure.

Certain Health Conditions

Underlying health problems like hormonal imbalances, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, adrenal gland tumours, and kidney diseases contribute to the development of high blood pressure.

Health Complications

Constant high blood pressure lays an additional pressure on the artery walls. It can damage body organs, along with blood vessels. If ignored or left untreated for a longer period, hypertension can lead to several other health issues. These health complications could be:

• Heart attack or heart stroke - Thickening and hardening of the arteries caused by hypertension or other factors can lead to a heart stroke or attack.
• Heart failure - Your heart has to work harder when your blood pressure constantly remains higher. It causes a strain on the heart’s walls that makes the pumping chamber thicken. Not enough pumping leads to heart failure.
• Kidney problems - Hypertension can make the kidneys’ blood vessels get weak or narrowed. It can lead to kidney damage.
• Metabolic syndrome- It relates to irregularities in sugar breakdowns. Therefore, it has a close association with a decrease in HDL (healthy cholesterol), enhanced waist size, high blood sugar levels, and hypertension.
• Dementia- Blocked or narrowed arteries interrupts the blood circulation towards the brain. It can cause a particular dementia - vascular dementia.
• Eye problems - Hypertension can cause narrowed, torn, or thickened blood vessels in the eyes. It can result in several eye problems, including vision loss.

Hypertension Diagnosis

As you notice any visible high blood pressure symptoms or assume you have hypertension, you usually consult a cardiologist. After knowing you and your current health conditions, your doctor can suggest the following tests to confirm that it is hypertension:

• Blood pressure checks - To know both readings - systolic and diastolic pressure
• Ambulatory monitoring - To measure blood pressure at regular intervals - 6 hours or 24 hours.
• Blood and urine tests- To examine what is causing or worsening hypertension.
• ECG or EKG - To know how your heart is beating - slow or fast.
• Echocardiogram - To present a detailed image of your heart beating.

High Blood Pressure Treatment Options

Your main hypertension treatment starts as you consult an experienced cardiologist or Ayurvedic doctor. It generally consists of certain prescribed medicines, dietary changes, and lifestyle modifications.

Here have a close look at the following high blood pressure treatment options:

Medications

Based on the results of the suggested tests and held interactions, your cardiologist can suggest the following medicines to help you control high blood pressure:

• Water pills - To remove excess sodium and water from your body.
• ACE (Angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors - To make your blood vessels relax.
• Calcium channel blockers
• Angiotensin II receptor blockers
• Alpha blockers
• Beta blockers
• Alpha-beta blockers

To manage hypertension naturally, you can take high BP Ayurvedic medicine like Hyper Capsule after talking to an experienced Ayurvedacharya or Ayurvedic doctor.

Lifestyle Modifications (Diet, Exercise, Stress Management, etc.)

Apart from prescribing the most suitable high blood pressure medicine, your doctor may ask you to follow a healthy lifestyle. For this, the doctor might produce the following tips:

• Take a healthy diet each time. It must have whole grains, fresh vegetables, lean proteins, and fruits. Reduce your salt intake.
• Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption. Smoking and too much drinking trigger your blood pressure level.
• Take moderate exercises regularly. Aim to be physically active and perform aerobic exercises for 30 minutes a day or 150 minutes a week. Go for a 30-minute morning or evening walk if you cannot perform exercises.
• Manage your body weight. For it, keep a close watch on your BMI and make it under 25. Make positive efforts to lose your body weight if you have obesity.
• Take the prescribed high blood pressure medicine regularly. Try not to miss it on any day.

Final Words

Managing high blood pressure is easy with proper medical care and lifestyle modifications. Understanding high blood pressure symptoms with causes and treatment options can help you make the right decision.

Further, it can help you control the level of your high blood pressure disease and prevent critical health complications like heart attacks and strokes.

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