What is hypertension?
Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. Normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg — anything above this number is considered elevated or high.
High blood pressure occurs when the amount of force applied by blood flow through your blood vessels is increased. This is problematic because it increases your risk for stroke, heart attack, and even death.
Hypertension is considered a “silent killer” because many people don’t even know they have it. In fact, about half of American adults have high blood pressure.
What causes hypertension?
Hypertension has many causes, some of which you can control. These modifiable risk factors are related to your lifestyle and include:
- Excess weight or obesity
- Poor diet, especially one high in sodium
- Smoking
- Consumption of too much alcohol
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Sleep apnea
- High cholesterol
- Stress
- Diabetes
Other causes of hypertension include a family history of high blood pressure, increasing age, race, gender, and chronic kidney disease. If you have risk factors related to who you are, taking steps to reduce your lifestyle factors can be a key to preventing high blood pressure.
How is hypertension diagnosed?
Hypertension is diagnosed through a blood pressure reading. During any visit to Thuy T. Nguyen, M.D., Inc., you have your blood pressure checked and evaluated to determine if it is elevated or high.
Elevated blood pressure is any reading between 120/80 mm Hg and 129/80. High blood pressure is any reading between 130/88 and 180/120. The higher your blood pressure is, the greater your risk for a hypertensive crisis — an emergency situation that may lead to stroke, heart attack, or death.
An annual exam is one way to keep track of your blood pressure year to year. If Dr. Nguyen is concerned about your blood pressure or diagnoses you with hypertension, he may recommend more frequent screenings.
How do you treat hypertension?
If you have hypertension, Dr. Nguyen begins with lifestyle recommendations to lower your blood pressure naturally. In addition to losing weight, maintaining a healthy and low salt diet, and increasing your exercise, Dr. Nguyen may recommend stress management solutions or decreasing your alcohol intake.
If your hypertension is unresponsive to lifestyle changes, Dr. Nguyen prescribes medications to lower your blood pressure. Blood pressure screenings are used to check the effectiveness of your medications and lifestyle changes.
Hypertension can be scary, but help is available. Call Dr. Nguyen or schedule a consultation online now to get started.
