How to Manage High Blood Pressure

One of the most common chronic vascular diseases is hypertension. It is essential to manage high blood pressure as it can negatively affect your well-being and lead to death. Prabhdeep Singh, MD., F.A.C.P., specializes in internal medicine in El Centro offering comprehensive scientific knowledge and clinical diagnosis, management, and treatment of high blood pressure and heart disease.

Diagnosis

A sphygmomanometer, a pressure cuff instrument, measures blood pressure and records results in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). The clinical representation of blood pressure is usually in fractions, for example, 110/70 mm Hg. The top (systolic) number represents your blood pressure during a heartbeat. Your blood pressure during rest, between two consecutive heartbeats, is the bottom (diastolic) number.

Blood pressure levels are generally at 120/80 mm Hg or below, elevated at 120-129 systolic and below 80 diastolic, and high at 130 and higher systolic and equal to or greater than 80 diastolic.

High blood pressure (hypertension) is when the force of blood flow against vascular walls is higher than usual.

Risk factors

The factors that increase your vulnerability of developing high blood pressure include:

• Smoking: Being a cigarette smoker or a secondary smoker damages your heart and blood vessels.
• Having diabetes: This disease causes increased sugars in your system, putting you at risk of developing heart disease.
• Being obese or overweight: Excess body fat puts stress on your heart and blood vessels' functioning.
• Unhealthy diet: Consuming a high sodium/low potassium diet and drinking excess alcohol.
• Physical inactivity: Negatively affects your heart and blood vessels weakening their structure and functioning.
• Genetics: Some inherited genes have been associated with hypertension.
• Race/ethnicity: High blood pressure is more standard in black people than white people.
• Increasing age: Blood pressure usually tends to rise with age.
• Gender: Men are more likely to develop hypertension than women.

Treatment of high blood pressure

1. Specific lifestyle improvements can help manage high blood pressure, for example:

• Do not smoke and avoid secondary smoke.
• Manage your weight by getting on a weight loss program
• Maintain a healthy diet: Consume salt and increase potassium intake.
• Limit alcohol intake: Women should take at most one drink a day and men two.
• Remain physically active by regularly exercising.

2. Medicines

High blood pressure medications such as:

• Diuretics: These medications assist in sodium elimination by your kidneys.
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors: Prevent blood vessel narrowing and enhance relaxation.
• Calcium channel blockers: Work better for Africans and older people. Calcium channel blockers slow heart rate.
• Alpha-blockers: Reduce narrowing of blood vessels.
• Alpha-beta blockers: Reduce blood volume flowing in the blood vessels by slowing down the heartbeat.
• Beta-blockers: Widen blood vessels reducing vascular blood pressure.
• Aldosterone antagonists: Reduce salt and fluid buildup in your body.
• Renin-inhibitors: Reduces renin production.
• Vasodilators: Prevents arterial narrowing.
• Central-acting agents: Prevent signals to the brain that cause increased heart rate through narrowed blood vessels.

Hypertension is extremely dangerous as it does not present any noticeable symptoms and can cause sudden death if not diagnosed. Contact the office of Prabhdeep Singh, MD., F.A.C.P., or schedule an appointment online to diagnose, manage, and treat your high blood pressure.