How High Of Blood Pressure Is Dangerous

Complementary Therapies Are An Option

Meditation can lower blood pressure by putting your body into a state of deep rest. Yoga, tai chi, and deep breathing also help. Pair these relaxation techniques with other lifestyle changes, like diet and exercise. Be aware that herbal therapies may conflict with other drugs you take. Some herbs actually raise blood pressure. Tell your doctor if you take herbal or other dietary supplements.

Risks Of High Blood Pressure

If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs, such as the brain, kidneys and eyes.

Persistent high blood pressure can increase your risk of a number of serious and potentially life-threatening health conditions, such as:

• have a relative with high blood pressure
• are of black African or black Caribbean descent
• live in a deprived area

Making healthy lifestyle changes can sometimes help reduce your chances of getting high blood pressure and help lower your blood pressure if its already high.

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Good Sleep Can Prevent And Manage High Blood Pressure

Most people experience a dip in blood pressure during the deepest stage of sleep , which is the body’s normal and healthy reaction to sleep. Not having that nighttime dip is a risk factor for heart disease and may increase daytime blood pressure.

Typically people spend 90 minutes to two hours in slow wave sleep per night. A recent study published in Hypertension found that men who got less slow wave sleep each night were a higher risk for hypertension than men who got more deep sleep.

While sleep disorders, like sleep apnea, and age can both affect the amount of deep sleep you get, there are steps you can take to ensure a good night’s sleep. Getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and being more active during the day can help improve the quality of your sleep.

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High Blood Pressure Levels

If the systolic pressure is between 120 and 139, or the diastolic is between 80 and 89, you have prehypertension. The numbers in this range used to be considered normal. Researchers coined the phrase prehypertension to use as a warning signal for patients to change their lifestyle to lessen the risk of developing high blood pressure. Blood pressure is considered dangerous when it reaches the hypertension stage. If your blood pressure is higher than 140/90, for either number, you have hypertension.

What Is High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is defined as the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood. High blood pressure also known as hypertension is a disease in which blood flows through blood vessels at a higher than normal pressure.

Blood pressure is measured with two numbers. The first, or top number, is the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart beats, called the systolic pressure. Systolic pressure is the higher of the two numbers. The second, or bottom number, measures the force of blood in your arteries while your heart is relaxed between beats. The bottom number is the lower of the two and is called the diastolic pressure.

Normal pressure is 120/80 or lower. Your blood pressure is considered high if it reads 130/80. Stage 2 high blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. If you get a blood pressure reading of 180/110 or higher more than once, seek medical treatment right away. A reading this high is considered hypertensive crisis.

Readings between 120/80 and 129/89 are considered pre-hypertension. People with pre-hypertension do not have blood pressure as low as it should be but are not yet considered to have high blood pressure.

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When To Contact A Medical Professional

If you have high blood pressure, you will have regular checkups with your provider.

Even if you have not been diagnosed with high blood pressure, it is important to have your blood pressure checked during your regular check-up, especially if someone in your family has or had high blood pressure.

Contact your provider right away if home monitoring shows that your blood pressure is still high.

What If My Medicine Causes Side Effects

You should report any side effects, such as headaches, dizziness, tiredness, palpitations, ankle swelling, problems with your sex life, etc., to your healthcare provider. It may be possible to change the dose of your medicine or order a different medicine that may work better for you.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Hypertension

Hypertension is commonly known as a silent killer. An estimated 46% of adults with hypertension are unaware of their condition. This medical condition can develop without warning signs and visible symptoms.

In some cases, when symptoms start to show, these symptoms may include:

• Buzzing in ears

When the case is severe, symptoms may include:

Severe hypertension requires immediate medical intervention. The symptoms can be fatal and put you at risk for heart attack and stroke. When severe hypertension remains uncontrolled, the prognosis is often poor. Prolonged excessive blood pressure in the body can result in hardening of the arteries, and the slowing or even blocking of proper circulation of blood and oxygen to the heart.

What Happens If You Miss One Blood Pressure Pill

If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take two doses to make up for the dose you missed. Regularly fill prescriptions and ask the pharmacist any questions you have.

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Medications For High Blood Pressure

There are a variety of medications that can help manage high blood pressure. Again, medication is typically recommended when lifestyle changes dont produce results, and in more serious blood pressure cases like stage 1 or stage 2 hypertension. Medications for high blood pressure include:

• Alpha, beta and alpha-beta blockersStop epinephrine and similar hormones from affecting the cardiovascular system, allowing the muscles of the heart and arteries to stay relaxed.
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsStop the body from producing angiotensin, a hormone that narrows blood vessels.
• Angiotensin receptor blockers Stop angiotensin from affecting blood vessels.
• Calcium channel blockersHelp keep arteries relaxed by preventing calcium from entering heart and artery cells.
• Central agonistsHelp control heart rate and blood flow by blocking signals between the brain and the nervous system.
• DiureticsReduce excess sodium and water in the body.
• Renin inhibitorsSlow the bodys production of the enzyme renin, which can play a role in high blood pressure.
• VasodilatorsPrevent artery and vein muscles from narrowing.

What Defines High Blood Pressure

According to the American Heart Association, there are clear ranges of normal and abnormal blood pressure. A blood pressure reading consists of two numbers: systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure measured the pressure on artery walls while the heart is pumping blood. Diastolic measures the pressure during the rest in between beats.

• Normal blood pressure: 120 over 80
• Elevated blood pressure: 120-129 over less than 80
• Hypertension stage 1: 130-139 over 80-89
• Hypertension stage 2: 140 or higher over 90 or higher
• Hypertensive Crisis: higher than 180 over higher than 120

These numbers do not vary from person to person, no matter what other factors make them different.

Blood pressure can elevate due to a dramatic change in temperature or a moment of stress. For this reason, hypertension is not usually diagnosed by one reading. If when tested you present an elevated blood pressure, often you will test again a few minutes later. Official hypertension is usually diagnosed after a series of high readings. It is important to pay attention to your blood pressure measurements and you should check it often if your blood pressure is high.

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Learning To Cope With Stress Can Help

Stress and hypertension have often been linked, but researchers are still looking into a direct relationship between the two. Still, the best advice to hypertensive patients: Try to relax.

When you are stressed, your body sends stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol into the bloodstream. These hormones create a temporary spike in blood pressure, causing your heart to beat faster and blood vessels to narrow. When the stressful situation is over, blood pressure goes back to its normal level.

Chronic stress, however, may cause your body to stay in this highly-charged state longer than natural.

While stress itself may or may not affect blood pressure, how you cope with stress does. For instance, overeating, smoking and drinking alcohol in response to stressful situations are direct causes of sustained high blood pressure. On the flip side, healthier coping mechanisms like exercising, practicing yoga and meditating can all help lower blood pressure.

What Is Hypertensive Crisis

There are two kinds of hypertensive crises: Urgent and Emergency.

Once your systolic blood pressure is over 180 and your diastolic blood pressure is over 120, you are in Hypertensive Crisis. For someone with regular hypertension, this may be a short term elevation, so you test again after a few minutes to be sure.

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Does High Blood Pressure Increase Heart Rate

Heart rate and blood pressure do not necessarily increase at the same rate. A rising heart rate does not cause your blood pressure to increase at the same rate. Even though your heart is beating more times a minute, healthy blood vessels dilate to allow more blood to flow through more easily. When you exercise, your heart speeds up so more blood can reach your muscles. It may be possible for your heart rate to double safely, while your blood pressure may respond by only increasing a modest amount.

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Monitoring Your Blood Pressure

How often should I get checked?

• If your blood pressure is usually at the high end of normal , you should have an annual check.
• If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you should be monitored until you reach your target blood pressure. Afterwards you should have an annual check.
• All adults should have their blood pressure checked at least every five years.

Home blood pressure monitoring

Its possible to monitor your own blood pressure at home. In some areas of England, your GP may be able to let you have a home blood pressure monitor.

Some fitness trackers and mobile devices can measure blood pressure and heart rate. These can be useful for keeping an eye on your blood pressure, but most of these are not as accurate as a medical device. Ask your GP if they can use readings made by your device.

If you are thinking of buying a home monitor, ask your GP for advice about how and when to use it. The British Hypertension Society has a list of reliable monitors on this webpage.

Causes Of High Blood Pressure

Although the exact cause is unknown, certain conditions, traits or habits may raise your risk for the condition. These are known as risk factors and include:

Non-modifiable risk factors: These factors are irreversible and cannot be changed. The more of these risk factors you have, the greater your chance of developing HBP.

• Starting at age 18, ask your doctor for a blood pressure reading at least every two years. If you’re age 40 or older, or you’re 18 to 39 with a high risk of high blood pressure, ask your doctor for a blood pressure reading every year.
• Family history/Genetics
• African Americans and non-white Hispanic Americans are at higher risk for developing high blood pressure than any other group in the U.S.

Modifiable risk factors: These factors can be modified, treated or controlled through medications or lifestyle changes.

• Excessive alcohol consumption over many years.
• Little to no physical activity
• Excessive amounts of salt in diet that excess the recommended amounts of 1,500 to 2,300 mg of sodium per day.
• Long history of smoking and/or drug abuse
• Extreme emotional stress

Other conditions that contribute to developing high blood pressure

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What Causes Hypertension

The most common form of hypertension is called primary hypertension. It is a disease in itself largely caused by advancing age and genetics. By age 80, some 90% of adults have primary hypertension due to arteries narrowed by atherosclerosis. Despite its prevalence, primary hypertension is neither desirable nor inevitable.

We used to think high blood pressure was essential as we age, says Dr. Laffin. Now we know this is not true. High blood pressure in our later years needs to be addressed.

Hypertension also can be caused by another disease, called secondary hypertension, such as narrowing of the aorta or the arteries leading to the kidneys, or by excess hormone production.

Arbs Keep The Flow Going

Instead of lowering your supply of angiotensin II, these drugs block receptors for angiotensin. It’s like placing a shield over a lock. This blockade prevents the chemical’s artery-tightening effects and lowers your blood pressure. ARBs can take several weeks to become fully effective. Possible side effects include dizziness, muscle cramps, insomnia, and high potassium levels. Donât get pregnant while taking this medication.

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How Is It Treated

For most people, the goal is to reduce the blood pressure to less than 140/90. If you have diabetes or kidney disease, the goal is less than 130/80 mm Hg.

If your blood pressure is above normal , you may be able to bring it down to a normal level without medicine. Weight loss, changes in your diet, and exercise may be the only treatment you need. If you also have diabetes, you may need additional treatment.

If these lifestyle changes do not lower your blood pressure enough, your healthcare provider may prescribe medicine. Some of the types of medicines that can help are diuretics, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and vasodilators. These medicines work in different ways. Many people need to take 2 or more medicines to bring their blood pressure down to a healthy level.

When you start taking medicine, it is important to:

• Take the medicine regularly, exactly as prescribed.
• Tell your healthcare provider about any side effects right away.
• Have regular follow-up visits with your healthcare provider.

It may not be possible to know at first which drug or mix of drugs will work best for you. It may take several weeks or months to find the best treatment for you.

Symptoms In Teens And People In Their Early 20s

Teenagers can develop high blood pressure due to obesity or an underlying medical condition.

Possible medical factors

• endocrine disease, which affects the hormones
• vascular disease, which affects the blood vessels
• a neurological condition

These conditions may have symptoms of their own.

The symptoms of high blood pressure, if they occur, will be the same as for other groups.

A 2021 study notes that, while death rates from cardiovascular disease have fallen among older adults, the reduction has been less dramatic in those aged 1839 years. The author suggests there are lower rates of awareness, treatment, and management of high blood pressure in those aged 2039. With this in mind, they call for more effective identification of high blood pressure in these age groups to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems later in life.

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How Is High Blood Pressure Treated

Treatment for hypertension depends on how high your blood pressure is, as well as your lifestyle and risk factors.

For elevated blood pressure, the goal is to keep your blood pressure from developing into clinical hypertension. No medications are necessary at this stage. Your doctor may recommend:

• losing weight if you have overweight or obesity

For stage 1 hypertension, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes as mentioned above, as well as:

• reducing your sodium intake
• finding healthy ways to manage your stress
• medication, if your blood pressure doesnt improve after 1 month of lifestyle changes

For stage 2 hypertension, the typical treatment, in addition to a healthier lifestyle, is medication. Your doctor may prescribe one or more of the following medications to help lower your blood pressure:

• ACE inhibitors to block substances that tighten blood vessels
• alpha blockers to help relax the arteries
• beta-blockers to decrease your heart rate and block substances that tighten blood vessels
• calcium channel blockers to relax blood vessels and decrease the work of your heart
• diuretics to decrease the amount of fluid in your body, including your blood vessels

A hypertensive crisis requires immediate treatment. Medications may be given orally or intravenously .

The most for a hypertensive crisis include:

• vasodilators, such as hydralazine, nitroglycerin, and nitroprusside
• beta-blockers, such as labetalol and esmolol