High blood pressure can also happen during pregnancy. You can manage your blood pressure to lower your risk for serious health problems that may affect your heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes. High blood pressure can damage your health in many ways. It can seriously hurt important organs like your heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes. The good news is that, in most cases, you can manage your blood pressure to lower your risk for serious health problems.
High blood pressure can damage your arteries by making them less elastic, which decreases the flow of blood and oxygen to your heart and leads to heart disease. In addition, decreased blood flow to the heart can cause:. High blood pressure can cause the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the brain to burst or be blocked, causing a stroke. Brain cells die during a stroke because they do not get enough oxygen. Stroke can cause serious disabilities in speech, movement, and other basic activities.
A stroke can also kill you. Having high blood pressure, especially in midlife, is linked to having poorer cognitive function and dementia later in life. Adults with diabetes, high blood pressure, or both have a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease than those without these conditions. Measuring your blood pressure is quick and painless. Talk with your health care team about regularly measuring your blood pressure at home, also called self-measured blood pressure SMBP monitoring.
Many people with high blood pressure can lower their blood pressure into a healthy range or keep their numbers in a healthy range by making lifestyle changes. 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.
Early detection of high blood pressure is very important. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in , more than , deaths in the United States included high blood pressure as a primary or contributing cause. Treatment of high blood pressure often starts with lifestyle changes, including decreasing salt in your diet, losing weight if necessary, stopping smoking, cutting down on alcohol use, and regular exercise.
In addition to lifestyle changes, medications are often used to lower blood pressure. There are several types of medications that treat high blood pressure with each type of medication having benefits and risks that should be carefully weighed by you and your health care provider.
Most people take more than one medication in order to bring their blood pressure down to their treatment goal. Your blood pressure medication should begin to work within days. However, because high blood pressure is a long-lasting medical condition that often has little or no symptoms, remembering to take your medications can be a challenge.
This damage can lead to increased blood pressure, blockages, and, eventually, heart attack and stroke. Hypertension makes your heart work too hard. Your brain relies on a healthy supply of oxygen-rich blood to work properly. Uncontrolled hypertension may also affect your memory and ability to learn, recall, speak, and reason. But it does lower the risks for future problems. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a very common health issue in the United States.
These include the severity of your high blood pressure, and what medication your doctor thinks will work best for you. The good news is that in many cases of hypertension, lifestyle changes can be powerful tools for managing, or even reversing, your diagnosis. These changes include incorporating more nutritious fruits and vegetables into your diet, getting more physical activity, limiting your sodium intake, and limiting your alcohol consumption. Severe hypertension can cause serious health issues, so the sooner you have it diagnosed, the sooner it can be managed — and possibly even reversed!
Foods that are rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium can help lower blood pressure. Take a look at our list and see which ones you'd like to add…. Lifestyle changes can significantly reduce high blood pressure and even lower your risk of hypertension in the future.
Learn how garlic and dark…. Many medications can be used to treat high blood pressure. Learn about diuretics, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and others…. You can manage high blood pressure with more than medication. We'll show you seven home remedies for high blood pressure, including exercising….
High blood pressure is often associated with few or no symptoms. Learn how to tell whether you have it, why it occurs during pregnancy, and how it's…. Checking your blood pressure at home with a manual or automated device can help you monitor your health between doctor visits.
Learn what your blood pressure reading means. But what does that mean? Hypertension, or high blood pressure, increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. There are a variety of treatments that can help you manage your…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect.
Definition Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment Home remedies Lifestyle tips Pregnancy and hypertension Effects on the body Your blood pressure measurement takes into account how much blood is passing through your blood vessels and the amount of resistance the blood meets while the heart is pumping. What is high blood pressure?
What are the symptoms of hypertension? What causes high blood pressure? Diagnosing high blood pressure. Treatment options for high blood pressure. Home remedies for high blood pressure. Lifestyle tips to lower your risk of hypertension. High blood pressure during pregnancy. What are the effects of high blood pressure on the body? Many factors can affect blood pressure, including: The amount of water and salt you have in your body The condition of your kidneys, nervous system, or blood vessels Your hormone levels You are more likely to be told your blood pressure is too high as you get older.
You have a higher risk of high blood pressure if you: Are African American Are obese Are often stressed or anxious Drink too much alcohol more than 1 drink per day for women and more than 2 drinks per day for men Eat too much salt Have a family history of high blood pressure Have diabetes Smoke Most of the time, no cause of high blood pressure is found.
Secondary hypertension may be due to: Chronic kidney disease Disorders of the adrenal gland such as pheochromocytoma or Cushing syndrome Hyperparathyroidism Pregnancy or preeclampsia Medicines such as birth control pills, diet pills, some cold medicines, migraine medicines, corticosteroids, some antipsychotics, and certain medicines used to treat cancer Narrowed artery that supplies blood to the kidney renal artery stenosis Obstructive sleep apnea OSA.
Exams and Tests. Make sure you get a good quality, well-fitting home blood pressure monitor. It should have a properly sized cuff and a digital readout. Practice with your provider to make sure you are taking your blood pressure correctly. You should be relaxed and seated for several minutes prior to taking a reading. Bring your home monitor to your appointments so your provider can make sure it is working correctly.
Tests may also be done to look for: High cholesterol level Heart disease, using tests such as an echocardiogram or electrocardiogram Kidney disease, using tests such as a basic metabolic panel and urinalysis or ultrasound of the kidneys.
Your provider will recommend lifestyle changes to bring your blood pressure down to a normal range. Medicines are rarely used at this stage. When thinking about the best treatment, you and your provider must consider: If you have no other diseases or risk factors, your provider may recommend lifestyle changes and repeat the measurements after a few months. If you have other diseases or risk factors, your provider may be more likely to start medicines at the same time as lifestyle changes.
Drink plenty of water. Get at least 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise at least 3 to 4 days a week. If you smoke, quit. Limit how much alcohol you drink to 1 drink a day for women, and 2 a day for men or less.
Limit the amount of sodium salt you eat. Aim for less than 1, mg per day. Reduce stress. Try to avoid things that cause you stress, and try meditation or yoga to de-stress. Stay at a healthy body weight. Your provider can help you find programs for losing weight, stopping smoking, and exercising.
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