8 Factors that Increase Your Risk of Hypertension
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, can impact your overall health and lead to several serious problems. Read on to discover 8 factors that increase your risk of hypertension.
Here's Why Your Blood Pressure Numbers Matter
Keeping your heart healthy is vital at every age. Each year close to 1 million people in the United States die of stroke, heart disease, and other cardiovascular diseases. Meanwhile heart attack strikes more than 600,000 people each year.
Controlling risk factors such as high blood pressure (hypertension) is an important part of keeping your heart healthy, and Houston board-certified family medicine physician Ranjit Grewal, MD, can help.
Why does blood pressure matter?
Blood pressure measurement consists of two numbers. The top number is your systolic pressure, which is the amount of pressure against the arteries when your heart beats. The blood pressure in between beats is the bottom number, or diastolic pressure.
Both numbers matter. A normal blood pressure is 120/80, and damage to the body occurs when either or both numbers are persistently elevated. Some of your organs' most delicate blood vessels are the most vulnerable to damage.
Delicate blood vessels that supply blood to the kidney and the blood vessels in the eyes are at risk of damage. Your heart and brain are also at risk. Heart attack and stroke are major risk factors of uncontrolled high blood pressure.
It’s crucial to keep track of your numbers through regular checkups, and follow a plan to manage your blood pressure if it’s consistently elevated.
What your BP numbers mean
Here’s more detail about what your blood pressure numbers mean:
120/80
A blood pressure at or near 120/80 means your blood pressure is normal. Your heart and circulatory system isn’t under excess strain, and you aren’t at an increased risk of blood pressure-related health complications.
120-129/80
Sometimes your top number, or diastolic pressure rises a bit, and your bottom number remains at 80 or below. While medication isn’t warranted at this point, Dr. Grewal may recommend keeping an eye on it with regular monitoring.
130-139/80-89
A blood pressure of 130/139/80 is classified as stage 1 hypertension. At this stage, lifestyle changes are often effective in getting your blood pressure down to a safer level. Dr. Grewal will make recommendations depending on your individual medical history and any existing risk factors.
140/90 or higher
Stage 2 hypertension is classified as a blood pressure that consistently measures 140/90 or higher. Stage 2 is often when patients need the support of medication to bring their blood pressure down, though in some cases aggressive diet and lifestyle changes are enough. Dr. Grewal will provide the most appropriate recommendations for your case.
180/120
A blood pressure of 180/120 is dangerous and requires immediate medical attention. At this level you may experience symptoms such as blurry vision, headache, or chest pain.
Reducing health risks
Uncontrolled high blood pressure can have a major impact on your health. In addition to hiking your risk of heart attack and stroke, high blood pressure is the most common cause of kidney failure.
It can also lead to vision loss, peripheral artery disease (PAD), and sexual dysfunction. The longer high blood pressure is left uncontrolled, the higher the risk of negative health effects. Because high blood pressure rarely causes symptoms outside of a hypertensive crisis, it’s up to you to work closely with a health care provider to assess your risk, and attend regular checkups to monitor your blood pressure.
Over time, high blood pressure can cause major damage to the body. Take steps to protect your heart today with a cardiovascular screening. To get started, contact our office to request a visit with Dr. Grewal.
You Might Also Enjoy...
I Was Just Diagnosed with Diabetes. What Lifestyle Changes Will I Need to Make?
Have you recently received a diabetes diagnosis? In this blog, we discuss some helpful ways to manage this condition.
Common STDS and How to Prevent Them
Worrying about developing a sexually transmitted disease (STD) can take the fun out of intimacy – but it doesn’t have to. Learn about common STDs, plus ways to prevent them.
5 Ways to Maintain Your Mental Health During the Holiday Season
With the holidays just around the corner, it's common to feel yourself slipping into holiday anxiety – but you don't have to live that way for long. Keep reading to discover essential ways to maintain your mental health during the holidays this year.
Could You be Pre-Diabetic and Not Know it?
With 86 million American adults with prediabetes, and a whopping 77.4 million unaware, it’s a national problem. To understand your risk of this serious disease, keep reading as we discuss if you could have prediabetes and not know it.
Boost Your Immunity This Cold and Flu Seasons with Intravenous (IV) Nutrient Therapy
Are you confident in your immune system’s ability to fight off colds and the flu this season? Intravenous (IV) nutrient therapy can do a lot of heavy lifting for your immune system. Find out how here.