Hypertension is one of the leading causes of heart disease and stroke all over the globe. A blood pressure reading is often written like this: 120/80, which is read as “120 over 80.” The numerator is called the systolic, and the denominator is called the diastolic. The normal blood pressure of a person is 120/80.
What Is Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)?
High blood pressure is a medical condition when a person’s blood pressure becomes higher than normal.
What Are the Symptoms of Hypertension?
One of the most dangerous facts of hypertension is that you may not know you have it. This is because, unless your hypertension is very severe, you may not have any symptoms at all. Diagnose hypertension through regular checkups. Hypertension can be diagnosed through regular checkups.
Some of the symptoms of severe hypertension are,
- Nosebleeds
- Severe headaches
- Fatigue or confusion
- Vision problems
- Chest pain
- Irregular heartbeat
- Blood in the urine
- Difficulty breathing
- Pounding in your ears, chest, or neck
Causes of High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
Even though the exact cause of a person developing hypertension is not known, the major risk factors that can lead to hypertension are,
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Stress
- Sleep apnea
- Too much salt intake
- Lack of physical activity
- Chronic kidney disease
- Consuming too much alcohol
- Getting older
- Genetics
- Family history
- Thyroid and adrenal disorders
What Are the 4 Stages of Hypertension?
The main four stages of hypertension are:
- Normal – Systolic less than 120 mm Hg and diastolic less than 80 mm Hg
- No treatment is needed at this stage.
- Prehypertension – Systolic between 120-139 mm Hg or a diastolic between 80-89 mm Hg
- This stage occurs before someone crosses the threshold of normal hypertension levels but is at risk for developing hypertension. Lifestyle management in this stage can prevent the worsening of the condition to the next step.
- Stage 1 – Systolic between 140-159 mm Hg or diastolic between 90-99 mm Hg
- In this stage, along with lifestyle management, the patient may need medications to control hypertension.
- Stage 2 – Systolic 160 mm Hg or more or diastolic 100 mm Hg or more
- This is hypertension in an advanced stage for which the patient may require a “two-drug therapy” in addition to lifestyle management.
Know Your Risk for High Blood Pressure
Risk factors that can elevate your risk of high blood pressure include your lifestyle, health conditions, and family history.
How Can You Prevent High Blood Pressure and Hypertension?
If you want to prevent high blood pressure, you should make the necessary lifestyle changes. This includes,
- Eating a healthy diet
- Keeping a healthy weight
- Staying physically active
- Do not smoke and limit your intake of alcohol
- Getting enough sleep
What Is the Treatment of Hypertension and High Blood Pressure?
When lifestyle changes aren’t enough to control your hypertension, such as diet and exercise, your doctor may prescribe medication to prevent it.
If you are looking for a good treatment for your high blood pressure, the Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine can come to your rescue. Call us at 843-572-1600 or book an appointment with our doctors today.
Dr. William J. Weirs is a board-certified expert in the field of Emergency Medicine. He has been practicing for over 10 years, expanding his knowledge about various types of patients and clinical problems. Dr. Weirs is currently involved with fulltime consultation in integrative, functional, and environmental medicine. He is an expert in many types of allergy-related disorders and various kinds of autoimmune diseases.