Medical practitioners measure the blood pressure in millimeters of mercury. An elevated systolic blood pressure level is any number higher than 140. An elevated diastolic blood pressure level is any measurement more than 90. Those of us who measure higher than these numbers over multiple medical screenings are considered to have stage one hypertension. Stage 2 hypertension is a diastolic measure above 100 and a systolic blood pressure level of more than 160. People who have stage 2 hypertension are considered to be in a medical emergency. Find out more about dangerously high blood pressure.
What Causes This And What Can We Do?
High blood pressure levels do not always have a known cause. Nor will an individual with high blood pressure necessarily notice any symptoms. Consequently, hypertension is often described as the “silent killer.” In fact a person can have high blood pressure level for several years without even recognizing it. The only way to know whether or not you have high blood pressure is with regular medical screenings. It is not until a person develops stage 2 hypertension that they begin to notice that anything is a problem.
A person with very high blood pressure levels may notice an acute headache, nausea, debility, and vision problems. If you notice any of these problems and you know, or think that you might have a dangerously high blood pressure level, go to your health care provider .
The Crisis
If hypertension is left unchecked it can do serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, and kidneys. People with dangerously high blood pressure levels, who do not receive the needed treatment are at very high risk of eye damage, stroke, aneurysm, heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, and even death. Therefore regular blood pressure screenings from a health care practitioner are essential.
What Can Be Done About It?
If two or more successive tests show that you have hypertension, then there is a lot that you can do to improve your condition. A healthy low-fat diet and regular exercise can help to lower your blood pressure. Even a moderate amount of healthy weight loss can help reduce the concern of high blood pressure.
You should also take less salt, cut down on alcohol consuption, and stop smoking if you partake in any of these habits. Many medications are also available to treat high blood pressure levels. Diuretics are helpful for people with stage one hypertension because they reduce the amount of sodium in the bloodstream and reduce blood volume.
Your health care practitioner may also prescribe calcium channel blockers, which lower high blood pressure levels by reducing the tension of the the muscles of the artery walls. Beta blockers are another choice since they reduce the heart rate and decrease the strength of heart contractions to relieve some of the pressure. Then there are ACE inhibitors which inhibit a hormone called angiotensin, which is a chemical that makes the blood vessels tighten and can therefore exacerbate hypertension.
To learn about the full range of medicines available to treat dangerous levels of your blood pressure, talk to your health care professional. Alternative programs are also available for natural control of blood pressure. There are exercises which reduce tension and stress. Acupuncture and meditation can also reduce your stress levels and bring down your blood pressure levels.
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