When determining your blood pressure, both the volume of blood flowing through your blood vessels and the amount of resistance the blood faces as the heart pumps are taken into account.
High blood pressure, sometimes referred to as hypertension, is when your blood pressure is consistently too high when it flows through your veins.
Blood has a harder time moving through arteries and other small blood vessels. As your vessels get smaller because of more resistance, your blood pressure will rise. Chronically high blood pressure might cause health issues like cardiac disease.
The presence of hypertension is common. Typically, the development of hypertension takes years. Usually, there are no symptoms. Even if you don’t notice any symptoms, high blood pressure can still cause damage to your blood vessels and organs, especially the brain, heart, eyes, and kidneys.
Typically, hypertension is a quiet illness. Many people won’t exhibit any symptoms. For years or even decades, the disease may not progress to a point where symptoms are obvious. Even then, these symptoms can be the result of other issues.
Contrary to popular belief, severe hypertension rarely results in headaches or nosebleeds unless a person is experiencing a hypertensive crisis. The most reliable way to identify if you have hypertension is to take frequent blood pressure readings.
To diagnose hypertension, a blood pressure reading is all that is required. Blood pressure is typically tested in medical offices as part of a routine visit. If you haven’t already, ask for a blood pressure reading at your next appointment.
Contact Dr. Barbara Karin Vela today to schedule an appointment.