Hypertension Dubai or a high blood pressure is a very common condition that is easily diagnosed. The old maxim of “100 plus your age” is not a safe way to measure what your blood pressure should be. Hypertension exists when the blood
High blood pressure, or hypertension, rarely has noticeable symptoms. But if untreated, it increases your risk of serious problems such as heart attacks and strokes. The only way to find out if your blood pressure is high is to have your blood pressure checked.
WHAT IS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?
Blood pressure is recorded with 2 numbers. The systolic pressure (higher number) is the force at which your heart pumps blood around your body.
The diastolic pressure (lower number) is the resistance to the blood flow in the blood vessels.
They’re both measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg).
As a general guide:
– high blood pressure is considered to be 140/90mmHg or higher (or 150/90mmHg or higher if you’re over the age of 80)
– ideal blood pressure is usually considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg
Blood pressure readings between 120/80mmHg and 140/90mmHg could mean you’re at risk of developing high blood pressure if you do not take steps to keep your blood pressure under control.
Everyone’s blood pressure will be slightly different. What’s considered low or high for you may be normal for someone else.
RISKS OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs, such as the brain, kidneys and eyes.
Persistent high blood pressure can increase your risk of a number of serious and potentially life-threatening health conditions, such as:
– heart disease
– heart attacks
– strokes
– heart failure
– peripheral arterial disease
– aortic aneurysms
– kidney disease
– vascular dementia
If you have high blood pressure, reducing it even a small amount can help lower your risk of these health conditions.
THINGS THAT CAN INCREASE YOUR RISK OF GETTING HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
It’s not always clear what causes high blood pressure, but there are things that can increase your risk.
You might be more at risk if you:
– are overweight
– eat too much salt and do not eat enough fruit and vegetables
– do not do enough exercise
– drink too much alcohol or coffee (or other caffeine-based drinks)
– smoke
– do not get much sleep or have disturbed sleep
– are over 65
– have a relative with high blood pressure
– are of black African or black Caribbean descent
Making healthy lifestyle changes can sometimes help reduce your chances of getting high blood pressure and help lower your blood pressure if it’s already high.
TREATMENT FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Dr Barbara Karin Vela can help you keep your blood pressure to a safe level using:
– lifestyle changes
– medicines
What works best is different for each person. Talk to her to help you decide about treatment.
LIFESTYLE CHANGES TO REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE
These lifestyle changes can help prevent and lower high blood pressure:
– reduce the amount of salt you eat and have a generally healthy diet
– cut back on alcohol
– lose weight if you’re overweight
– exercise regularly
– cut down on caffeine
– stop smoking
Some people with high blood pressure may also need to take 1 or more medicines to stop their blood pressure getting too high.
MEDICINES FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
If you’re diagnosed with high blood pressure, Dr Barbara Karin Vela may recommend taking 1 or more medicines to keep it under control.
These come as tablets and usually need to be taken once a day.
Common blood pressure medicines include:
ACE inhibitors – such as enalapril, lisinopril, perindopril and ramipril
angiotensin-2 receptor blockers (ARBs) – such as candesartan, irbesartan, losartan, valsartan and olmesartan
calcium channel blockers – such as amlodipine, felodipine and nifedipine or diltiazem and verapamil
diuretics – such as indapamide and bendroflumethiazide
beta blockers – such as atenolol and bisoprolol
alpha blockers – such as doxazosin
other diuretics – such as amiloride and spironolactone
The medicine recommended for you will depend on things like how high your blood pressure is, your age and your ethnicity.
KNOWN CAUSES OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
In about 1 in 20 cases, high blood pressure happens as the result of an underlying health condition or taking a certain medicine.
Health conditions that can cause high blood pressure include:
– kidney disease
– diabetes
– long-term kidney infections
– obstructive sleep apnoea – where the walls of the throat relax and narrow during sleep, interrupting normal breathing
– glomerulonephritis – damage to the tiny filters inside the kidneys
narrowing of the arteries supplying the kidneys
– hormone problems – such as an underactive thyroid, an overactive thyroid, – Cushing’s syndrome, acromegaly, increased levels of the hormone aldosterone (hyperaldosteronism), and phaeochromocytoma
– lupus – a condition in which the immune system attacks parts of the body, such as the skin, joints and organs
– scleroderma – a condition that causes thickened skin, and sometimes problems with organs and blood vessels
FINAL NOTE
Being active and taking regular exercise lowers blood pressure by keeping your heart and blood vessels in good condition.
Regular exercise can also help you lose weight, which will also help lower your blood pressure.
Adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking, every week.
Physical activity can include anything from sport to walking and gardening.
SOME HYPERTENSION TERMS WORTH KNOWING
Essential Hypertension
Essential (primary) hypertension occurs when you have abnormally high blood pressure that’s not the result of a medical condition. This form of high blood pressure is often due to obesity, family history and an unhealthy diet. The condition is reversible with medications and lifestyle changes.
Gestational Hypertension
Gestational hypertension is a form of high blood pressure in pregnancy. It occurs in about 6 percent of all pregnancies. Another type of high blood pressure is chronic hypertension–high blood pressure that is present before pregnancy begins. Gestational hypertension can develop into preeclampsia.
HBP
HBP is simply short for High Blood Pressure.
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is considered to be 140/90mmHg or higher (or 150/90mmHg or higher if you’re over the age of 80) ideal blood pressure is usually considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg.
Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) happens when high pressure around the brain causes symptoms like vision changes and headaches. “Idiopathic” means the cause isn’t known, “intracranial” means in the skull, and “hypertension” means high pressure.
Intracranial Hypertension
Intracranial hypertension (IH) is a build-up of pressure around the brain. It can happen suddenly, for example, as the result of a severe head injury, stroke or brain abscess. This is known as acute IH. It can also be a persistent, long-lasting problem, known as chronic IH.
Low Blood Pressure
Low blood pressure is a reading of less than 90/60mmHg. It does not always cause symptoms, but you may need treatment if it does.
Malignant Hypertension
Malignant hypertension is very high blood pressure that comes on suddenly and quickly. The kidneys filter wastes and excrete fluid when the pressure of blood in the bloodstream forces blood through the internal structures of the kidney.
Portal Hypertension
Portal hypertension is elevated pressure in your portal venous system. The portal vein is a major vein that leads to the liver. The most common cause of portal hypertension is cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver.
Pulmonary Hypertension
Pulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure in the blood vessels that supply the lungs (pulmonary arteries). It’s a serious condition that can damage the right side of the heart. The walls of the pulmonary arteries become thick and stiff, and cannot expand as well to allow blood through.