Why should You Worry about High Blood Pressure?

Hypertension can be a stealthy killer. About one-in-three adults in the USA have high blood pressure. It can increase the risks of heart attacks and strokes significantly if you do not take care of your blood pressure. The normal blood pressure for a healthy adult is between 90/60 mm Hg and 120/80 mmHg. Any numbers above 140/90 mm Hg fall under the category of high blood pressure. However, if your blood pressure falls between 120/80 mm Hg and 140/90 mm Hg, it means that you are at risk of developing hypertension soon unless you take constructive steps towards modulating your lifestyle.

Contents

What are the problems high blood pressure can cause?

Here are a few risks of having a high blood pressure you should always remember, before skipping your daily medication or canceling your doctor’s appointment –

Heart attacks
Strokes
Heart diseases
Heart failure
Aortic aneurysms
Peripheral arterial disease
Vascular dementia
Kidney diseases

Not getting medical attention for your hypertension can lead to potentially life-threatening conditions. In case you tend towards high blood pressure, reducing it by a smidge can help you reduce the health risks significantly.

Who should get a blood pressure check?

Although doctors don’t always know the causes of high blood pressure in everyone, a few factors increase the risk of high blood pressure in adults. Here are the factors that can increase your chances of getting high blood pressure –

Your age – you are over 65 years old
You are overweight or morbidly obese
You have a family history of hypertension
You don’t eat a balanced diet, and you consume too much table salt
You do not get enough exercise
You smoke or drink coffee or alcohol
You do not get enough restful sleep

Healthy lifestyle choices can change the future of a person. Even if you have a family history of high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases, you can overcome the predictions with quick lifestyle changes. Moreover, making these lifestyle changes can help you reduce your pressure back to the normal range even if it is already high.

How can a person reduce his or her blood pressure?

Hypertension does not depend upon gender. It depends on many factors we have mentioned before. Thus, making small changes to your habits and preferences can boost your cardiac health. To reduce hypertensive tendencies, you can try the following –

Work out regularly. You don’t need to run a marathon or life 150 pounds, but do a little yoga and freehand exercises to remain healthy.
Take your blood pressure medicines daily.
Quit smoking. Smoking damages your lungs, heart, teeth and the immune system. It is also the leading cause of hypertension.
Drink less alcohol. Alcohol always increases the likelihood of hypertension and heart diseases.
If you are overweight, think about dropping a few pounds with advice from your doctor and dietician.
Sleep properly. Get at least 6 hours per night, although 8 hours is the best.
Drink less caffeine. It is a stimulant, and it increases blood pressure.

Today, it is easy to manage high blood pressure with the help of the prescription medications available in pharmacies and online. As long as you are regular about taking them and getting checkups, you have little to worry about.