High blood pressure (hypertension) is a common condition in which the blood’s long-term strain against the thickness of your arterial walls is high enough to create health issues including heart disease.
The amount of blood pumped by your heart and the resistance to blood flow in your arteries define your blood pressure. The more blood your heart pumps and the smaller your arteries, the higher your blood pressure is. In millimeters of mercury, blood pressure is measured (mm Hg). It consists of two digits.
Systolic pressure (Top number): As your heart beats, the first or upper number represents the pressure in your arteries.
Diastolic pressure (bottom number): The second or lower value represents the pressure in your arteries between heartbeats.
For years, high blood pressure might exist without causing any symptoms. Uncontrolled high blood pressure raises your risk of significant health problems like heart attack and stroke. Fortunately, high blood pressure is easily recognised. And after you’ve determined that you have high blood pressure, you can work with your doctor to get it under control. Consult the top specialists at a blood pressure hospital to avoid further complications of the condition.
What are the warning indications of hypertension?
You should be aware of the following if your blood pressure is extremely high symptoms:
- Extensive headaches
- Nosebleed
- Tiredness or uncertainty
- Issues with vision
- Chest ache
- Breathing difficulties
- Heartbeat irregularity
- Urine with blood in it
- A pounding sensation in your chest, neck, or ears
What is the common cause of blood pressure?
Food, medicine, lifestyle, age, and inheritance can all contribute to high blood pressure. Your doctor can help you figure out what’s wrong with you. High blood pressure is usually caused by the following factors:
- A high-salt diet.
- Chronic diseases such as renal and hormone disorders, diabetes, and excessive cholesterol are chronic ailments.
- High blood pressure runs in your family, especially if your parents or other close relatives have it.
- Lack of physical activity.
- Advancing years (the older you are, the more likely you have high blood pressure).
- Being obese or overweight.
- Stress.
- Tobacco use or excessive alcohol use are both harmful.
Here’s what you need to know about laboratory tests involved in high blood pressure:
A blood pressure cuff is a non-invasive device that detects the pressure inside your arteries and transmits numerical readings via a sphygmomanometer or an electronic gadget. BP lab testing or imaging tests may also be used by your healthcare professional to diagnose some of the causes or problems of hypertension.
Laboratory tests:
Throughout the day, your blood pressure changes minute by minute because of how active you are, how much fluid you have, how stressed you are, and other things. Tests are used to find high blood pressure, make sure it lasts for a long time, figure out if it’s caused by a specific disease that can be treated, look at the health of different body parts, set a baseline before treatment, and keep an eye on blood pressure and organ health while treatment is going on. Reach out to a blood pressure laboratory to check yourself for blood pressure.
Standard High Blood pressure test:
At a doctor’s office, a blood pressure cuff is used to check blood pressure. The cuff can be connected to a sphygmomanometer, which uses mercury to measure blood pressure, or to an electronic reading device. Your systolic and diastolic blood pressure are measured when the blood pressure cuff is compressed and then uncompressed. This is how the cuff puts pressure on and then releases pressure on an artery in your arm (diastolic pressure).
Some patients have increased resting blood pressures in the doctor’s office but normal resting blood pressures elsewhere. This pattern is known as white coat hypertension, and it is frequently caused by anxiety. If this occurs, additional examinations may be required.
Normal blood pressure: systolic pressure <120 mmHg and diastolic pressure <80 mmHg
Hypertension: systolic pressure >129 or diastolic pressure >79 mmHg
Blood sample examination:
Blood tests may be required to evaluate whether you have secondary hypertension due to a significant or manageable medical condition. The following blood test for BP may be conducted to aid in:
- Electrolyte levels
- Blood glucose
- Thyroid function tests
- A kidney function test consists of measuring blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels
Urine examination:
Urine tests for high blood pressure can assist in detecting whether diabetes, kidney failure, or illegal drugs are causing the condition.
Ambulatory monitoring:
This blood pressure monitoring test lasts 24 hours and evaluates whether you have excessive blood pressure. This test equipment checks your blood pressure at regular intervals over 24 hours, giving you a more accurate picture of how your blood pressure changes during the day and night.
Any of the following tests may be used to diagnose heart or blood vessel damage that has caused due to high blood pressure:
Electrocardiogram (ECG) is a non-invasive test that detects and records the heart’s electrical activity on paper. ECG is useful for assessing heart muscle injuries, such as a heart attack and thickening/hypertrophy of the heart wall/muscle, which are common high blood pressure problems.
Echocardiogram is a transthoracic ultrasonography examination of the heart. Sound waves capture images of the heart as it beats and relaxes, which are then transmitted to a visual monitor. The echocardiography can find heart problems like hypertrophy, irregular heart wall motion, blood clots, and heart valve problems.
It also accurately evaluates the cardiac muscle’s strength (ejection fraction). The echocardiography is more thorough than an ECG, but it is also more expensive. Reach out to the Top Hospitals In Coimbatore for a safe blood pressure diagnosis.
In most people, systolic and diastolic blood pressure are considered normal. A systolic pressure of 120 to 129 and a diastolic pressure of less than 80 indicate high blood pressure.
A high salt, fat, and cholesterol diet is one of the most common causes of high blood pressure. Chronic diseases such as kidney and hormone disorders, diabetes, and high cholesterol occur. Your family may have a history of high blood pressure, especially if you have parents or other close relatives with it.
High blood pressure is a long-term problem. Medication can help moderate it, but a complete cure is not possible. It means that people who have high blood pressure need to keep up with the treatment and lifestyle changes that their blood pressure doctor in Coimbatore has suggested for the rest of their lives. They also need to go to the doctor for regular checkups.
Conclusion
Hypertension is a prevalent condition in the elderly, and it is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. In the aged, reduced blood pressure reduces the risk of cardiac death as well as neurological, metabolic, and musculoskeletal system issues. Because alcohol is a leading cause of hypertension, we should adopt a Mindful Drinking attitude in order to enjoy life while remaining healthy.