What is High Blood Pressure

To understand high blood pressure, you first have to know the term blood pressure, which is the force exerted by blood against the inner walls of your arteries as it circulates.

With that in mind, hypertension, or high blood pressure, refers to consistently elevated blood pressure levels that cause your heart to overwork in order to effectively distribute blood throughout the body. Over the years, this condition can trigger heart disease or a stroke. It’s important to talk to your doctor at Centro Médico ABC about the ideal blood pressure for you and how often you should check it to prevent a potential fatality.

Even without a specialist, there are several devices you can use to monitor your blood pressure, such as a smartwatch or a sphygmomanometer.

Blood pressure is divided into:

• Systolic pressure: The higher number. This is the pressure generated by the heart when it pumps blood.
• Diastolic pressure: The lower number. This is the pressure in the blood vessels between heartbeats.

High blood pressure can:

• Cause coronary insufficiency, angina, and arrhythmias.
• Lead to atherosclerosis and the formation of blood clots, causing a myocardial or cerebral infarction.
• Weaken the walls of the aorta and cause an aneurysm.
• Damage the kidneys, leading to chronic kidney failure.
• Intensify damage in pre-existing cardiovascular conditions.

High blood pressure is known as the “silent killer” because in most cases, there are no obvious symptoms, especially during the initial stages.

However, some people may still experience headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, or a fluttering sensation when their blood pressure is very high.

In more severe or long-standing cases, high blood pressure can trigger symptoms resulting from damage to organs like the heart, brain, kidneys, or eyes. This can manifest as shortness of breath, chest pain, extreme fatigue, or a nosebleed, all of which are signs that immediate medical attention is required.

The diagnosis of high blood pressure is primarily based on repeated measurements of blood pressure at different times of the day and in different settings. A sustained blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg in adults is generally considered hypertension, but this number may vary depending on the particular conditions of each patient.

Additional tests such as blood and urine tests, an electrocardiogram, or an echocardiogram may also be performed to evaluate whether damage has already developed in the target organs.

The treatment for high blood pressure usually begins with lifestyle changes:

• Eat healthily and maintain a diet low in sodium and saturated fats.
• Exercise daily.
• Avoid smoking, as tobacco raises blood pressure and heart rate.
• Monitor your glucose level.
• Lower your cholesterol, also avoiding being overweight and obese.
• Refrain from drinking alcohol and caffeine.
• Reduce your stress, nervousness, and anxiety levels.
• If a family member has had high blood pressure, you should be even more careful with your habits.

But when lifestyle changes aren’t enough or blood pressure is excessively high, the use of antihypertensive medications may be necessary. Treatment must be individualized and supervised by a doctor at all times.

At the Cardiovascular Center of Centro Médico ABC, we can provide you with specialized care. Contact us!