Hypertension Specialist

What is hypertension?

The medical term for high blood pressure, hypertension occurs when an individual's blood pressure averages 140/90 or higher. When your blood pressure reaches this level, it begins to negatively impact the rest of your body, making your heart work harder than necessary. If left untreated, hypertension can damage your arteries and blood vessels and cause other severe issues, including:

• Stroke
• Heart attack and heart failure
• Vision loss
• Kidney disease
• Sexual dysfunction

Monitoring your blood pressure on a regular basis can help you know if your levels are within the healthy range. It can be checked at your provider’s practice, at a pharmacy, or you can check it yourself at home if you have a blood pressure monitor.

How do you know if you have hypertension?

Too often, hypertension does not have any symptoms and is recognizable only after something goes wrong. The best way to know if you have hypertension is to monitor your blood pressure regularly.

A healthy blood pressure is 120/80. If your blood pressure ranges between 120/80 and 139/89, you may be considered pre-hypertensive. In this case, your doctor may recommend certain lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke.

Stage one hypertension occurs when your blood pressure reaches as high as 159/99. Once it’s above 160/100, you’re in stage two hypertension, and medication is most likely necessary to manage your blood pressure. If your blood pressure reaches 180/110 or higher, it’s critically high, and emergency medical care may be necessary.

What lifestyle changes help with hypertension?

Depending on your health and family history, your doctor may recommend certain lifestyle changes to help you lower your blood pressure. Having a well-balanced diet that has limited amounts of sodium can improve your blood pressure, as can exercising 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week.

Maintaining a healthy weight can decrease hypertension, as can learning to use stress-relieving techniques, such as deep breathing or meditation. If you smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol, your doctor may encourage you to quit or cut back, as both of these habits can increase your blood pressure and put more stress on your heart.

Hypertension can also be genetic, in which case lifestyle changes won’t address the underlying problem. Your provider can prescribe certain medications to reduce your blood pressure, depending on your numbers and your overall health.

If you have high blood pressure or have a family history of hypertension, don’t wait until something goes wrong. Contact Stephen Renzi Medical PC today to schedule a consultation.