Did you know that almost half of all American adults live with elevated blood pressure levels? These 116 million people are diagnosed with hypertension that continues to affect their quality of life. Each year, 1 out of 2 adults searches for a blood pressure doctor near me to treat their health conditions. The silent killer doesn’t manifest its symptoms until significant damage is done to the body. It works its way silently to affect every other organ system until various co-morbidities plague people for the rest of their lives.
HYPERTENSION AND ITS DIAGNOSIS
Hypertension is a health condition characterized by high blood pressure levels. These levels are determined by measuring the following:
- The volume of blood that is pumped by the heart
- The amount of resistance that blood circulation experiences in the arteries.
When the arteries constrict due to fat accumulation, the same blood volume that once passed easily now experiences greater resistance. This results in high blood pressure. The diagnosis of hypertension can be done at a hospital, a physician’s office, or even at home. A digital or analog sphygmometer is used to measure the blood pressure reading. If the reading exceeds 120/80 for three consecutive times, it’s diagnosed as elevated blood pressure and then subsequently as stage 1 hypertension.
There are four different types of hypertensive stages that are categorized according to blood pressure levels. Each stage requires a distinct treatment and management plan.
- Normal blood pressure – If the blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg
- Elevated blood pressure – if the systolic pressure ranges from 120-129 mm Hg with the diastolic pressure below 80mmHg. It is important to take medical assistance at this stage to prevent the further progression of the disease. However, if left unattended, the condition deteriorates to stage 1 and 2 hypertension.
- Stage 1 hypertension – when the systolic pressure varies from 130-139 mm Hg while diastolic pressure ranges from 80-89 mm Hg.
- Stage 2 hypertension – This is a much-severe condition in which the systolic pressure exceeds 140 whereas diastolic pressure is 90 mm Hg or higher.
- Hypertensive crisis – In this condition, there is an acute increase in blood pressure and target organ damage such as the kidney.
KEEP AN EYE ON ITS SYMPTOMS
While the symptoms don’t appear conspicuously, they appear as the following when they do:
- Blurry vision
- Lightheadedness
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Palpitation
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headache (especially in the early morning)
- Nosebleeding
ARE YOU AT RISK?
Since one in every two people is hypertensive, you might not even if you’re at its risk or not. A combination of factors such as genetics, age, obesity, alcoholism, and lifestyle contribute to the onset of hypertension.
Genetics imply to the genes that pass from generation to generation and render the body susceptible to hypertension. Similarly, the risk also increases with age as the arteries tend to get harder with time. Obesity leads to high blood pressure as the heart is forced to work harder. The strain along with fat accumulation increases vascular resistance and leads to hypertension. Alcoholism also contributes by increasing renin – a hormone that causes blood vessel constriction.
However, the most predominant cause of hypertension is our poor lifestyle choice. Our sedentary lives, topped with poor dietary choices and limited mobility increase the risk to develop elevated blood pressure levels.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO GET IMMEDIATE MEDICAL INTERVENTION?
Hypertension is known to cause 7.6 million deaths per year across the words more than any other risk factor. Furthermore, 54% of strokes ad 47% of coronary heart disease cases are also attributed to high BP. These statistics are one and perhaps, the primary reason to get prompt medical advice for hypertension.
The symptoms of elevated blood pressure may very quickly deteriorate into hypertensive emergencies. The latter is characterize by progressive organ damage such as that of the kidney or the brain. To minimize its complication, people should be vigilant about their blood pressure levels. Only prompt physician consultation can prevent the condition from manifesting its dangers in the body.
How To Choose a High Blood Pressure Doctor
Hypertension is a serious health condition that needs immediate and consistent medical assistance. Medical intervention can help if you are experiencing the potential symptoms or noticed elevated blood pressure reading thrice consecutively. Similarly, if you’re susceptible to developing hypertension due to your family history or current lifestyle practices, you should book an appointment. In such cases, a primary care physician effectively prevents and manages the condition. However, if your prognosis worsens, it is time to look for a cardiologist near me or let your physician refer you to one.
To get you start, here are a few physicians you may see to treat or prevent high blood pressure:
Primary Healthcare Providers:
You do not need to schedule an appointment with a cardiologist, the third time you experience elevated blood pressure reading. Instead, you can rely on your internist or family medicine practitioner to manage hypertension.
Primary healthcare serves as the first gateway to comprehensive services that include everything from diagnosis to management and even prevention. It deals with all kinds of acute and chronic diseases that vary in severity and complexity. An internist or family medicine practitioner can help with hypertension in multiple ways. They help prevent the onset if you’re at risk due to your medical history. On the other hand, if you have developed the diagnosis, they’d manage to maintain the prognosis to deteriorate. They prescribe medications and recommend non-pharmaceutical practices to control blood pressure levels. The initial part of the healthcare hierarchy contributes by:
- Providing a role of resources about the role of nutrition, smoking, and regular medical checkup after the age of 40 for a healthier lifestyle and managing blood pressure levels
- Collaborating with stakeholders, healthcare providers, and community groups to advertise practical initiatives for a healthy community.
People who tend to visit their primary care provider regularly are more vigilant and aware of their health status. In addition, their physicians can monitor any significant development and can diagnose the onset of hypertension at the earliest stage. Whether you choose an internist or family care practitioner, they provide comprehensive preventive and treatment strategies.
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They employ the 5As approach that is to,
- Ask
- Advise
- Raise awareness
- Assess high risk and diagnosed cases
- Assess behavioral risk factors, socioeconomic status, and medical history and record them in household files
Secondary Healthcare Provider – Cardiologist
Cardiologists are specialists who are educate and train in the diseases regarding the heart and the circulatory system. Your primary care physician may refer you to a cardiologist if the doesn’t comply with the medication. A cardiologist usually intervenes through surgical procedures to prevent the occurrence of angina or heart attack.
Pediatrician:
Hypertension is not limit to adults but can affect children equally. It is estimate that approximately 3.34 million children live with pediatric hypertension. Since a child’s physiological process varies slightly from adults, a pediatrician interments to manage hypertension. They diagnose and recommend suitable practices to maintain blood pressure levels.
HYPERTENSION – MANAGMENT THROUGH LIFESTYLE CHANGES
Managing hypertension is not hard. It requires your constant effort and a slight deviation from your current lifestyle. It may seem hard in the beginning, it becomes easier to adapt to changes once you see your quality of life improving. Here’s what you can do to manage hypertension even better:
Exercise
Exercise plays a vital role in lowering elevated BP levels. It has been suggest that mere 30 minutes of aerobic activity strengthens the heart and decreases the force exerted on the arteries. You may indulge in 10-30 minutes of brisk walking, cycling, treadmilling, and swimming to treat your hypertensive condition.
DIET
To incorporate a better diet into your lifestyle, the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) can help you. It is an initiative that suggests certain dietary changes that improve cardiac health. They suggests increased vegetable intake for better cardiac functioning. It also emphasizes reducing salt, sugar, and alcohol as each influences blood pressure in distinct ways. DASH has also stressed the intake of fresh fruit as a natural substitute for sugar and its craving. While it doesn’t require complete salt and alcohol consumption but suggests moderate use.
STRESS
Stress is our worst enemy. It causes a temporary surge in certain hormones that constrict the blood vessels and the heart to pump faster. As a result, blood pressure increases for a short period of time. However, with chronic stress, the cycle continues and the person experiences perpetual elevated bp levels. Professional help to reduce stress helps people significantly to gain better control of their heart and their health.
DO NOT BATTLE WITH HYPERTENSION ALONE
Hypertension is a crucial health condition that leads to various life-long and damaging consequences. It causes a person to witness their quality of life cripple in front of their lives. However, with prompt medical intervention, it’s possible to prevent hypertension from manifesting its complication. Regular appointments with your physician can help with prevention, early diagnosis, and effective management for a healthier lifestyle.
Primary healthcare is the first step toward a full range of treatments that cover everything from diagnosis to management and even prevention. It deals with a wide range of acute and chronic disorders, with varying degrees of severity and complexity. Hypertension can be treat in a variety of ways by an internist or family medicine practitioner. If you’re at danger because of your medical history, they can assist you avoid getting sick.
