Hypertension

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a chronic condition where your blood pressure is consistently higher than normal. It can affect anyone at any age and can often lead to more serious conditions like heart disease. At Advocate Health Care we work with you to establish heart-healthy habits to help you get your blood pressure under control.

What is high blood pressure?

High blood pressure refers to blood pressure that's higher than the normal range of 120/80.

Blood pressure is measured by the force against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood throughout your body. When that pressure gets too high, it can increase your risk of developing serious conditions such as heart attack and stroke.

What causes people to get high blood pressure?

As you get older, you’re more likely to develop hypertension because your blood vessels get stiffer as you age. When that happens, your heart has to work harder, so your blood pressure rises. High blood pressure increases your chance of having a stroke, heart attack, heart failure and kidney disease.

Many factors like your lifestyle and genetics can affect your blood pressure. Some other factors can include:

• Age
• Hormone levels
• The amount of water and salt in your body
• The condition of your kidneys, nervous system or blood vessels

Primary hypertension vs. secondary hypertension

Primary and secondary hypertension are the two main types of high blood pressure. Primary hypertension has no single cause, while secondary hypertension is caused by an underlying medical condition or medication. Secondary hypertension may be caused by chronic kidney disease, adrenal gland disorders, hyperparathyroidism, pregnancy, renal artery stenosis or medications like birth control, diet pills, and some cold and migraine medicines.

What do blood pressure numbers mean?

Blood pressure readings are two numbers written as a ratio. The top number is called systolic blood pressure and the bottom number is called diastolic blood pressure. It’s possible one or both of your numbers could be too high.

• Normal blood pressure: When your blood pressure is lower than 120/80 most of the time.
• Prehypertension: When your blood pressure numbers are 120/80 or higher but below 140/90.
• High blood pressure (hypertension): When your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher most of the time

If you have heart or kidney problems or if you’ve had a stroke, your doctor may recommend your blood pressure be even lower than that of people who do not have these conditions.

What are the symptoms of hypertension?

Hypertension often has no symptoms, and for most people, it’s discovered during a checkup with their health care provider. Because high blood pressure often has no symptoms, it’s not uncommon for people to develop heart disease and kidney problems without realizing they have hypertension.

Even though high blood pressure often doesn’t present with symptoms, malignant hypertension, a severe form of high blood pressure, does present with certain symptoms like:

• Confusion
• Nausea or vomiting
• Nosebleeds
• Severe headaches
• Vision changes

If you're experiencing any of the above symptoms, call 911 or seek medical help immediately. Malignant hypertension is often life-threatening and can cause severe damage to your vital organs and small blood vessels if untreated.

What are the risk factors for high blood pressure?

Your risk for hypertension can vary depending on certain factors. Risks for high blood pressure can include:

• Diabetes
• Being African American
• Family history of hypertension
• Heavy consumption of alcohol
• High consumption of salt
• High levels of stress or anxiety
• Obesity
• Smoking

Diagnosing hypertension

Before you’re diagnosed with hypertension, your doctor will check your blood pressure a number of times. Your blood pressure might vary, and it’s very normal for your blood pressure numbers to change depending on the time of day.

If you have a normal blood pressure reading (120/80), it’s common to have your blood pressure checked every one to two years. If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease or kidney problems, you should have your blood pressure checked every year. Risk factors also factor in. If you’re at higher risk for developing high blood pressure, your doctor will often recommend more frequent checks.

Treating high blood pressure

The goal of high blood pressure treatment is to reduce your blood pressure, so you have a lower risk of complications. When building your treatment plan, your provider will work with you to set a numeric goal for your blood pressure, based on your age and any medical problems you have.

If you have prehypertension, your provider will suggest lifestyle changes to help get your blood pressure down to a normal range. If you consistently have high blood pressure and lifestyle changes haven't helped, then your doctor might recommend blood pressure medication.

Some changes you can make to help control your blood pressure include:

• Eat a heart-healthy diet focusing on potassium and fiber.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Do at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day.
• Quit smoking.
• Limit your alcohol consumption.
• Limit your salt consumption to less than 1,500 mg per day.
• Reduce stress.
• Maintain a healthy body weight.

Your doctor can help you find programs for losing weight, quitting smoking and exercising.

Medications for hypertension

If your blood pressure is consistently high, your doctor may recommend blood pressure medication. There are different medication options for treating hypertension. Usually, a single blood pressure drug isn’t enough to manage blood pressure levels. You may need to take two or more medications to reduce your blood pressure.

Measuring your blood pressure at home

Blood pressure readings taken at home may give you a better measure of your blood pressure than those taken at your doctor’s office – and you'll be able to take your reading more regularly.

To check your blood pressure at home:

• Make sure you use a good quality, well-fitting home blood pressure monitor. It should have the proper sized cuff and a digital readout.
• Practice with your doctor or nurse to make sure you’re using the equipment correctly.
• Bring your home monitor to your health checkups so your provider can make sure it works correctly.