High BP Treatment

Blood pressure is the flow of blood against the walls of arteries. The blood pressure keeps fluctuating throughout the day. When the blood pressure against the walls is high, it is called high blood pressure. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, can cause other health problems such as heart attack.

High blood pressure is a common condition and can develop over years without showing any symptoms. Though it does not show symptoms, it can be harmful and can affect the functioning of the heart, brain, kidneys, etc.

Dr Abhinandana has over 10 years of experience in treating high blood pressure patients in Hyderabad. If you have any signs of high blood pressure, contact Dr Abhinandana.

How is Blood Pressure Measured?

High blood pressure (BP) should be detected early as it could damage the functioning of the body organs. It is important to get your blood pressure checked regularly so that your doctor can easily identify the changes. If your doctor identifies a rise in the BP, he will track your bp for a few weeks to determine if the number increases or falls to normal.

Blood pressure is measured using two numbers namely:

• Systolic pressure: It is the top number and it is the pressure caused by the blood flow in the arteries when the heart beats.
• Diastolic pressure: It is the lower or the second number and it is the blood pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between the beats.

High BP may not show any symptoms, and if it is left uncontrolled, it can cause serious health problems. But, high BP can be easily detected. Once you determine you have high BP, work with your doctor to control the condition.

Signs of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a silent condition, and it doesn’t show any symptoms even if the readings reach high. It takes years or even decades to show symptoms, and the symptoms can be related to other conditions as well.

The common symptoms include:

• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Flushing
• Shortness of breath
• Bleeding from nose

The high blood pressure shows symptoms only when the condition becomes severe or reaches a life-threatening condition.

Causes of High Blood Pressure

As mentioned earlier, high blood pressure can develop over years. The exact reasons for high BP are unknown. But, it can be due to lifestyle habits such as no physical activity.

The common risk factors of high bp include:

• Obesity or overweight
• Having too much salt in the diet
• Alcohol consumption
• Stress
• Genetics
• The chances of high bp increase with the age
• Family history of high bp
• Thyroid disorders
• Kidney diseases
• Sleep apnea
• People with diabetes or metabolic syndrome are at greater risk of high BP
• High sodium intake
• Use of drugs
• Adrenal gland problems

Diagnosis for High BP

Hypertension can be easily identified using a blood pressure reading. If your doctor identifies an increase in the blood pressure, he will monitor your blood pressure readings for a few days or weeks. Your doctor tries to get evidence for the problem as BP keeps changing throughout the day.

If the blood pressure remains high, your doctor would conduct other tests to rule out some conditions. The tests are:

• Cholesterol test
• ECG test to test the electrical activity of the heart
• Ultrasound of kidneys and heart

The above tests can help your doctor to identify any other issues that are causing high Bp. They can also identify the effects of high bp on other organs of the body.

Treatment for High Blood Pressure

The treatment for high BP is based on various factors such as causes, symptoms, and the type of hypertension.

To treat primary hypertension, your doctor would suggest lifestyle changes such as diet, doing physical activity. If lifestyle changes do not work, your doctor would prescribe medications. If your doctor identifies that some underlying condition is causing high bp, he tries to treat that underlying condition.