Why is high blood pressure bad
Most people know that low blood pressure is annoying. You get dizzy when you stand up, you tire more easily and you have a slow heart rate. Very annoying, but not dangerous. However, High blood pressure is very dangerous and is more common than low blood pressure. Yet people often do not know if they have high blood pressure.
Why is high blood pressure unhealthy and what can you do about it? Before we can answer these questions, we must first consider what high blood pressure is and what causes it. Then we will discuss the dangers and treatment of high blood pressure.
Symptoms of high blood pressure
What is high blood pressure?
Your blood pressure consists of the upper pressure and the lower pressure. The upper pressure is the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart contracts, the negative pressure is the pressure that arises when your heart relaxes again. If it is
measured whether your blood pressure is too high, the top pressure is looked at. This is normally about 130 at rest.
To measure whether you have high blood pressure, your blood pressure is measured a number of times in a day and the average is looked at. An average upper pressure of 140 or more is referred to as high blood pressure.
How do I know if my blood pressure is too high?
In general, you will not notice if your blood pressure is too high. Only when your blood pressure is extremely high will you experience symptoms such as dizziness, blurred vision, headache, or vomiting.
Of course, you would prefer to tackle your high blood pressure before then, but that is difficult if you do not know that your blood pressure is too high. If you think you run the risk of your blood pressure being too high, it may therefore be wise to have your blood pressure measured from time to time.
Causes of high blood pressure
The cause of high blood pressure is not always easy to pinpoint. Some of the underlying causes are also things that you cannot change. For example, old age is a cause of high blood pressure, but it may also run in your family, making you more prone to it.
Other causes of high blood pressure are related to unhealthy living. Being overweight, smoking, eating too much salt, licorice or alcohol in your diet, or eating too much fat can all contribute to an increase in your blood pressure. Certain medications, including ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, prednisone (and other corticosteroids) and the contraceptive pill can also cause high blood pressure.
It can also happen that high blood pressure is caused by kidney disease. In this case, it is in any case advisable to consult a doctor.
Why is high blood pressure unhealthy?
The main danger of high blood pressure is the increased risk of cardiovascular disease. If your blood pressure is too high, the chances of having a heart attack or stroke are much higher than if your blood pressure is normal.
The dangerous thing is that you often do not realize if your blood pressure is too high, because symptoms only occur with extremely high blood pressure. So if you are a high-risk group, it is wise to measure your blood pressure regularly. You can have this done by your doctor, but it can also be done at home.
For this you need a blood pressure monitor with a band that goes around the upper arm. To get an indication of your average blood pressure, it is best to measure your blood pressure every morning and every evening for five days and write down the result. You can then take a monthly measurement to check whether your blood pressure is getting higher or lower.
What do you do about high blood pressure?
There are a number of important changes you can make in your life to prevent or lower high blood pressure. The main part is that you have to live healthily: no smoking, plenty of exercises, eating healthy and not too much stress.
There are also medicines for high blood pressure, but if you live a healthy life you do not need them in many cases. If you are unsure whether you need medication for your high blood pressure, it is best to check with your doctor. He then looks at what kind of risk invoices apply to your situation. Medicines are usually only recommended and prescribed when you have a high risk of cardiovascular disease or if you have extremely high blood pressure.
