What is hypertension?
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a common chronic condition. It occurs when the pressure in blood vessel walls is higher than normal, putting you at risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke if left untreated. If needed, Sherman Oaks Family Medicine, Inc. can help you get your hypertension under control.
What are the symptoms of hypertension?
In many cases, you don’t experience any symptoms with high blood pressure. However, you might have shortness of breath, headaches, or nosebleeds. These symptoms often don’t happen until blood pressure reaches a dangerous stage.
Routine screening helps your provider detect hypertension before it becomes a serious problem.
What are common hypertension risk factors?
While high blood pressure can happen to anyone, certain factors increase your risk. Examples include:
- Older age
- Overweight and obesity
- Physical inactivity
- Poor dietary habits
- Family history of high blood pressure
- Smoking
- Chronic stress
- A high sodium diet
- A low potassium diet
- Excessive alcohol intake
- Having another chronic health problem
Complications associated with untreated high blood pressure include stroke, heart attack, heart failure, aneurysm, kidney problems, vision loss, dementia, and other cognitive problems.
How is hypertension diagnosed?
The team at Sherman Oaks Family Medicine, Inc. can evaluate blood pressure by placing a blood pressure cuff around your arm and using a blood pressure-measuring gauge. The process is quick and painless.
What are high blood pressure treatment options?
Depending on how high your blood pressure is, your family medicine specialist might recommend one or more of the following treatments:
Healthy lifestyle habits
Making changes to your lifestyle is one of the best ways to lower blood pressure naturally. Examples include reducing sodium in your diet, losing weight, increasing exercise, and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. You should also reduce stress in your life, limit or avoid alcohol, and abstain from smoking.
Medications
If lifestyle changes don’t lower your blood pressure or the pressure in vessel walls is dangerously high, your provider can prescribe blood pressure-lowering medications to get your levels back to a healthy range.
Don’t live with undetected hypertension. Call Sherman Oaks Family Medicine, Inc. to request an appointment, or book online today.
