Almost half of all adults in the United States have hypertension, which is a risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, and heart disease. At Sherman Oaks Family Medicine, Inc. in Sherman Oaks, California, board-certified family medicine physician Donna Cashdan, DO, and her team screen for high blood pressure. They also offer treatments to get hypertension under control and prevent serious health problems. To schedule an appointment, call the office or book an appointment online today.
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.
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.
While high blood pressure can happen to anyone, certain factors increase your risk. Examples include:
Complications associated with untreated high blood pressure include stroke, heart attack, heart failure, aneurysm, kidney problems, vision loss, dementia, and other cognitive problems.
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.
Depending on how high your blood pressure is, your family medicine specialist might recommend one or more of the following treatments:
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.
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.