High Blood Pressure

What is high blood pressure?

High blood pressure develops when the blood traveling through your arteries is doing so with excessive force. Doctors call this condition hypertension.

The pressure hypertension puts on your blood vessels can pose a significant health risk and lead to life-threatening disorders such as heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.

Having hypertension rarely causes symptoms. That means you could have high blood pressure and not be aware of it until you suffer a medical emergency.

How is my blood pressure measured?

Measuring blood pressure is a quick, non-invasive process that forms a part of all routine health checks.

Your provider at Affiliated Cardiologists of Arizona puts a blood pressure cuff on your arm above the elbow and inflates it, taking one reading when your heart's beating (the systolic measurement) and another in between beats (the diastolic measurement). This produces two numbers, with a healthy reading being up to 120 systolic over 80 diastolic. 

Blood pressure over 140 systolic or 90 diastolic is above a normal range and considered high. If your blood pressure reaches or exceeds 160 systolic or 100 diastolic, there's a considerable risk of you having an imminent stroke or heart attack.

How do I reduce my high blood pressure?

Reducing your blood pressure involves managing any underlying causes. These could be chronic conditions like thyroid disease or diabetes, an unhealthy lifestyle, or both. In some cases, it's not clear what's causing your high blood pressure.

The team at Affiliated Cardiologists of Arizona can help you take the necessary steps to lower your blood pressure, which may include:

• Weight loss
• Quitting smoking
• Getting more exercise
• Cutting unhealthy fats out of your diet
• Reducing salt intake
• Minimizing your intake of alcohol
• Managing stress

If your blood pressure is high enough to be putting you at risk of serious health problems, your provider at Affiliated Cardiologists of Arizona can prescribe medications as well. High blood pressure medications include:

• Beta-blockers
• Diuretics
• Calcium channel blockers
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
• Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)

Drugs like statins can also help by reducing your cholesterol levels.

You should visit Affiliated Cardiologists of Arizona regularly for blood pressure checks if you have hypertension. Your provider might also want you to undergo tests such as an EKG (electrocardiogram), an echocardiogram, or a Doppler ultrasound to check the condition of your heart and blood vessels.

To avoid the adverse effects of high blood pressure, call Affiliated Cardiologists of Arizona or book an appointment online today.