What Everyone Needs to Know about High Blood Pressure
You are not alone. Millions of people suffer from high blood pressure and only about half of them know it! This is because high blood pressure is largely silent and thus often undetected until it’s too late. Read on to learn the common causes and symptoms as well as how to treat high blood pressure.
High Blood Pressure, or hypertension, is a condition where the force exerted by your heart's pumping action against the walls of your arteries remains elevated long enough that it can cause damage over time to those very same arteries. You may not notice hypertension because most cases are so mild that they produce no symptoms at all – much like a silent burglar creeping through your home without being noticed. Think of hypertension as the silent, steady dripping of a faucet. Which would you prefer – no dripping at all, or slow and steady?
More than half of all American adults have high blood pressure, however rarely do they know it. The larger the arteries in your body, the less work your heart has to do to pump blood through them. If your blood pressure is elevated enough to cause damage to your arteries over time, however, your heart must work harder to compensate for this damage and so starts to enlarge (just like if you keep lifting heavier weights in order to build bigger muscles). If left untreated over many years, this can lead to serious health problems such as strokes, heart failure or even death.
Because it’s so common and generally has no noticeable symptoms, high blood pressure is often referred to as the “silent killer”. It’s advisable that you get yearly checkups to see if your blood pressure is still healthy, so ask your doctor if you should begin getting them right away. Also, there are a variety of screening tests that can be done in doctor's offices or hospitals, such as checking your blood pressure when you first arrive in the office (called an "office blood pressure") or while lying down (a "supine blood pressure") as well as checking it after you stand for a few minutes (a "standing blood pressure").
back to top
What are the causes of High Blood Pressure?
There are several factors that can lead to high blood pressure, such as:
Being overweight or obese Smoking Excessive consumption of alcohol or caffeine Lack of exercise and physical fitness Stress and anxiety Having a family history of high blood pressure Poor diet with too much sodium (salt) High sodium intake can be from certain foods such as processed meats, canned soups, salad dressings, and snack foods. Certain medical conditions such as kidney disease Diabetes Some prescription medications
The good news is there are steps you can take to prevent or control high blood pressure. The key is to identify what’s behind your hypertension. You need to find out the underlying risk factors for your hypertension and work with your doctor or other health care provider to make the necessary lifestyle changes.
back to top
What are the symptoms of High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure is often silent, with no noticeable symptoms, which is why it’s important to get a regular checkup with your doctor so they can monitor its health. Once hypertension has been diagnosed and documented, a professional will determine if you have high blood pressure by taking two consecutive readings of your blood pressure at different times using a sphygmomanometer (a device used to measure blood pressure).
Generally, the following are the most common symptoms of high blood pressure:
Fatigue or tiredness at the time of work. Feeling a sensation of tightness and heaviness in your chest and neck, especially at other times of day. A chronic cough that may be coughing more than before. Having fainting spells. Having rapid pulse or accelerated heart rate. You may have headaches, especially if they are throbbing or pounding headaches (like migraines). You may develop a dependency on certain medications due to some side effects such as dizziness or drowsiness because your body is compensating for high blood pressure by lowering its blood pressure. You may also feel nauseated, or suffer from stomach issues such as nausea or vomiting. However, if you experience these symptoms along with chest pain, shortness of breath, or sweating, then you should seek medical care immediately.
back to top
How is High Blood Pressure Treated?
A condition like high blood pressure has no single cause and it’s not clear why some people develop it and others do not. As a result, the treatment for hypertension varies based on a variety of factors. Treatment can include lifestyle changes in diet and exercise; weight loss; quitting smoking; and stress reduction techniques such as yoga, tai chi or meditation.
In addition, your doctor may prescribe certain medications to lower your blood pressure, sometimes in combination with simply lifestyle changes. Some of the most popular types of medications used to treat high blood pressure are:
ACE inhibitors (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors), which relax blood vessels and thereby reduce the blood pressure. This class of drugs is also known as ARBs for angiotensin receptor blockers (such as valsartan and losartan). Thiazide diuretics (also known as "water pills") that make you urinate more by blocking the reabsorption of sodium, thus reducing fluid accumulation in your body. Beta blockers (such as propranolol, atenolol, acebutolol) which reduce the heart rate and improve blood flow to the heart. Diuretics (water pills) that make you urinate more by blocking the reabsorption of sodium, thus reducing fluid accumulation in your body. Calcium channel blockers which relax muscles in the arteries and thereby lower blood pressure.
back to top
What’s so great about NPH? What’s special about it? How does it work?
NPH is a very long-acting form of human Insulin that can last for many hours. This allows you to sleep at night without having to worry about any low blood sugar issues. It can be taken once or twice every 24 hours with no worry about missing a dose of the insulin (it will automatically resuspend in your body).
Insulin is the hormone that allows your body to manage levels of blood glucose by transporting it from your bloodstream into cells and using it for energy. In order for this process to work, Insulin needs to bind with the human Insulin receptor in order to effect its function.
In other words, Insulin needs to be able (through its interaction with the Insulin receptor) communicate with your cells, which is where NPH comes into play. NPH can be seen as a form of "molecular insulin" that can be added to the insulin product to provide the aforementioned communication between cells and Insulin.
back to top
What dosage of NPH should I start with? Is it interchangeable with regular human Insulin?
This is a great question. As we said before, it depends on your medication regimen (including regular human Insulin) and on your doctor's instructions, but we recommend speaking with your doctor about what you could expect from NPH. Here at Perinatal Etcetera, our Nurse Practitioner will take your health history and go through different options in order to determine what dosage of NPH will work best for you.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, high blood pressure is a serious health condition and it can be difficult to deal with. Your doctor may recommend simple lifestyle changes such as increasing your physical activity and eating healthier food choices. If that doesn’t help, then your doctor may suggest some medications to lower your blood pressure. As always, if you have any questions or concerns about high blood pressure or any other health issues, feel free to contact us at Perinatal Etcetera today. We’ll be happy to help!
back to top
References:
http://www.mayoclinic.