High Blood Pressure : The Silent Killer

High Blood Pressure or Hypertension is also called “The Silent Killer” because it usually has no symptoms until after it has done significant damage to arteries and the heart. Untreated high blood pressure increases risk of complications significantly. Whenever it happens could be life-threatening.

Damage to Arteries : Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygenated  blood from the heart to all the organs. If they are affected, problems such as kidney injury, eye damage and peripheral arterial disease may happen.

Damage to Heart : High blood pressure makes considerable work load for the heart. Consequently, the heart has to work harder in order to pump blood to the rest of your body. Eventually, the heart is enlarged and either the risk of heart attack or heart failure is increased.

Ways to Discover High Blood Pressure

Doctor may ask to use Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring to measure blood pressure over 24-hours while patients undergo normal daily activities. Usually a blood pressure at level of 140/90 or higher is said to be high. Most doctors recommend lifestyle changes and proper medical treatment.

Other essential investigations to detect the complications of high blood pressure are included Electrocardiogram (ECG) and Echocardiogram (ECHO) which can detect the effects of hypertension earlier such as enlarged heart and chambers.

How Can You Lower Your High Blood Pressure

• Lose weight.
• Reduced sodium intake.
• Exercise regularly.
• Quit smoking.
• Limit the alcohol to less than 2 drinks a day.

When lifestyle changes are not effective enough, your doctor may prescribe medications to keep your condition under control. The best way to ensure that your blood pressure remains at a healthy level is to receive regular health check up at least once a year, particularly if you are overweight or if you have a family history of high blood pressure.