The Hidden Dangers Of High Blood Pressure

Name: The Hidden Dangers Of High Blood Pressure
Item: Complete Care Southlake
Author: Southlake Style — Southlake's Premiere Lifestyle Resource

February 12, 2020

9:40 AM

High blood pressure has become so common in the United States, most people don’t bat an eye when hearing about someone’s diagnosis. After all, it’s a health condition that affects one out of every three adults in the country. Yet, having high blood pressure can be devastating for someone’s health. Uncontrolled, it can result in a long list of health problems — such as heart attack, dementia or aneurysm to name a few. Therefore, this diagnosis should be taken seriously, and you — or your diagnosed loved one — should make immediate lifestyle changes to reverse it.

What is a healthy blood pressure level?

Blood pressure (BP) refers to the pressure caused by the blood on the walls of the veins and arteries as it’s pumped throughout the body. A healthy BP is anywhere between 90/60 and 120/80. The number at the top (systolic BP) refers to the pressure against the blood vessel walls during heartbeats. The number at the bottom (diastolic) refers to the pressure between heartbeats.

What is a hypertensive crisis?

If your blood pressure reaches 180/120 or higher, this is known as a hypertensive crisis. This requires emergency medical attention since blood pressure this high may cause organ damage and could result in kidney failure, blindness, fluid buildup in the lungs, loss of consciousness, stroke or heart attack.

Types of Hypertensive Crisis

There are two types of hypertensive crises, and they both require medical attention. Your crisis is determined by whether or not you’re experiencing organ damage.

Hypertensive Urgency

When you have a hypertensive urgency, your blood pressure is significantly spiked, but you haven’t experienced organ damage yet. This is known as a hypertensive urgency. It occurs when your BP has reached 180/120 but you are not experiencing symptoms of a crisis. Check your blood pressure. Wait a few minutes, then check it again. Your doctor will likely administer medication, but hospitalization may not be required.

Hypertensive Emergency

In a hypertensive emergency, your BP will have reached 180/120 or higher and you’ll also experience chest pain, blurry vision, difficulties speaking and/or any of the additional symptoms listed below. Don’t wait a few minutes to check your blood pressure again. This is a sign that organ damage is occurring, and you should call 911 immediately.