High Blood Pressure / Hypertension

What is High Blood Pressure / Hypertension? 

Blood pressure is the pressure of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries, which carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body.

Blood pressure normally rises and falls throughout the day, but if it stays high for a long time, it can damage your heart and cause health problems. Hypertension (also called high blood pressure) is blood pressure that is consistently higher than normal. The higher your blood pressure levels are, the more you are at risk for other health problems, such as heart disease, heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and more.

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What are the symptoms of High Blood Pressure / Hypertension?

Unfortunately, high blood pressure usually has no symptoms or warning signs, and, as a result, most people do not know they have it. Measuring your blood pressure is the only way to know whether you have high blood pressure.

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How to Prevent High Blood Pressure / Hypertension:

Preventing hypertension can lower your risk for a wide range of health problems, especially heart disease and stroke.

• Eat a healthy diet - Set realistic, but ambitious, expectations for yourself. If you’re a snacker, try to replace junk food and processed foods with more natural food choices. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and make sure to consume less salt and saturated fat.

• Keep to a healthy weight - Being overweight will increase your risk for high blood pressure and other health problems. Staying fit and healthy requires dedication to all of the recommendations in this list.

• Exercise - Whatever physical activity you enjoy, get out there and do it! Your body craves activity, and exercise has a strongly positive impact on how you feel. Try to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day, 5 days a week.

• Get enough sleep - If your body isn’t well rested, it won’t operate as well as you want it to. Getting enough sleep is part of keeping your heart and blood vessels healthy. A steady habit of poor sleep is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.

• Don’t smoke - Smoking raises your blood pressure and puts you at higher risk for heart attack and stroke. If you do not smoke, do not start. If you do smoke, quitting will lower your risk for heart disease and a range of other potentially harmful conditions. 

• Go easy on the alcohol - Alcohol has been shown to raise blood pressure.

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Treating High Blood Pressure / Hypertension:‍

People with hypertension often need to take medicine, in addition to making lifestyle changes to help keep their blood pressure at healthy levels.

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There are different types of medicines to treat hypertension, depending on your overall health and how high your blood pressure is. When taking blood pressure medicine, it's important to know your goal blood pressure level. There are different recommended levels for different age groups and health conditions, especially for those with chronic kidney disease, diabetes, or coronary artery disease.

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Blood pressure medicines can work a few different ways, and patients may need to take more than one type of medicine to control their blood pressure.

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How can San Ysidro Health help?

San Ysidro Health offers high-quality, accessible primary care and other services that can help you control your blood pressure and remain healthy.

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By calling or texting (619) 662-4100, you can schedule an appointment today.

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