Hypertension

Overview

Hypertension is another name used for high blood pressure. The heart pumps the blood through the arteries causing pressure. When the pressure of blood rises higher than the normal pressure, it is termed as Hypertension or high BP. Such a medical condition increases the risk of stroke and heart diseases. Risk factors include excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, smoking, and family history.

Normal blood pressure number is 120/80 mmHg; higher than 130/80 mmHg is hypertension.

Hypertension Symptoms

The most dangerous aspect of hypertension is that it is asymptomatic – meaning, you may not know you have it. Nearly 1/3rd of people with the condition don’t even know that they need care. In case of extremely high blood pressure, symptoms may include:

• Fatigue
• Confusion
• A severe headache
• Chest pain
• Breathing difficulty
• Irregular heartbeat
• Blood in urine
• Pounding chest, ears or neck
• Blurred vision

Hypertension Causes

Blood pressure is the measure of the force of blood pushing against the walls of blood vessels. The heart pumps blood into the vessels, which carry blood throughout the body. Although there is no definite hypertension cause, several things may be responsible, including:

• Smoking
• Obesity or being overweight
• Lack of physical activity
• Excess salt intake
• Excess alcohol consumption
• Stress
• Old age
• Genetics
• Chronic kidney disease
• The family history of hypertension
• Thyroid and adrenal disease
• Sleep apnea

Pregnancy & Hypertension

Although it is not necessarily a fatal combination, hypertension in pregnancy requires extensive monitoring and care. Hypertension specialists including physicians and cardiologists at mfine can guide you to understand the hypertension cause and provide the necessary care and treatment.

Hypertension in pregnancy can cause placental abruption, injury to other organs, premature delivery, miscarriage, and reduced blood flow to the placenta. It is critical to delivering proper care at the right time to prevent major complications.

Diagnosing Hypertension

mfine list some of the finest cardiologists and physicians who can be your hypertension specialists. They can check the parameters for hypertension and run the necessary tests before delivering the result. Only upon correct diagnosis, they observe hypertension and administer treatment.

Understanding Blood Pressure Reading

Do you know what the blood pressure numbers mean? mfine doctors call it systolic (top number) over diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure.

A normal systolic blood pressure is below 120. A reading above 130 is elevated and 131-139 is hypertension stage 1.

The normal diastolic reading, or bottom number, is below 80. Reading above 80-89 is hypertension stage 1.

Hypertension Treatment

At mfine, doctors provide necessary medications and care to patients with hypertension. In addition, patients also receive lifestyle modification tips and guidelines to keep the blood pressure number in control.

High blood pressure treatment does not cure patients overnight. The condition demands consistent care and doctor’s guidance, which mfine general physician online consultation can easily provide. Prolonged treatment, diet control, daily exercise, no smoking, and lesser alcohol consumption along with regular medication are some of the habits, which can work as a cure for High BP.

Find a general physician or cardiologist near you at mfine in a quick and hassle-free manner.