Hypertension is a state that distresses the body’s arteries and increases the danger of heart attack, stroke and other complications. High blood pressure, happens when the power of blood against the walls of your blood vessels is too high. Hypertension or high blood pressure has no indications and can be risky if not treated. High BP is a common condition that affects millions of people globally. But what are the hypertension symptoms and stages?
Rajashree Gadgil the founder of TRUWELLTH Integrative Health Centers the best Dietitian Center in Thane, in this blog, explicates the hypertension symptoms, causes and treatments.
Now, that you know that high BP usually doesn’t have any symptoms you must be looking to know how to understand if you have high blood pressure? Let’s discuss the signs of high blood pressure.
Hypertension Symptoms
Habitually, high blood pressure has no indications. Accordingly, healthcare providers call it a “silent killer.” You could have high blood pressure for years and not know it. Most adults with hypertension don’t know they have it.
Your blood pressure is 180/120 mmHg or more? This means you have high BP. High blood pressure symptoms are generally heart palpitations, headaches, or nosebleeds.
Low blood pressure symptoms: If your blood pressure gets seriously low you generally experience wooziness, instability, blurring of vision, behavior changes, cold, clammy skin, feebleness, lethargy, nausea and others.
What are the Top 10 Symptoms of High Blood Pressure?
- Extreme headache
- Nosebleed
- Breathlessness
- Tinnitus
- Drowsiness, Insomnia
- Confusion
- Tiredness
- Excessive sweating
- Vision problems
- Chest pain
Treating hypertension generally includes a combination of lifestyle changes and medications. Diet, exercise, weight control, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol, and medication can help you treat high blood pressure.
Hypertension Treatments
Rajashree Gadgil the best dietitian in Thane suggests simple lifestyle modifications to help you regulate high blood pressure. Diet undeniably plays a significant role. Mrs. Gadgil suggests you to adopt a heart-healthy diet, such as the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) food regime, which highlights fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. Keep reading to learn more about hypertension symptoms treatment.
Precise reasons of high blood pressure are not known. Hypertension can be due to a variety of reasons.
Hypertension Causes
There are two types of hypertensions and each type has a different cause. Essential hypertension also termed primary hypertension and this develops over time. This is linked to genetics, age, lifestyle, and diet. Secondary hypertension on the other hand is caused because of basic conditions such as kidney disease, sleep apnoea, diabetes, or thyroid problems.
What are the 10 Causes of High Blood Pressure?
10 key causes of Hypertension:
- Inadequate physical activity
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Family history
- Obesity or being overweight
- Getting older
- Sleep apnoea
- Diabetes
- Kidney disease
- Tension
- Insufficient intake of potassium, calcium, and magnesium
Many things can momentarily elevate blood pressure. To put it in simple words, there are several possible causes for sudden high blood pressure. Temporary spikes aren’t essentially a problem, but if they continue over time, they can cause serious damage.
What can Cause a Sudden Increase in Blood Pressure?
Factors that can cause a sudden increase in blood pressure include:
- Adrenal gland disorders
- Congenital heart defects
- Added Sugar or salt
- Prohibited drugs (such as cocaine and amphetamines)
- Kidney disease
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Certain medications (including birth control pills, cold and sinus medicines, and some prescription drugs)
- Thyroid disease
- High levels of stress
- Loneliness
- Pregnancy
- Herbal supplements containing licorice
While people over 65 years are more at risk for high BP, it also affects young adults. Wondering how? Let’s discuss the causes.
What Causes High Blood Pressure in Young Adults?
- Genetic predisposition
- Unhealthy lifestyle factors (like being overweight, lack of physical activity, poor diet, alcohol consumption, and smoking)
- Basic medical conditions (such as thyroid disease, renal arterial blockage, and renal inadequacy)
- Chronic conditions (such as diabetes, kidney disease, respiratory illnesses, and congenital diseases)
Medications may help reduce your blood pressure. A few eating and lifestyle modifications, like exercising more, improving your sleep, and limiting sugar and alcohol, could also help.
How to Reduce High Blood Pressure?
- Get enough exercise
- Manage weight
- Limit sugar and refined carbohydrates
- Increasing your potassium intake and reducing salt
- Following a heart-healthy diet
- Limit processed food
- Quit or avoid smoking
- Managing stress
- Eat some dark chocolate
- A few herbal medicines may help reduce blood pressure
- Sleep well
- Take garlic or take garlic extract supplements
- Eat healthy high-protein foods
- Drink adequate water
- Control caffeine intake
- Limit alcohol intake
- Medicines prescribed by the doctor
What are the Symptoms of High Blood Pressure in a Woman?
Women who are past menopause are at higher risk of high blood pressure. Habitually, there are no hypertension symptoms in women until someone has had high blood pressure for years and the condition has become severe If you notice or experience any signs, consult a physician immediately. The best way for older women to monitor their blood pressure is to keep a record of their blood pressure numbers.
Tips for Controlling Hypertension
Rajashree Gadgil from TRUWELLTH Integrative Health Centers the most esteemed dietitian center in Mumbai thoughtfully creates meal plans that is easy-to-follow and enjoyable. Each meal plan meets detailed parameters depending on the health condition and lifestyle. The nutritional needs, to put in simple words vary from person to person. Mrs. Gadgil encourages you to use these plans and adjust your lifestyle to control high BP. Her meal plans are simple to follow for busy people, realistic, budget-friendly, and rich in nutrients that may influence blood pressure.
Wrapping up
Hypertension is an enduring illness that stays with the patient for a lifetime. Since there is a wide array of sources and there are no explicit hypertension symptoms, the only way to state what is causing your high blood pressure is to discuss it with a medical professional. The professional would analyse the cause and what you can do about it. There are multiple ways to treat High blood pressure. Get your blood pressure checked at least once a year.