High Blood Pressure

What is high blood pressure?

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, occurs when the force of blood against blood vessels is consistently too high. When this happens, your heart works harder than it’s supposed to, and heart disease can develop. Fortunately, hypertension is highly treatable, and early detection greatly reduces your risk of a heart attack or stroke.

What are the risk factors for high blood pressure?

Various factors increase your risk of developing high blood pressure. Examples include:

• Chronic stress
• Family history of hypertension
• Being sedentary
• Older age
• Being African American
• Overweight and obesity
• Using tobacco products
• Too much sodium in your diet
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Too little dietary potassium

Having certain health conditions, such as diabetes or kidney disease, also increases your risk of developing high blood pressure.

What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?

Chances are you won’t experience symptoms if you have hypertension. That’s why regular blood pressure screenings at Hale Family Practice are so important. If you do experience symptoms, your blood pressure might be dangerously high, and you might notice nosebleeds, shortness of breath, or headaches.

How is high blood pressure treated?

The team at Hale Family Practice focuses on natural remedies for lowering blood pressure in addition to prescribing medications. Your treatment plan might include:

Lifestyle modifications

Altering lifestyle habits helps lower blood pressure naturally, which is often more desirable than taking blood pressure medications. Your provider may suggest you eat less sodium, consume more potassium-rich foods, and reduce alcohol.

The team helps you lose weight if you’re overweight, works with you to create a regular exercise program, refers you to a smoking cessation program if necessary, and recommends ways to manage stress in your life – such as meditation, yoga, massage, and deep breathing techniques.

Medications

Hale Family Practice prescribes medications to lower blood pressure and treat additional health conditions, such as high cholesterol or diabetes, as needed. They work with you to find medications that best match your individualized needs.

The team monitors your blood pressure regularly and adjusts medications when necessary to ensure it stays within a normal range. 

Don’t let high blood pressure cause heart problems when simple solutions are within reach at Hale Family Practice. Call the office or request an appointment online today.