Many people live with high blood pressure for YEARS and have absolutely no idea. This article will discuss warning signs, symptoms, diets that increase the likelihood of developing high blood pressure, and then treatment! Keep reading to find out if you are at risk for this treatable chronic medical condition.
Signs and symptoms of high blood pressure make a lot of sense when you understand what is happening in your blood vessels. When you have high blood pressure, your blood is moving faster than usual through your arteries and with more force. Over time, this prolonged force and added stress can cause damage to the artery walls and lead to plaque formation (atherosclerosis); this can then lead to more serious illnesses like strokes or heart attacks.
Symptoms of high blood pressure include: headaches, blurry vision, dizziness, chest pain, anxiety, and/or fatigue.
Not to disappoint anyone here, but the majority of patients I see with high blood pressure are actually asymptomatic!!
What puts me at a higher risk of developing high blood pressure?
- Eating salty foods!! Sodium raises our blood pressure, so try to stay away from too much chips, fries, salty pretzels, etc.
- Family history! Family members with high blood pressure (especially 1st degree relatives) increase your probability
- High fat and high caloric intake leading to obesity (&diabetes), link to my previous article on weight loss/Ozempic
- Low intake of fruits and vegetables~ as well as physical inactivity will increase risk
- Drinking excess alcohol as well as tobacco use and drug use significantly increase risk of developing high blood pressure
High blood pressure/aka Hypertension definition:
–> A blood pressure reading greater than 130/80 on two or more SEPARATE occasions
-If you experience a lot of anxiety going to the doctor’s office, you may have something known as “White Coat Hypertension“. This is the phenomenon that occurs when anxiety in the office elevates blood pressure and then mistakenly diagnosed as hypertension.
-When white coat hypertension is suspected I recommend purchasing a blood pressure cuff, checking regularly at home, and writing the values down in a log to show your primary care provider at your next visit.
~~~~~ Here’s a free printable for a blood pressure log I created myself with target ranges listed ~~~~~
Treatment:
- Lifestyle modifications first and foremost: cut out salty/greasy foods (DASH diet), drink more water, increase exercise, quit smoking, and drink less alcohol
- If lifestyle modifications fail, that is when your primary care provider may want to start you on a daily blood pressure medication
- Personally, I try to avoid starting medications for patients unless they have completely failed diet and exercise. I only start on meds initially if there are other risk factors that can’t be mitigated (i.e. smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, morbid obesity)
**As always please consult your own primary care provider on everything because every body is different**
With love,
-Your Pocket PA
This is so helpful and easy to understand. Thank you Pocket PA! 🙂
Hey people!!!!!
Good mood and good luck to everyone!!!!!