While people will sometimes ignore high blood pressure – also called hypertension, many are just unaware of the signs. Even those who have been diagnosed and prescribed medication will often ignore it, with studies showing a 90% non-compliance rate when prescribed medication. Ignoring the signs and symptoms or not taking medication causes serious health risks.
Hypertension affects the heart, brain, eyes and kidney. If you don’t want to risk losing use of these essential organs, then blood pressure has to stay within normal limits.
Normal limits are up to 120/80. Patients who have a blood pressure in the range of 120-140 are considered at risk, and those with a pressure over 140/90 make you a hypertensive patient. The midrange is still manageable with a few lifestyle changes.
If your blood pressure is in the risky range, stop smoking, exercise, decrease salt intake, and lowering cholesterol. Changing diet and exercise are the easiest ways to prevent your health from deteriorating.
High blood pressure / hypertension is often referred to as the Silent Killer. Since there are often no real identifiable signs, or symptoms that are hard to identify, many are overlooked. If you have headaches or dizziness, flushing, fatigue or frequent nosebleeds, you may want to have your blood pressure checked.
While these symptoms are symptomatic to high blood pressure, they are often over looked, or symptomatic with regular blood pressure as well. The best way to find out your blood pressure is to have it measured. This service is often done free of charge at drug stores or the local EMS station.
When left untreated, those with high blood pressure will not seek care until it has become a chronic problem. Once left untreated, the risk of damage includes heart attacks/ heart failure, mini-strokes to full blown strokes, kidney failure and eye damage, up to loss of vision.
It is of utmost importance to realize that high blood pressure can be unrecognized for years, causing no symptoms but causing progressive damage to the heart, other organs, and blood vessels. For this reason it is important to make a visit to your doctor each year and have your blood pressure checked.
For articles and information see Atlanta First Aid training.
