High blood pressure is linked to poor heart health and overall lower quality of life. The data from the American Heart Association shows that nearly half the population of America has high blood pressure. Caroline Kissam, a nurse practitioner has been carrying out studies on this issue over the past two decades.
She is the Cardiology Research Manager at the Bon Secours’ Upstate Cardiology. According to her, apart from genetics, stress, and quality of diet determine this disease. Also, a diet rich in sodium and obesity is contributing factor to high blood pressure. Moreover, some medications and kidney diseases can cause an increase in blood pressure.
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She also mentioned checking the blood pressure every six months or so to keep it under control. Also, some warning signs can help the early detection of this condition.
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure has very vague signs that are difficult to notice.
That is why this condition is called a silent killer since the patient can not detect the warning signs. According to Kissam, dizziness, fatigue, and frequent headaches are the most common signs of this condition.
According to the US Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), high blood pressure significantly increases the risk of stroke and heart disease. Moreover, a recent study conducted in Brazil shows that it can contribute to memory loss early in life.
Kissam said that hypertension affects all organs of the body since every part gets the blood supply. Also, you can suffer from damage in the walls of the arteries with chronic issues of blood pressure.
Hypertension can also cause a brain aneurysm and damage the heart as well. Hypertension not only leads to cardiovascular illness but also causes issues in the legs due to peripheral damage.
The most effective way to tackle high blood pressure is a proper diet and a healthy lifestyle. Some of the most important steps include the reduction of coffee, sodium, and fat intake through diet. Also, losing weight and regular exercise can help keep hypertension at bay. She recommended working out for half to a full hour 5 times a week.
Kissam also suggested avoiding canned foods and meals high in fat and sodium. Also, increasing the fruit and vegetable intake helps lower the blood pressure. She also suggests decreasing the number of meals from restaurants. Since restaurants use a high amount of salts in the food, it can increase the level of sodium in the body. This leads to hypertension over time and causes other health issues as well.
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Another important tip is to keep your blood pressure under check every few months after a diagnosis of hypertension. This can help lower the risk of worsening the condition. Since hypertension does not show any clear warnings, most people diagnose it later in life. However, early detection can help a healthier lifestyle earlier and lower the risk of a worse condition.
Hypertension can lower the quality of day to day life and cause heart problems as well. Also, hypertension affects the overall health of the body. A healthier lifestyle early in life can help lower these risks and maintain a healthy heart.