Q:What is Hypertension?
A: Hypertension, often called high blood pressure, occure when blood moving through your arteries places too much force afainst the artery walls. Peopls are told they have high blood pressure if their blood pressure readings are repeatedly above normal for a long time. The measure of a high blood pressure reading is greater than or equal to 140/90.
Q: How does it occur?
A: in 90-95% of cases, the cause of high blood pressure is UNKNOWN
In 5-10%, high blood pressure is a symptom of some other health problem.
Some people are at greater risk than others for having high blood pressure. Risk factors include:
- pre-hypertension, or higher than normal blood pressure (120-139/ 80-89)
- family history of high blood pressure
- being overweight
- older adults
- too much alcohol intake
- African-American descent
- diabetes
- having had pre-eclampsia while pregnant
- in some women use of oral contraceptive or "the pill"
- some over the counter drug can increase blood pressure
Q: What are the symptoms?
A: High blood pressure most often has no symptoms; it is a "Silent" disease. It can go without being found untill it has caused some damage to the body. The following symptoms may be produced by extreme high blood pressure, but they also frequently occur for other reasons. These symptoms are:
- Feeling tired
- Blurred vision
- Feeling dizzy
- A nosebleed
- Morning headache at the back of the head
Q: How is it treated?
A: Treatment for high blood pressure includes:
- taking your blood pressure at home: automated blood pressure monitors are now an option for home use. Keep track of your blood pressure at home helps your doctor to measure how severe your high blood pressure is and if treatment is working. Your doctor can teach you ow to measure your blood pressure at home
- Office visits are needed so that your doctor can measure your blood pressure, adjust your treatment as needed, and check for side effects fr your blood pressure pills
- the best blood pressure control: Although high blood pressure CANNOT be CURED, it can be CONTROLLED. High blood pressure that is not controlled can cause a heart attack, stork, heart failure and kidney failure. Other factors that may hasten problems incluse smoking, diabetes and high cholesterol. THe goals if treatment of high blood pressure are first to lower your blood pressure to a level as near as normal possible. Also to reduce the risk of getting other health problems, your doctor may suggest changing your lifestyle ad taking blood pressure pills.
Q: How can I take care of myself?
A: Some things you can do for yourself to improve your control of high blood pressure include:
- Lifestyle changes: Stop working, reduce sodium intake, Weight loss, Exercise, Reduce alcohol consumption.
- Medication: There are a wide variety of pills available to treat high blood pressure.
Some include:
- Diuretics (water pills): are often the first choice. They help the body to get rid of excess water and salt
- Beta Blockers: are pills that cause the heart to beat more slowly and relax the blood vessels.
- ACE Inhibitors, Calcium Channel Blockers, Angiotensin Receptors Blockers ad Alpha Blockers are pills that relaxes the blood vessels
Above info maintained by the UMHS Clinical Care Guidelines Committee, for Patient Education Handout.
After the preliminary checkup, my heart is as strong as a bull, lungs as healthy as a dolphin, liver and kidney fine too...only prob is the high blood pressure, so they have started me on some pills, cant rem the name cuz its too long. But is water pills as per above, to help remove excess water and salt..
So have to start on the pills and then go back for review in 3 weeks time...
Like Mr Ong say, its just high blood pressure... I'll be fine... =)
