High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a serious health condition that is also called the “silent killer” because there are no obvious symptoms. It can lead to cardiovascular disease, which damages your blood vessels and causes health complications related to the heart.
In the United States, it is estimated that 45% of adults have high blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). When you are diagnosed with this condition, you have to monitor your blood pressure because you are at an increased risk of having a fatal heart attack or stroke.
Treating your high blood pressure will help to keep the condition under control in order to prevent life-threatening complications. If you have hypertension, making changes to your diet, exercising, and following your doctor’s instructions about your medication will all help you enjoy a normal lifestyle.
What Is the Best Way to Treat High Blood Pressure?
The two main ways to keep hypertension under control is through lifestyle adjustments and medication. Let’s talk about what’s involved in these factors and how they can help you:
Lifestyle Changes
There are specific types of food that can cause a spike in your blood pressure, such as salty food. Your doctor can explain to you what other types of food are likely to cause a spike in your blood pressure, so you will know to avoid them – or at least to keep them to a strict minimum.
Your physician will also recommend that you make lifestyle changes such as exercising, smoking cessation, and reducing alcohol intake. You will not necessarily feel the effects of these changes in your body, but know that they are making a big difference in your heart health and are helping to keep your hypertension under control.
Medication Management
With so many blood pressure medications out there, finding one that works for you is imperative if you have hypertension. Some of the major ones are the following:
- Alpha-blockers, which prevent the tightening of the muscles in the arteries, thereby lowering blood pressure.
- Beta-blockers, which block the effects of the adrenaline hormone – allowing your heart to beat more slowly and less forcefully.
- Vasodilators, which relax the muscles in your blood vessels, causing them to dilate (open) and thereby allowing blood to flow.
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers, which block angiotensin – a chemical that causes the narrowing of your blood vessels.
Medication that is used to manage high blood pressure can have unpleasant side effects, which is why your doctor may have you switch to another medication until you find one that works well for you. It’s important that you tell your doctor if the medication is causing severely unpleasant side effects.
Concierge Medicine for Blood Pressure in Tucson
Today, high blood pressure is a highly manageable disease; it is not a death sentence as it was in the past. But effective management requires vigilant monitoring and working with your healthcare provider.
Here at Dr. Robert Lending’s concierge medicine practice, we provide attentive and individualized healthcare to our patients, including those with cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure. We give you the VIP treatment that is sorely lacking in other practices. From diagnosis to treatment to management, your health is our top priority. We can fight the disease together.
Schedule a consultation with Dr. Lending by calling our team today at (520) 795-4291 or fill out our easy-to-use appointment request form online now. We look forward to seeing you here.
