Dangerous Blood Pressure Level Can Result in Severe Cardiovascular Problems
Medical professionals measure your blood pressure in millimeters of mercury. A high systolic blood pressure level is any number higher than 140. An elevated diastolic blood pressure level is any measurement more than 90. Patients who measure higher than these numbers over two or more successive medical screenings are usually diagnosed having stage one hypertension. Stage 2 hypertension is a diastolic measure above 100 and a systolic blood pressure level of more than 160. People who have stage 2 hypertension are considered to be in a medical emergency. Find out more about dangerous blood pressure levels.
What Are The Causes And Symptoms?
High blood pressure level do not always have a known cause. Nor will an individual with high blood pressure levels necessarily notice any symptoms. Consequently, hypertension is often described as the “silent killer.” In fact a person can have high blood pressure levels for several years without even recognizing it. The only way to know whether or not you have hypertension is with regular medical screenings. It is not until a person develops stage 2 hypertension that they begin to notice that anything is amiss.
A person with very high blood pressure level may notice a strong headache, queasiness, debility, and vision problems. If you notice any of these symptoms and you know, or think that you might have hypertension, go to the emergency room immediately.
The Problems
If hypertension is left unchecked it can do significant damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, and kidneys. People with dangerously high blood pressure levels, who do not receive the needed treatment are at very high risk of eye damage, stroke, aneurysm, heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, and even death. Therefore regular blood pressure screenings from a health care practitioner are very important.
Treatment Choices
If two or more successive tests demonstrate that you have hypertension, then there is a lot that you can do to improve your condition. A healthy low-fat diet and regular exercise can help to decrease your blood pressure. Even a moderate amount of healthy weight loss can help reduce the problem of hypertension.
You should also make the effort to consume less salt, cut down on alcohol, and stop your smoking if you partake in any of these habits. Many medications are also available to treat high blood pressure levels. Diuretics are helpful for people with stage one hypertension because they reduce the amount of sodium in the blood and reduce blood volume.
Your health care provider may also prescribe calcium channel blockers, which lower high blood pressure levels by reducing the tension of the the muscles of the artery walls. Beta blockers are another choice since they reduce the heart rate and decrease the strength of heart contractions to relieve some of the pressure. Then there are ACE inhibitors which inhibit a hormone called angiotensin, which is a chemical that makes the blood vessels tighten and can therefore exacerbate hypertension.
To learn about the full range of medicines available to treat dangerous levels of blood pressure, talk to your health care provider. Alternative programs are also available for natural control of your blood pressure readings. There are exercises which reduce tension and stress. Acupuncture and meditation can also reduce your stress levels and bring down your blood pressure levels.
