{"id":15371,"date":"2018-10-17T20:43:12","date_gmt":"2018-10-17T20:43:12","guid":{"rendered":"https://medartslab.com/?p=15371"},"modified":"2018-11-29T21:07:29","modified_gmt":"2018-11-29T21:07:29","slug":"high-blood-pressure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https://medartslab.com/high-blood-pressure/","title":{"rendered":"High Blood Pressure"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Affecting one in three adults in the United States, high blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the leading causes of death. Despite being a high risk for heart disease and stroke, this condition is known for rarely presenting symptoms. Learn about the dangers of high blood pressure, what causes it and how you can keep this \u2018silent killer\u2019 in check with <\/span><a href=\"https://medartslab.com/recommended-annual-blood-exams/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">annual blood exams<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and lifestyle changes.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>What is High Blood Pressure?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High blood pressure occurs when the force of blood flowing through your blood vessels is consistently too high. This typically signals narrow arteries that are constricting the flow of blood. It is measured by two numbers: your <\/span><a href=\"https://www.healthline.com/health/high-blood-pressure-hypertension/lower-it-fast#1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">systolic and diastolic blood pressure<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The first number is systolic, that is, the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart beats. The second number is diastolic, which is the pressure in your blood vessels between heart beats. There are <\/span><a href=\"http://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/understanding-blood-pressure-readings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">five categories of blood pressure<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Normal<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Systolic: Less than 120. Diastolic: Less than 80. If your blood pressure is in the normal range, continue with heart-healthy eating habits and regular exercise.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Elevated<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Systolic: Between 120 and 129. Diastolic: Less than 80. Although not considered high blood pressure, it is likely to progress if lifestyle changes are not made.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Hypertension stage 1<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Systolic: Between 130 and 139. Diastolic: Between 80 and 89. At this stage, lifestyle changes are highly recommended. Depending on your risk for cardiovascular disease, medication may be prescribed.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Hypertension stage 2<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Systolic: 140 or higher. Diastolic: 90 or higher. Both lifestyle changes and medication will be prescribed.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Hypertensive crisis<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Systolic: Higher than 180. Diastolic: Higher than 120. Immediate medical attention is required at this stage. You may experience chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, weakness, change in vision or difficulty speaking.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><b>Dangers of High Blood Pressure<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-15377 alignright\" src=\"https://medartslab.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Depositphotos_43423797_m-2015-300x227.jpg\" alt=\"high blood pressure, hypertension, what causes high blood pressure, how to lower blood pressure, how to reduce stress, normal blood pressure\" width=\"300\" height=\"227\" srcset=\"https:\/\/medartslab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Depositphotos_43423797_m-2015-300x227.jpg 300w, https:\/\/medartslab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Depositphotos_43423797_m-2015-768x581.jpg 768w, https:\/\/medartslab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Depositphotos_43423797_m-2015-500x380.jpg 500w, https:\/\/medartslab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Depositphotos_43423797_m-2015.jpg 1000w, https://medartslab.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Depositphotos_43423797_m-2015-700x529.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without efforts to resolve or lower high blood pressure, the <\/span><a href=\"http://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/health-threats-from-high-blood-pressure\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dangers increase over time<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. They include an increased risk of heart attack and heart failure. Related to heart disease or microvascular disease, it can cause angina, or chest pain. This is due to an overwhelming workload of, or damage to, the arteries. A stroke is also possible, as blood vessels in the brain can clog more easily, or even burst. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most often, people understand the risk of high blood pressure to the heart. However, as vessels function throughout the entirety of our body, it poses risks to a variety of other organs and even limbs. People with high blood pressure can experience vision loss or kidney disease from strained or damaged vessels. Peripheral artery disease is also common, as it causes a narrowing of arteries in the limbs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Causes of High Blood Pressure<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are <\/span><a href=\"https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/symptoms-causes/syc-20373410\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">two types of high blood pressure<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, determined by cause. The first, called primary or essential hypertension, has no identifiable cause. In most cases, it is simply due to age and gradually develops. The second is secondary hypertension, which is caused by an underlying condition. For this reason, high blood pressure is often sudden and sometimes more severe. Some common conditions that cause it may include sleep apnea, thyroid problems, medications or illegal substance use, as well as many others.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><b>How to Lower Blood Pressure<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are several recommended ways to <\/span><a href=\"https://www.healthline.com/health/high-blood-pressure-hypertension/lower-it-fast#13\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">help lower blood pressure<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, from natural to medically assisted. Consider the following ways, as well as those recommended specifically by your doctor:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Exercise<\/strong> &#8211; Aerobic exercise training has proven to lower blood pressure, almost to the extent of the patient being able to discontinue medication (with doctor approval). Start with three 10- to 15-minute workouts a day, until you can handle one 40-minute workout a day. This will effectively improve the strength of your heart, making it pump with less effort, and decreasing the pressure on your arteries.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Weight loss<\/strong> &#8211; Losing just five to 10 pounds can help reduce blood pressure, as well as reduce the chance of other medical risks.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Improve diet<\/strong> &#8211; There are a wide variety of dietary improvements that can assist in lowering blood pressure \u2013 from decreasing carbohydrate and sugar intake, to increasing potassium and cutting out processed foods. Consult with your doctor before making any significant changes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Get adequate sleep<\/strong> &#8211; Our blood pressure naturally lowers when we are sleeping, and studies have shown an increased risk of long-term hypertension for those who average less than five hours a night.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Prescription medication<\/strong> &#8211; Typically prescribed for those who have a high risk, or are not seeing improvement through lifestyle changes, medication is beneficial for long-term control. Determining the right medication and dose requires a process that your doctor will monitor.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At <\/span><a href=\"https://medartslab.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Medical Art<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s Laboratory<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">we provide same-day results, in-home and on-site blood draw services with no appointment necessary. Get the answers you need to make important medical decisions in a timely manner. <\/span><a href=\"https://medartslab.com/contact-us/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contact us<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> today with any questions, or to learn more about our services.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Affecting one in three adults in the United States, high blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the leading causes of death. Despite being a high risk for heart disease and stroke, this condition is known for rarely presenting symptoms. Learn about the dangers of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15376,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[81,68],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v16.4 - https://yoast.com/wordpress/plugins/seo/ -->\n<title>High Blood Pressure | Medical Arts Laboratory - Providing Same Day Results<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Medical Blog: Answering Questions About High Blood Pressure - by Medical Arts Laboratory: Deltona Blood Draw &amp; Test Facilities - Providing Same Day Results\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https://medartslab.com/high-blood-pressure/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"High Blood Pressure | Medical Arts Laboratory - Providing Same Day Results\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Medical Blog: Answering Questions About High Blood Pressure - by Medical Arts Laboratory: Deltona Blood Draw &amp; 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