Symptoms of High Blood Pressure & How to Address the Problem Effectively

Asian Senior woman sitting on a chair and check blood pressure gauge and heart rate using digital sphygmomanometer in living room at home at day time. Mature senior doing medical examining in a day time. Medium shot

Hypertension or high blood pressure is an increasingly prevalent condition in the United States, affecting approximately 47% of people in the United States, says Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

High blood pressure is named a ‘silent killer’ primarily because it puts you at risk for several serious life-threatening conditions like stroke and heart disease without showing any specific signs and symptoms.

Let’s talk about what high blood pressure is, its symptoms, how it affects your kidney, and where you can go for its treatment in Brockton & Taunton, MA.

What is High Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure is the measurement of the force with which your blood pushes against the walls of your arteries. If this force is consistently too high, it is known as high blood pressure or hypertension.

Hypertension has two values: systolic blood pressure (upper value – which measures the force on the walls when the heart contracts) and diastolic blood pressure (lower value – which measures the pressure when the heart is relaxing).

Generally, people are said to have hypertension when their blood pressure reads 130/80 mmHg or higher.

Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure has no signs and symptoms until a very severe and life-threatening stage of hypertension is reached.

It means you can have high blood pressure without any symptoms for years. So, it’s better to monitor your blood pressure regularly to pinpoint high blood pressure early.

Rarely, high blood pressure may result in symptoms such as:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Nosebleed
  • Headache

How does High Blood Pressure Affect the Kidney?

Diabetes, hypertension, or high blood pressure is the leading cause of renal failure. This is because our kidneys are dependent on our circulatory system (blood vessels) to function efficiently.

So, when the blood vessels providing blood to the kidneys are damaged, as in hypertension, functional units of the kidney (nephrons) do not get enough nutrients and oxygen supplies required to function well.

Moreover, due to the narrowing or hardening of arteries caused by high blood pressure, there may be an obstruction in the blood supply to the kidneys, leading to kidney failure.

How High Blood Pressure Is Treated?

The best way to address or treat hypertension symptoms is to control your blood pressure.

Lifestyle modifications along with medications have shown considerable efficacy in managing blood pressure and addressing its symptoms.

Lifestyle modifications for hypertension treatment include:

  • Eating healthy diet
  • Limiting salt intake
  • Consuming almost no-sugar
  • Doing a physical activity of at least 1-hour daily
  • Avoiding alcohol or at least limiting alcohol
  • Stop smoking
  • Maintaining your body weight according to BMI

Even after lifestyle modifications, if your hypertension is not getting better, your doctor may recommend medications such as:

  • Diuretics
  • Vasodilators
  • Calcium Channel Blockers
  • Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
  • Angiotensin receptor Blockers (ARBs)
  • Beta Blockers
  • Alpha Blockers

Treatment for High Blood Pressure in Brockton & Taunton, MA

If you have high blood pressure, your kidneys are at risk of damage. So, it’s a better idea to see a doctor for the treatment of hypertension and to avoid any severe condition. Our kidney specialists at Associates in Nephrology have extensive experience in diagnosing and treating kidney-related problems so that you can enjoy a healthier life.

To know more about our services or schedule a consultation with our providers, call us today at (508) 587-0700 or use our convenient appointment request form.