BLOOD PRESSURE
A condition in which the force of the blood against the artery walls is too high.
Usually hypertension is defined as blood pressure above 140/90, and is considered severe if the pressure is above 180/120.
High blood pressure often has no symptoms. Over time, if untreated, it can cause health conditions, such as heart disease and stroke.
Eating a healthier diet with less salt, exercising regularly and taking medication can help lower blood pressure.
CAUSES
Health conditions that can cause high blood pressure includes
- Diabetes
- long-term kidney infections
- obstructive sleep apnoea – where the walls of the throat relax and narrow during sleep, interrupting normal breathing
- glomerulonephritis – damage to the tiny filters inside the kidneys
- narrowing of the arteries supplying the kidneys
- hormone problems – such as an underactive thyroid, an overactive thyroid, Cushing’s syndrome, acromegaly, increased levels of the hormone aldosterone (hyperaldosteronism), and phaeochromocytoma
- lupus – a condition in which the immune system attacks parts of the body, such as the skin, joints and organs
- scleroderma – a condition that causes thickened skin, and sometimes problems with organs and blood vessels
Treatment
Changing your lifestyle can help control and manage high blood pressure. Your health care provider may recommend that you make lifestyle changes including:
- Eating a heart-healthy diet with less salt
- Getting regular physical activity
- Maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight
- Limiting alcohol
- Not smoking
- Getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep daily
Sometimes lifestyle changes aren’t enough to treat high blood pressure. If they don’t help, your provider may recommend medicine to lower your blood pressure.
