One in every three adults are reported to have a problem of high blood pressure and two of three people with diabetes are estimated to have it too.
High Blood Pressure is often termed as a "silent killer"- as you would not know about it until your health care provider figures it out when you give a visit to him.
Hypertension can also lead to risk factors like heart attack and heart failure, as with this serious condition, the heart cannot pump enough blood required by the body. In addition to this, this has serious implications on:
The Brain: High BP (Hypertension) is considered as the most critical risk factor for stroke.
Vision: It may even cause blurred or impaired vision or even worse, as could result in blindness also.
Arteries: Plague buildup in arteries could also be one of the reasons for hypertension as this will make your heart and kidney work harder.
Kidneys: It can also lead to narrow blood vessels in kidneys due to which kidneys don't function properly and toxins builds up in the blood.
Are there any warning signs of High blood pressure?
Well, in most of the cases, there are rarely any symptoms. People usually relate it to increased levels of stress, nervousness and tension, but the truth is that even a relaxed person can have high blood pressure.
So instead of assuming on your own, the best way to know if you have hypertension is by getting it checked by your health care provider. This should be done regularly as this disease of elevated blood pressure can develop over time. Prompt treatment of it can also reduce your risk of stroke, heart failure, kidney failure and heart attack.
High Blood pressure and Sleep apnea
Missing out on sleep can leave you feeling irritated and slow-witted in the morning, but let us tell you that the consequence does not end here. Over the time, sleep may also take a toll on your heart and BP.
High BP and Sleep apnea are associated with each other and the studies show that it can result in even graver conditions like heart failures, irregular heart rates and heart related diseases. The simple reason for hypertension with Sleep apnea are sudden drops in oxygen levels due to sleep apnea which will increase the blood pressure and stress will be put on heart.
How to control High Blood Pressure?
The risk factors like age, family history and ethnicity are among the ones that are not in our control. So when we talk about the preventive measures for hypertension, our focus would be on the factors that you can actually change.
Try to follow the below mentioned lifestyle changes to eliminate any reasons for high blood pressure and to bring down the numbers in case of elevated blood pressure.
Maintain Healthy weight - People who are overweight should look for methods to lose weight and get a healthy body. Talk with your doctor about the ideal weight you can have and try to achieve it.
Follow a balanced diet - Taking a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables and limiting your intake of calories, fat and sugar will surely help in eliminating even the minor signs.
Cut back on salt - Living on a low-sodium diet helps in keeping the symptoms of high blood pressure at bay. You should cut back on your total salt intake per day by avoiding high-sodium processed foods and by limiting the use of salt in your daily meals.
Do regular Exercise - A moderate exercise of about 30 minutes, three times in a week will be a good start to control hypertension. Furthermore, keep in mind, the more you exercise the better.
Limit the alcohol consumption - Drinking too much of alcohol leads to hypertension. Thus, one should limit its intake to get a hold of the symptoms of high blood pressure.
Monitor your blood pressure - Above all, it is very important to get your blood pressure checked at regular intervals of period. In case, your doctor determines that you are at an increased risk of developing hypertension, he may recommend you extra steps as a safety.
Check for Sleep Apnea - Your uncontrolled blood pressure, despite of prescribed medications could also be the result of sleep apnea. So, its better you meet a sleep physician and on his advice, undergo polysomnography to get diagnosed for sleep apnea. They may recommend you a treatment to bring down your BP.
