Blood Presure Cut Off to Stop and Take It Again
Does drinking alcohol raise blood pressure? What are the signs of high blood pressure? Notice out the answers — and the truth backside common blood pressure misconceptions.
High blood force per unit area affects almost half of adults in the Us, just just one in 4 has it under control. As well called hypertension, loftier blood pressure happens when the forcefulness required to pump blood through your blood vessels is besides high. This can cause damage to your blood vessels, making them stiffer and decreasing claret period and oxygen to your middle, eventually leading to eye disease — the number 1 cause of expiry in the country.
Here, nosotros debunk some myths and highlight ways to reduce your risk for high blood pressure.
1. Myth: Loftier blood pressure is over 140/90 mm Hg.
Fact: High blood pressure is over 130/lxxx mm Hg.
"While high blood pressure used to be defined every bit over 140/90 mm Hg, that definition has inverse in the by few years," explains Parveen Garg, Md, a cardiologist at Keck Medicine of USC and an acquaintance professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. "Today, if someone has blood force per unit area over 130/80 mm Hg and has a history of cardiovascular affliction — or, if they are at high risk for having a cardiovascular event — their doctor may recommend taking blood pressure medication."
What if only i number is loftier?
"The top and bottom numbers both affair — if either of them is high, and so you take hypertension, and your take a chance of a heart assail or stroke is increased," he says.
ii. Myth: The signs of loftier claret pressure are obvious.
Fact: High claret pressure has no symptoms.
"Unless your blood pressure is dangerously high, y'all will not have whatever symptoms," Garg says. "The long-term damage high blood force per unit area has on your arteries, however, occurs regardless of whether you lot have symptoms or non."
Chronically high levels of stress and inadequate slumber tin can both contribute to high blood pressure.
Parveen Garg, Medico
3. Myth: Equally long as I don't add together also much table salt to my food, I can eat what I want.
Fact: It'south not just table salt y'all take to worry almost.
Yous may already know that salt causes high claret pressure level. But, salt isn't just what you add to your nutrient from the saltshaker. According to Garg, some of the most common sources of dietary sodium too include:
- Breads and rolls
- Poultry
- Meat dishes, like meat loaf
- Cheeseburgers and other sandwiches
- Luncheon meats, like deli ham or turkey
- Pizza
- Pasta dishes
- Soups
- Cheese
- Snack foods, like potato chips and pretzels
"It helps to reduce your dietary sodium intake to less than 2,400 mg a day and to follow the Dash (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan, which consists of a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products," he says. "Following the Dash diet may reduce your systolic blood pressure past 8 to 14 mm Hg."
four. Myth: Drinking coffee can raise claret force per unit area.
Fact: It mostly doesn't — simply alcohol tin can.
Because caffeine is a stimulant, yous might think information technology gets your your blood force per unit area upwards, nevertheless, most enquiry doesn't bear witness that to be the case.
"Regular caffeine consumption doesn't typically raise your blood pressure, but information technology may exist a factor for people who ingest it in high amounts from things similar soda, coffee or energy drinks," Garg says.
Booze, on the other hand, does have an touch on. "Excessive alcohol intake can raise blood pressure," he says.
Reducing alcohol consumption tin can have a positive impact on your blood pressure. Garg points out that limiting booze consumption to no more ii drinks per day for men and 1 drink per twenty-four hour period for women tin can reduce systolic blood pressure by 2 to 4 mm Hg.
v. Myth: High blood pressure level is more common in men.
Fact: It depends on age.
"Before the age of 50, hypertension is more mutual in men than women, but after menopause, a woman's risk increases and tin fifty-fifty exist higher than a human'southward," Garg says.
Women have a few boosted considerations for high claret pressure level. Taking nativity control pills may raise their take a chance of hypertension. Women with loftier blood pressure may take a greater risk of complications during pregnancy; and women who develop high blood pressure during pregnancy are more at take chances of having loftier blood pressure afterwards in life.
6. Myth: The risk of high blood pressure is the same for people of all races.
Fact: Black adults take an increased risk of developing high claret pressure.
"Although the reasons why aren't completely clear, hypertension is more common amid Black adults than adults of other races and ethnicities," Garg says.
High claret pressure level may as well develop at a younger age, be more severe and be more probable to lead to hospitalization. Experts think this may be because obesity and diabetes are more common amidst African Americans. There may also exist genetic and socioeconomic components.
7. Myth: I don't need to worry about blood pressure level, if I'm immature.
Fact: Although hypertension does bear on older people, young people can have it, too.
"It'southward true that high blood pressure level is more common amongst older people," Garg says. "This is because our arteries naturally stiffen as nosotros age, and that increases the resistance within our arteries, which increases blood pressure."
But younger adults can accept high blood pressure, besides, and this may exist behind a disturbing trend toward more strokes among younger adults. Children and teens tin can also take high blood pressure, possibly because of an increment in childhood obesity.
8. Myth: There's zip I tin exercise to prevent high blood pressure, if it runs in my family unit.
Fact: Lifestyle changes tin can reduce your risk.
"Loftier claret pressure tin run in families — if your parents or close blood relatives take had high claret pressure, you are more likely to develop information technology, too," Garg says. "However, lifestyle choices accept allowed many people with a family history of loftier blood pressure to avoid it themselves."
In addition to following a healthy diet, maintaining a good for you weight and regular practise can take a big touch on on reducing blood pressure, co-ordinate to Garg.
"Significant weight loss can decrease systolic blood pressure past 5 to 20 mm Hg," he says. "Exercising for xxx minutes every solar day can reduce systolic blood pressure level past four to ix mm Hg."
It's also important to reduce stress and make certain that you are getting enough shut-centre.
"Chronically high levels of stress and inadequate sleep can both contribute to loftier blood pressure," Garg says. "Managing stress and ensuring y'all go adequate sleep can help reduce your blood pressure level."
nine. Myth: If I'grand on blood pressure medication, I don't have to practice or lookout man what I swallow.
Fact: Y'all still demand to go along a salubrious lifestyle.
"There is no substitute for trying to attach to a centre-healthy diet and exercise! Information technology is the most important measure you can take to reduce your adventure for a middle assail or stroke," Garg says. "When your doctor starts yous on blood force per unit area medication, it is only because they believe these lifestyle measures are non enough to lower your blood pressure to normal."
10. Myth: If my blood pressure level comes down on medication, I can end taking information technology.
Fact: You should keep taking it.
"High blood pressure is a lifelong condition. Medications practice not cure hypertension," Garg says. "If you stop taking your medications, then your blood pressure level will rising again."
If you have any questions or concerns about your medications or treatment plan for loftier claret force per unit area, talk to your md.
Topics
Blood pressure
Dr. Parveen Garg
Source: https://www.keckmedicine.org/blog/10-blood-pressure-myths-and-facts/
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