My blood pressure was high. What does it mean?
You go to the doctor and discover that your blood pressure is elevated. What does this mean? Do you need to start taking blood pressure medication immediately? Not necessarily. A single elevated blood pressure reading does not always signify that someone has high blood pressure. Many factors can lead to a one-time elevated blood pressure reading. Did you have a cup of coffee that morning? Did you smoke a cigarette? Are you under a lot of stress?
If your blood pressure is modestly elevated, your doctor should check it at least two or three times during a two- to three- month period to see if it is consistently high before making a diagnosis of high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. However, if it is severely high, diagnosis and treatment must start very quickly.
Go back to the doctor to get those additional checks. If your blood pressure is really too high, you don't want to ignore it. Similarly, if your doctor diagnoses you with high blood pressure, don't dismiss it. Failing to deal with high blood pressure now could mean big time health problems down the road.
Why should I be concerned about high blood pressure?
High blood pressure is a serious medical condition, possibly leading to heart disease, strokes and kidney failure. Blood pressure that is uncontrolled over the years makes you vulnerable. Unfortunately, high blood pressure often does not have symptoms. Getting treatment and being aware of the preventive steps you can take are your best bets for avoiding the possible health consequences of high blood pressure.
What can I do about my high blood pressure?
If you have high blood pressure, you can do many things to reduce your risk of these potentially devastating health consequences. Caffeine, cigarettes and stress can raise your blood pressure. Reducing your intake of caffeine and stopping smoking are immediate priorities. Stress reduction is also an important part of the initial treatment.
Most people know that hypertension means you need to reduce salt intake. You should also lose weight if you need to. Exercise is another beneficial step in managing hypertension. A healthy diet and exercise can help decrease your need for drug therapy. Speak with your physician about beginning a regular exercise program, and be careful not to start out by overdoing it, especially if you have not exercised for a while.
I'm no longer in my 50s. Should I worry?
Age does not reduce the need to treat high blood pressure. Studies show the benefits of treating older adults with high blood pressure. On the other hand, overly aggressive treatment of high blood pressure can also cause problems by lowering the blood pressure too much and decreasing blood flow to the brain. This could cause an otherwise healthy person to have trouble with maintaining balance and staying alert. Thus, there is definite reason for some caution as you begin to take medications for your hypertension.
As people grow older, their arteries get stiffer and they tend to develop systolic hypertension. This is true hypertension and it is a real health risk. It is very common and it is not due to arteries that are too stiff for accurate blood pressure readings. Though it is, of course, true that people can have serious, troublesome side effects from drugs used to lower blood pressure. There is strong evidence for benefits of lowering an elevated systolic blood pressure in older people.
If you have been on medication for several years and your blood pressure remains normal, it may be possible to reduce the dose of medication. In fact, sometimes medications can be stopped completely. See your doctor to ask about discontinuing medication. Don't stop taking any prescribed medication on your own. At least 50 percent of people with normal blood pressure whose medications were stopped by their physician are still able to stay off medications after one year.
When hypertension is hard to control
Hypertension is extremely hard to control in some people. They may require a combination of several medications.
Conclusion
Overall, diagnosing and treating high blood pressure is very important. On the other hand, a balanced approach is necessary in older persons. Hypertension should not be diagnosed until it is clearly documented, usually through more than one blood pressure reading. Patient and doctor should work together to monitor the effectiveness and possible side effects of blood pressure medication.
If you have questions about your diagnosis, treatment or medication side effects, ask your doctor. Your physician will be glad to address your concerns.
This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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