What are the long-term problems with high blood pressure?

Long-term high blood pressure can lead to a number of adverse effects, including: blindness, chest pain, heart attack, memory loss, personality changes, difficulty concentrating, irritability, progressive loss of consciousness, sexual dysfunction, severe injury to the body’s main artery, stroke, and loss of kidney function.

What may lead to high blood pressure?

• Most persons have “primary hypertension,” meaning they don’t know what causes their high blood pressure. About 5 persons out of every 100 have “secondary hypertension,” which denotes that the high blood pressure may have an underlying and treatable cause, typically a kidney or hormone disease. If you have a curable condition, your healthcare practitioner will determine if you have a treatable cause for your high blood pressure.
• Primary hypertension is thought to be influenced by genetics (heredity), obesity, a high salt diet, and psychological stress. Excessive alcohol use, smoking, sleep apnea, certain herbal medicines, diet pills, other stimulants, and a lack of physical activity can all contribute to high blood pressure.

How to measure and diagnose your blood pressure?

Systolic blood pressure,which is the first number, gauges the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats.

Diastolic blood pressure,or the second number, gauges the pressure in your arteries between heartbeats.

If your blood pressure is less than 120 mmHg (systolic) and 80 mmHg, it is considered to be normal (Diastolic).

Monitoring and Treatment

Your blood pressure readings and general health will determine the kind of high blood pressure medicine your doctor recommends. It might take some trial and error to locate the pill or drug combination that works best. Ask your doctor what your blood pressure treatment goal should be.

Keeping track of blood pressure at home is important for many people, especially if you have high blood pressure. This helps you and your doctor find out if your treatment is working.