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Prevention and Treatment of Hypertension

Prevention and treatment of hypertension start with a basic understanding of blood pressure. The American Heart Association defines blood pressure as the force exerted by the heart on the artery walls as it beats. From the heart, blood flows to all parts of the body through arteries. When the blood pressure in the arteries is too high during heartbeats, the artery walls are damaged, which can contribute to heart disease. 

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Symptoms of Hypertension

Even if blood pressure readings reach dangerously high levels, many people with high blood pressure have no symptoms.

Symptoms of high blood pressure may include headaches, shortness of breath, or nosebleeds, but these aren’t specific and usually appear only after high blood pressure has reached a severe or life-threatening level.

Risk Factors of Hypertension

Hypertension has many risk factors including:

  • Age – your risk increases as you age, until about 64 years hypertension is more common in men, and women are more likely to develop it after the age of 65. 
  • Family history – hypertension tends to run in families. 
  • Being obese or overweight – the more you weigh, the more blood you need to supply oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. 
  • Lack of physical activity – inactive people tend to have higher heart rates. Lack of physical activity also increases the risk of being overweight.
  • Using tobacco – raise your blood pressure temporarily, but the chemicals in tobacco can damage the lining of your artery walls.
  • Too much salt and too little potassium in the diet – too much salt in your diet can cause your body to retain fluid which raises blood pressure. Also, a proper balance of potassium is critical for good heart health.
  • Drinking too much alcohol – over time, heavy drinking can damage your heart. Having more than one drink a day for women and more than two drinks a day for men may affect your blood pressure.
  • Stress – high levels of stress can lead to a temporary increase in blood pressure.

How to Prevent and Treat Hypertension

The following lifestyle changes to help prevent and treat hypertension:

  • Eat healthily: Limiting sodium intake per day can reduce high blood pressure since sodium holds excess fluid in the body creating a burden on the heart.
  • Limit alcohol consumption: Having less than two drinks per day for men and less than one drink per day for women is recommended.
  • Exercise: Exercise strengthens the heart allowing it to pump blood with less effort. 
  • Lose weight: Losing weight will decrease the amount of pressure it takes to move blood around the body. Quit smoking: Quitting smoking should be a top priority for people with and without high blood pressure.

Medication used for Hypertension:

  • Olmesartan – this is in a class of drugs called angiotensin II receptor antagonists. Olmesartan works by blocking the action of certain natural substances that tighten the blood vessels which allows the blood to flow more smoothly and the heart to pump more efficiently.

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