High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, affects about 75 million people in the United States alone. That is a third of adults over the age of 20. More people are dying from hypertension-related diseases than from the next three deadliest diseases combined.

It is predicted that 1.56 billion people will be affected worldwide by hypertension by 2025 if something serious isn’t done to solve the problem. It is often referred to as the “silent killer” since people do not often experience symptoms until it’s too late.


WHAT IS HYPERTENSION?

Our heart pumps blood throughout the body to deliver nutrients and oxygen to each part of the body. The blood pressure is a measure of the force required for blood to circulate through the blood vessels and pump blood throughout the body. Hypertension is when there is too much pressure in the blood vessels. This excessive chronically high pressure damages the blood vessels and cause major health problems. Some of the complications include:

  • An enlarged or weakened heart which fails to pump enough blood through the body and eventually causes heart failure.

  • An aneurysm, an abnormal bulge in the wall of the artery. When an aneurysm bursts, it causes severe bleeding, and possible immediate death.

  • Narrowing of the blood vessels causes kidney failure, heart attacks, or a stroke. In the legs narrowing of the blood vessels leads to necrosis of the bones and soft tissue and possible need for an amputation.

  • Blood vessels in the eye can rupture and bleed, causing vision problems and even blindness.

CAUSES OF HYPERTENSION

Hypertension is mainly caused by lifestyle and diet choices.  Some of the most common causes of hypertension are:

  • Regular consumption of alcohol (more than 2 drinks per setting for men and 1 drink per setting for women)

  • Regular tobacco use

  • Physical inactivity

  • Regular consumption of processed or pre-packaged ready-made food

  • Regular consumption of fatty food, excess sugar, and animal protein

  • Chronic sleep debit

  • Chronic stress

  • Being overweight or obese

  • Medications like birth control pills and hormone therapy

  • Chronic diseases like diabetes, kidney disease, and sleep apnea

  • Family history of hypertension

  • Age over 60

  • Ethnicities such as African-Americans and Hispanics have a higher risk versus Caucasians.


DIAGNOSIS AND Treatment

There are two important numbers when blood pressure is taken using a sphygmomanometer: systolic pressure and diastolic pressure.

  • Systolic pressure is the first number and also the higher number. This reading is taken when the heart contracts.

  • Diastolic pressure is the second number and also the lower number. This reading is taken when the heart relaxes and fills up with blood.

Normal readings are around 120 mmHg systolic over 80 mmHg diastolic

Blood pressure can increase with age since the arteries become stiffer and narrower from plaque build-up. Spikes in blood pressure are normal. For example, blood pressure can be temporarily elevated when we’re excited, acutely stressed, and after intensive exercise. Blood pressure is lower when we sleep and just upon awakening.

High blood pressure is diagnosed when the blood pressure is persistently elevated on at least three separate days. The best way to treat or prevent hypertension is by making the right lifestyle and dietary changes customized to your needs. This is where integrative medicine can help tremendously and help you either never have to start blood pressure medication or reduce how much you need to take to prevent major complications.

GUARANTEED RESULTS

If you suffer from high blood pressure and are worried about suffering complications, work with the nation’s leading expert on integrative functional medicine. By caring for the whole person, rather than a series of isolated organ systems, Dr. Bhandari understands the root causes of diseases and provides personalized treatment plans which drive quick and effective results.