What Causes Hypertension and How Do You Treat it?

Rarely do the signs of high blood pressure, or hypertension, become apparent. However, if left untreated, it raises your risk of developing severe conditions like strokes and heart attacks. Keep reading to find out the causes of hypertension in Newport.

What is high blood pressure?

Two numbers are used to record blood pressure. Your heart pumps blood throughout your body at a force known as systolic pressure, which is represented by a greater number.

The resistance to blood flow is represented by the diastolic pressure (lower number).

Both are expressed in millimetres of mercury (mmHg).

In general:

If your blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg or above (or 150/90 mmHg or more if you are over 80), you may have high blood pressure.
The typical range for ideal blood pressure is 90/60 mmHg to 120/80 mmHg.

If you don’t take action to keep your blood pressure under control, blood pressure readings between 120/80mmHg and 140/90mmHg could indicate that you’re in danger of having excessive blood pressure.

Each person will have a slightly different blood pressure reading. What you deem low or excessive may be normal to someone else.

causes of hypertension in Newport

What are the causes of hypertension?

High blood pressure results from an underlying medical problem or from taking a specific medication in around 1 in 20 cases.

The following medical problems can result in high blood pressure:

Kidney disease
Diabetes
Long-term kidney infections
Obstructive sleep apnoea – where, while sleeping, the throat’s walls relax and constrict, preventing proper breathing
Glomerulonephritis – damage to the tiny filters inside the kidneys
A constriction of the arteries supplying the kidney
Hormone problems – for example, an overactive thyroid, an underactive thyroid, Cushing’s syndrome, acromegaly, high levels of the hormone aldosterone (hyperaldosteronism), and phaeochromocytoma
Lupus – a condition in which the immune system attacks parts of the body, like the skin, joints and organs
Scleroderma, which results in thicker skin and occasionally issues with organs and blood vessels

How do I know if I have hypertension?

A blood pressure test is the only way to determine if you have high blood pressure. Blood pressure should be monitored at least every five years for all persons over 40. It’s simple to do this, and it can really save your life.

There are several locations where you can have your blood pressure checked, including:

At your GP surgery
In some workplaces
At some pharmacies
As part of your NHS Health Check

Using a home blood pressure monitor, you can also check your own blood pressure.

Learn more on how to check your blood pressure in our previous blog post here:

Check Blood Pressure

Exercise

How can I lower my blood pressure?

You are more prone to get a heart attack or stroke if your blood pressure is high. Together with your pharmacist or doctor, discuss the most effective methods for lowering your blood pressure.

Here are some suggestions that they may have:

Lifestyle changes that block causes of hypertension

You can make certain lifestyle changes to help reduce your blood pressure. Some of them will accelerate your progress toward your objectives, while others will require a little more time.

Try your best to:

Learn how to reduce the amount of salt you use in your diet by keeping your daily salt intake to less than 6 grams (0.2oz), or around a teaspoon.
Consume a diet low in fat and high in fresh fruits and vegetables; learn healthier eating habits.
Lose weight – Calculate your ideal weight with the NHS BMI calculator, and learn how to lose weight healthily to fit your goals if you’re overweight.
Stay active by working out frequently.
Drink less alcohol – Get a drinking diary and keep track of your intake to learn how to drink less.
Limit caffeine consumption (found in coffee, cola and tea).
Use a specialist to help you stop smoking.

You can start taking these measures right away, whether or not you are on blood pressure medication.

Knights Pharmacy Branch