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Increased blood pressure can cause a blood vessel to weaken and bulge, forming an aneurysm. If an aneurysm ruptures, it can be life-threatening. Heart failure. When you have high blood pressure, the heart has to work harder to pump blood. The strain causes the walls of the heart's pumping chamber to thicken.
High blood pressure is called hypertension. This blood pressure chart can help you figure out if your blood pressure is at a healthy level. It also can help you understand if you need to take some steps to improve your numbers. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). A blood pressure reading has two numbers.
Cooking lets you control the amount of sodium in the food. 5. Limit alcohol. Limiting alcohol to less than one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men can help lower blood pressure by about 4 mm Hg. One drink equals 12 fluid ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is diagnosed if the blood pressure reading is equal to or greater than 130/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). A diagnosis of high blood pressure is usually based on the average of two or more readings taken on separate occasions. Blood pressure is grouped according to how high it is.
High blood pressure can cause many heart conditions, including: Coronary artery disease. High blood pressure can narrow and damage the arteries that supply blood to the heart. This damage is known as coronary artery disease. Too little blood flow to the heart can lead to chest pain, called angina.
Anything that increases pressure on the artery walls can lead to elevated blood pressure. A buildup of fats, cholesterol, and other substances in and on the artery walls (atherosclerosis) can cause elevated blood pressure. But the opposite is also true. High blood pressure (hypertension) can cause atherosclerosis.
If you get a very high blood pressure reading at home and don't have any symptoms, relax for a few minutes. Then check your blood pressure again. If it's still very high, seek medical care. Call 911 or emergency medical services if your blood pressure is 180/120 mm Hg or greater and you have chest pain, shortness of breath, or symptoms of stroke.
Alpha-beta blockers. These medicines work similarly to beta blockers. They might be prescribed if you have high blood pressure and are at risk of heart failure. Central-acting agents. These medicines stop the brain from sending signals to the nervous system to speed up the heart rate and narrow the blood vessels.
High blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol levels are two major risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Foods in the DASH diet are rich in the minerals potassium, calcium and magnesium. The DASH diet focuses on vegetables, fruits and whole grains. It includes fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans and nuts.
High blood pressure during pregnancy poses the following risks: Less blood flow to the placenta. If the placenta doesn't get enough blood, the fetus might receive less oxygen and fewer nutrients. This can lead to slow growth (intrauterine growth restriction), low birth weight or premature birth.