What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?

You can have high blood pressure and not have any symptoms at all — even when your blood pressure is dangerously high. That’s why high blood pressure is often known as “the silent killer.”

Still, you may have some signs of the condition, including:

• Headaches
• Shortness of breath
• Nosebleeds

What method diagnosed high blood pressure?

High blood pressure is easily diagnosed. At Dominion Family Health, your doctor measures your blood pressure with an inflatable cuff placed around your arm. It’s called a sphygmomanometer.

The cuff works by compressing your brachial artery, which momentarily stops blood flow. Then, your doctor listens to your blood pressure with a stethoscope or an electronic monitor as the air slowly leaves the cuff.

Your blood pressure is recorded as two numbers:

Top Number

This number represents your systolic blood pressure, which is the pressure of your blood pushing against your artery walls during heartbeats.

Bottom Number

This number is the pressure of your blood when your heart is resting between beats.

Normal blood pressure is under 120/80 mm Hg. Generally, you have high blood pressure if the top number is 130-139 or higher at two or more readings.

How is high blood pressure treated?

Managing high blood pressure begins with making healthy changes to your diet and lifestyle. This doesn’t need to be hard. You can take simple steps, such as:

• Quitting smoking
• Managing stress
• Avoiding too much salt
• Getting regular physical activity
• Eating a healthy, balanced diet
• Cutting back on alcoholic beverages
• Maintaining a healthy weight

At Dominion Family Health, your doctor works with you to explore all avenues of treatment. Along with making lifestyle changes, prescription medications can improve your quality of life and lower your chances of high blood pressure-related conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and more. Your doctor at Dominion Family Healthcare will discuss whether you might benefit from taking a medication.

Isn’t it time to talk with Dr. Agha about preventive steps to keep you in good health now and in the future? Call or schedule an online consultation with today with Dominion Family Healthcare in San Antonio.