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Overview
High blood pressure is a health problem known as the "silent killer" because there are seldom any symptoms, and half of the people having their first heart attack have high blood pressure. Blood pressure readings can tell you if your blood pressure is too high. Though there's no cure for high blood pressure, lifestyle changes, diet and medication can control your blood pressure and help prevent a heart attack.
Identification
Blood pressure is the measurement of the force of your blood hitting the walls of your arteries. There are two measurements in a blood pressure reading. The systolic pressure is the pressure of blood against the walls of your arteries when your heart contracts. The diastolic pressure is the pressure of blood against your artery walls when your heart is at rest. A normal reading for adults is below 120/80. High blood pressure makes your heart work too hard, and this can damage your heart.
Effects
Extra pressure against the walls of the arteries to your heart can injure your arteries, making them likely to narrow and harden. Buildup of fat deposits in your heart's arteries leads to coronary artery disease, or atherosclerosis. People with high blood pressure who develop coronary artery disease have damaged arteries that can't carry enough oxygen to parts of your body that need it. Permanent damage to your heart because of the lack of blood flow is a heart attack.
Expert Insight
According to the American Heart Association, a third of Americans have high blood pressure. Health care professionals suggest that people with high blood pressure, and those in danger of developing it, can minimize risk of a heart attack by changing their lifestyles. These changes include quitting smoking, losing weight, exercising, eating low-fat meals that contain many fresh fruits and vegetables, eliminating salt from the diet and limiting alcoholic beverages to two or fewer drinks a day.
Prevention/Solution
You should monitor your blood pressure regularly. Doctors take a blood pressure reading whenever you have an office call, and home monitors are available for those who wish to monitor their own blood pressure between doctor visits. In addition to lifestyle changes, you may need medication to lower your blood pressure. Diuretics, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors and ARBs are different medications prescribed to lower blood pressure Taking potassium, magnesium and calcium supplements, or adding foods that contain them to your diet, can also lower your blood pressure and decrease your risk of heart attack.
Considerations
When a blood clot or a spasm blocks a coronary artery that is already narrow because high blood pressure has weakened or damaged your arteries, the part of your heart that doesn't get the oxygen from the blood vessels is damaged. Being aware of your family history and recognizing symptoms that could occur can help you identify whether or not you have high blood pressure. Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, vision problems, sweating, nausea, irregular heartbeat, nosebleeds, pale or flushed skin, impotence and fatigue. You can avoid a heart attack by keeping your blood pressure under control.
