What is hypertension?
If you have hypertension, your blood moves against your artery walls too forcefully. Your systolic blood pressure, the first number in a blood pressure reading, refers to artery pressure during heart contractions (heartbeats). Your diastolic blood pressure, the other number in your reading, is the artery pressure between heart contractions.
What should my blood pressure numbers be?
According to the American Heart Association, healthy blood pressure numbers are less than 120 systolic and less than 80 diastolic. Higher numbers mean that you have either elevated or high blood pressure.
- Elevated: systolic 120-129 and diastolic under 80
- High blood pressure, stage one: systolic 130-139 or diastolic 80-89
- High blood pressure, stage two: systolic 140 or more, or diastolic 90 or more
- Hypertensive crisis: systolic more than 180 and/or diastolic more than 120
If you have hypertension, your Heart and Vascular of Central Texas provider can help you achieve a healthy blood pressure.
What are treatments for hypertension?
There are a number of steps you can take to lower your blood pressure after a hypertension diagnosis. Your Heart and Vascular of Central Texas provider can help you lose weight, with the help of weight loss medication if necessary.
Your provider may also recommend the following changes:
- Eating less sodium
- Exercising more
- Quitting smoking
- Drinking alcohol only in moderation
Often, these changes work effectively, but if lifestyle changes aren’t helpful or don’t get your blood pressure into a healthy range, your provider at Heart and Vascular of Central Texas can prescribe medication.
If you take medication for hypertension, that doesn’t mean you can skip the healthy changes. You need to live a healthy life overall to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level long-term.
Hypertension doesn’t need to lead to severe health problems if you ask for help now. The caring team at Heart and Vascular of Central Texas has the solutions and support you need, so call the office or book your appointment online today.
