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Keeping Blood Pressure Under Control

High blood pressure is a condition that results from the force of your blood pressure against your arteries. If you haven’t had your blood pressure checked, there is a chance you are suffering from hypertension. This will give an overview of the symptoms of high blood pressure so you can be aware.

While people will sometimes ignore high blood pressure – also called hypertension, many are just unaware of the signs. Even those who have been diagnosed and prescribed medication will often ignore it, with studies showing a 90% non-compliance rate when prescribed medication. Ignoring the signs and symptoms or not taking medication causes serious health risks.

Hypertension affects the heart, brain, eyes and kidney. If you don’t want to risk losing use of these essential organs, then blood pressure has to stay within normal limits.

Normal limits are up to 120/80. Patients who have a blood pressure in the range of 120-140 are considered at risk, and those with a pressure over 140/90 make you a hypertensive patient. The midrange is still manageable with a few lifestyle changes.

If your blood pressure is in the risky range, stop smoking, exercise, decrease salt intake, and lowering cholesterol. Changing diet and exercise are the easiest ways to prevent your health from deteriorating.

High blood pressure or hypertension symptoms include headaches, nosebleeds, dizziness, a flushed face and fatigue. Although people with high blood pressure may have many of these symptoms, they occur just as frequently in those with normal blood pressure.

While these symptoms are symptomatic to high blood pressure, they are often over looked, or symptomatic with regular blood pressure as well. The best way to find out your blood pressure is to have it measured. This service is often done free of charge at drug stores or the local EMS station.

If left untreated, high blood pressure will turn into a chronic problem. The risk of hypertension can cause loss of vision, heart failure, strokes and kidney failure.

It is imperative to understand that while high blood pressure can go unrecognized for year, the damage can be devastating. Visit your doctor regularly to have your blood pressure monitored.

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