Hypertension
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What is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is when the force of blood pushing against the artery wall is too high. High blood pressure is anything over 120/80. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, half of all American adults have high blood pressure and about one in three U.S. adults with high blood pressure don’t know it. High blood pressure doesn’t usually have symptoms until it causes serious health problems.
When blood pressure is too high for too long, the pressure can damage the walls of the arteries, causing small tears that when healed can contribute to plaque buildup. As plaque builds up over time, it causes the inside of the arteries to narrow which decreases blood flow and causes blood pressure to get even higher. These changes and increased pressure make the heart work harder and can lead to conditions like heart attacks and heart disease, strokes and cognitive decline, kidney disease, vision loss, and other health problems.
What Causes High Blood Pressure?
Contributors to high blood pressure are usually a combination of things like
- Unhealthy diet and eating patterns
- Lack of physical activity
- Overconsumption of alcoholic beverages
- Smoking and recreational drug use
- Certain medications
- Sleep disorders
- Genetics
- Age
Treatments for High Blood Pressure
Treatments for high blood pressure include medications and lifestyle changes.
Some lifestyle changes that can prevent and manage high blood pressure without or in combination with medication include:
- Maintaining a healthy weight. Your health care team can help determine what this looks like for you.
- Eating a diet that is low in sodium and contains a balance of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy.
- Exercise. Add a few minutes of exercise to your day and gradually work up to 150 minutes a week.
- Managing stress and prioritizing good sleeping habits.
- Don’t smoke or drink.
How can a group medical visit help?
Lifestyle medicine is truly a lifestyle choice. If you’re ready to make positive changes to help improve your quality of life and would like the comradery that a social setting brings, then this group is for you.
Group Medical visits offer people an additional resource to help manage their conditions with the support of medical providers, dietitians, and mental health experts, as well as the lived experiences of other patients.