Following your personal physician’s health recommendations is important. Here’s what doctors want you to know about your blood pressure.
About 70 million Americans have been diagnosed with high blood pressure and about the same number have been diagnosed with “prehypertension.” Since high blood pressure (also known as hypertension) can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and more, it’s important to manage it properly.
However, there are some things that people tend to miss about hypertension that they need to know. For this reason, the following article explores what doctors want you to know about your blood pressure.
1. Hypertension is silent but deadly
According to Mary Ann Bauman, MD, an internist at Integris Health in Oklahoma City, high blood pressure has no symptoms. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s not damaging your body; instead, it quietly sneaks up on you. “Most people won’t have symptoms until it has damaged vital organs,” says Elizabeth Goldberg, MD, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Brown University.
2. You need to take it seriously
According to Goldberg, “about one-fifth of people with high blood pressure don’t know they have the condition.” Not only that but roughly about half of the 70 million with hypertension are not controlling their blood pressure levels.
“Many people we see in the emergency department only use their medication when they have a headache or aren’t feeling well,” Goldberg says, “[but] blood pressure medication needs to be taken on a daily basis to work.”
3. Hypertension is a chronic condition
Some people believe that hypertension is temporary and, once under control, they can come off their medications. However, unless you make significant and lasting lifestyle changes, you will need to take medication to maintain healthy blood pressure. “You must continue on hypertension medications and only stop on advice of your physician,” says Ali Rahimi, MD, a cardiologist at Kaiser Permanente in Atlanta.
4. Medication is not one-size-fits-all
If the medication you’re taking is giving you side effects, it doesn’t mean you don’t have other options. “If one doesn’t work for you, rather than just saying, ‘I’m not taking it,’ let your doctor know because there are other choices,” says Bauman. In fact, Bauman says that the typical hypertension patient takes about three medications to control their blood pressure.
The Outlook
These are only some of the things you need to be aware of that you had previously ignored about hypertension. You should also use a home blood pressure monitor, remember to take your medicine at night instead of the morning, cut your salt intake, and make lifestyle changes.
In addition, you can take blood pressure supplements such as L-arginine Plus to give yourself an extra boost. Its ingredients are effective at promoting circulation, blood pressure health, cholesterol health, and more. If you’re ready to support your health, then follow these tips and take L-arginine Plus.