What is high blood pressure?

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a condition where the force of your blood against the walls of your blood vessels is consistently too high. High blood pressure can lead to other serious medical conditions, including heart disease.

When measuring your blood pressure, your provider at We Care Clinic relies on two numbers:

Systolic pressure

This is the upper number that measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart is pumping blood.

Diastolic pressure

This is the lower number that measures the pressure in your arteries between heartbeats.

If your heart is pumping blood into narrow arteries, the pressure on the arterial walls increases and registers as high blood pressure.

What causes high blood pressure?

Your We Care Clinic provider classifies high blood pressure as either primary or secondary. In primary hypertension, high blood pressure develops gradually over time with no specific cause. In secondary hypertension, you may have an underlying medical condition that affects your blood pressure. These conditions may include:

• Kidney problems
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Sleep apnea
• Birth defects

High blood pressure can also result from taking certain medications or illegal drugs, or from chronic alcohol use.

What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?

Many doctors refer to high blood pressure as the “silent killer” because it often doesn’t show any symptoms. It’s possible to have high blood pressure for many years before damage to your vessels and heart becomes apparent.

If symptoms do present, you may experience:

• Frequent headaches
• Nosebleeds
• Dizziness
• Shortness of breath

If these symptoms occur, your blood pressure may already be at a life-threatening level and it’s vital to seek emergency medical attention.

Through regular blood pressure testing, the team at We Care Clinic can monitor your health and identify blood pressure problems early for effective treatment.

What treatments are available for high blood pressure?

We Care Clinic offers a variety of treatments to help you manage high blood pressure. Your provider may recommend lifestyle changes that include increasing your physical activity through regular exercise and improving the nutrition in your diet.

If you have chronically high blood pressure, your provider may prescribe medications that improve the flow of blood through your vessels. They also regularly monitor your blood pressure to prevent additional medical problems such as heart disease and blood vessel damage.

To get scheduled for a high blood pressure screening, book online or call the office today.