High blood pressure (hypertension) is a condition that can cause some severe and potentially life-threatening health problems. Unfortunately, you may not realize there’s anything wrong until you get struck down by a heart attack or stroke.

Blood pressure readings indicate the force of your blood pumping around your body. If the pressure is too high, it means your heart and other organs could be suffering damage from the effects of the excessive force of blood traveling through your arteries.

Unlike most conditions that can cause such serious complications, you probably won’t know you have high blood pressure unless you go for a regular checkup. High blood pressure itself often doesn’t cause any symptoms, so you may not experience any warning signs before your organs have been damaged.

Blood pressure tends to increase as you get older, but common causes of high blood pressure at any age are:

• High-fat diet

• Excess cholesterol

• High-salt diet

• Being overweight

• Too little exercise

• Chronic stress

• Smoking

• Excessive alcohol intake

These are all controllable lifestyle issues. Some people who have underlying health conditions, such as kidney disease or diabetes, are more likely to have high blood pressure. Also, you may be genetically predisposed to high blood pressure if it runs in your family. Nonetheless, by managing your lifestyle correctly, significant damage can often be avoided.

Although the idea of a silent and potentially deadly disease like high blood pressure is scary, finding out if you have high blood pressure is a quick and easy process.

Your provider at South Bay Internal Medicine & Family Practice wraps a blood pressure cuff around your upper arm and inflates the cuff to constrict the flow of blood. They take one reading when the flow is partially constricted, and another when it is not. These numbers give you your systolic and diastolic readings, the two numbers that categorize your blood pressure.

Healthy blood pressure readings are below 120 systolic and 80 diastolic. Raised blood pressure is between 121 and 130 systolic, or 81 and 90 diastolic. High blood pressure measures over 130-140 systolic or 90 diastolic, and if it’s 180 or above systolic or 110 diastolic, it’s dangerously high.

In many cases, you can lower your high blood pressure by making changes to your lifestyle. Some of the chief causes of high blood pressure are unhealthy lifestyle choices, so changing the ones that apply to you may significantly reduce your blood pressure readings.

The Cava Medical Group can help by providing a tailored treatment plan that they design to suit your precise individual needs. Your blood pressure management plan might include support with:

• Healthy weight loss
• Stopping smoking
• Reducing alcohol intake
• Improving diet
• Exercise programs
• Stress reduction

Some patients who have high blood pressure might require medication as well, so South Bay Internal Medicine & Family Practice can prescribe these, monitor you, and adjust your prescription as necessary.

For an individualized approach to high blood pressure management for you or your family member, contact us.