Treat High Blood Pressure in Sugar Land, TX
Managing High Blood Pressure
If you are experiencing symptoms of high blood pressure in Sugar Land, TX, you can trust the friendly and knowledgeable team here at Complete Cardiology Care to get your heart happy and healthy once again. Contact our team to start feeling better today.
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What Is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure, also referred to as HBP or hypertension, is when the force of the blood pushing against the walls (the “pressure”) of your blood vessels is frequently and consistently too high compared to normal “pressure” that people experience.
Your body isn’t built to handle consistent high pressure in the blood vessels. When high blood pressure occurs, it can cause damage to the heart and vessels by causing them to work harder and less efficiently. The tissues in your vessels eventually can start to tear and plaque can build up. This continually makes your vessels shrink, which worsens the high blood pressure. We often see high blood pressure lead to more serious conditions such as arrhythmia, stroke, and heart attack.
How High Blood Pressure Is Diagnosed
Diagnosing high blood pressure is simple. When you come in with concerns of high blood pressure, or if we suspect that you might be presenting with high blood pressure symptoms, we will diagnose you by measuring your blood pressure in a blood pressure test. This test involves reading your blood pressure, which is done using a sphygmomanometer (pressure cuff). The process of using the pressure cuff involves:
- Placing the cuff around the upper arm.
- Manually or electronically inflating the cuff.
- The inflated pressure cuff then compresses the brachial artery, stopping blood flow for a moment.
- Then we measure the blood pressure by either listening with a stethoscope or an electronic monitor.
There are two numbers that represent your blood pressure. The first number is the systolic blood pressure (the top number) which represents how much pressure your blood is using while pushing against the artery walls during a heartbeat. The bottom number, the diastolic blood pressure, is the number that represents the pressure your blood is using while pushing against artery walls during the rest period between heartbeats
Risk Factors for High Blood Pressure
There are many causes of high blood pressure that people should be aware of. Awareness of these risks and causes can help you prevent worsening heart conditions and keep your heart healthy. So, what are some of these risk factors?
- Family History: If there is a history of high blood pressure or hypertension in your family, then you are more at risk of developing high blood pressure as well. This is due to both genetics and some environmental/risk factors that families share.
- Diet and Exercise: Diet and exercise are important components to consider when assessing the risk factors for high blood pressure. It’s important to eat a well-balanced diet including whole grains, vegetables, and fruit. If high blood pressure has been an issue in the past or your family suffers, try to eat fewer foods with high saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Also attempt performing 150 minutes of exercise a week.
- Age, Sex, and Race: While many Americans develop high blood pressure over time, certain factors can increase the likelihood. Women are about twice as likely as men to develop high blood pressure, and black people often develop blood pressure earlier in life compared to other races. Also, as people age, they are much more likely to develop hypertension.
- Smoking and Alcohol Consumption: If you drink more than one drink a day, it can lead to high blood pressure, and any smoking at all reduces the oxygen in your blood as you ingest nicotine and carbon monoxide.
- Health Conditions: Certain conditions also raise the chance of high blood pressure, such as diabetes and pregnancy.
Some of these risk factors cannot be avoided, while other risk factors give our patients more control. We strongly recommend eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and avoiding smoking and alcohol usage—especially if you experience other risk factors that you cannot control.
What’s the Difference Between Blood Pressure and Pulse?
Blood pressure is the force that your blood uses when moving through your vessels. Your pulse is the number of times your heart beats a minute. While they both are indicators of heart health, they are very different.
Common High Blood Pressure Myths
Because high blood pressure is so common, there are a lot of myths that come about. Common myths include:
- Because high blood pressure runs in my family, I can’t do anything to prevent it.
- I don’t use table salt, so I’m in control of my sodium intake and blood pressure.
- Kosher and sea salt are low-sodium alternatives, so by using those, I am in control of my sodium intake.
- I feel fine so I don’t need to worry about high blood pressure.
- I don’t experience what people with high blood pressure experience such as sweating, flushed face, and difficulty sleeping, so I don’t have high blood pressure.
- Since I read wine is good for your heart, I can drink as much as I want.
- My doctor checks in on my high blood pressure when I go to the doctor, so I don’t need to check it at home.
- I can stop taking my high blood pressure medication because I have been maintaining lower readings.
We can provide you with true information about high blood pressure so that you can better be aware of it and how to better prevent/treat it.
How High Blood Pressure Is Treated
While high blood pressure isn’t enjoyable to experience, it can be treated by our team at Complete Cardiology Care. The first step to treatment is diagnosing high blood pressure. If you are experiencing the following symptoms of high blood pressure, come into our office so that we can diagnose you:
- Dizziness
- Chest pain
- Headaches
- Easily tired
- Nosebleeds
- Shortness of breath
Once we have diagnosed you with a blood pressure test, our specialists will make a treatment plan for you. If your blood pressure is barely higher than normal, we may suggest making some life changes that will hopefully lower blood pressure such as a change in diet, exercise, or weight. If these life changes don’t reduce your blood pressure over some time, we may suggest a more aggressive treatment with high blood pressure medications such as:
- Beta blockers
- Calcium channel blockers
- Vasodilators
- Diuretics
- ACE inhibitors
While it may take several attempts for our staff to find the perfect treatment and medication for you, we will be there with you through the entire process so that you can reduce your high blood pressure.
How Can I Take Care of Myself?
Our team suggests the following tips for people who are worried about high blood pressure or want to take better care of their heart:
- Follow health care providers’ medication instructions
- Try to reduce stress or better manage stress in your life
- Try to avoid situations or relationships that will cause you anxiety
- Use less salt
- Do not smoke
- Follow a heart healthy diet
- Limit alcohol
- Limit caffeine consumption
- Check blood pressure often
- Get regular exercise for at least 150 minutes a week
Why Choose Complete Cardiology Care?
When it comes to your heart, being proactive and knowledgeable is the best way to keep it healthy. When you choose Complete Cardiology Care for your heart care, you know that you’re in the best hands. Our top priority is our clients and their health, which is why we seek out new technology and methods to provide comprehensive heart care. Our heart testing and diagnosis services include:
You can contact us today if you would like to schedule an appointment to learn more about high blood pressure and treatments in Sugar Land, TX.