Hypertension is also known as high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. The arteries carry blood from your heart to other parts of your body. Your blood pressure will normally rise and fall throughout the day.

While high blood pressure (hypertension), is when your blood pressure is higher than normal. Even though your blood pressure changes throughout the day based on any of the activities you are doing, having hypertension will measure consistently above normal and will be diagnosed as high blood pressure or hypertension.

Hypertension offers no warning signs or symptoms, and many do not even know they have it. Measuring your blood pressure is the only accurate way of knowing whether you have high blood pressure or not. High blood pressure develops usually over time. It normally happens because of any unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as not getting enough regular physical activity. Certain health conditions like diabetes and obesity can also increase your risk of developing high blood pressure. As well, hypertension can happen (and usually does to many) during pregnancy.

Hypertension can be damaging to your health in a multitude of ways including seriously damaging important organs like your heart, brain, kidneys and eyes.

The good news, is in most cases, you can easily manage your hypertension to a lower number offering a lower risk for serious health issues.

You can make several changes to your lifestyle to help change hypertension by using prescribed medications and making healthy lifestyle choices to enhance your quality of life and reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and more.

Make changes that matter to your health by:

• Eating a well-balanced diet (including low in salt)
• Limit alcohol consumption
• Enjoy regular physical activities
• Manage your stress
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Stop smoking
• Take your medications properly and on time
• Work together with your doctor to maintain your new lifestyle

Managing your hypertension is no easy feat, and will be a lifelong commitment. It is vital that you listen to any recommendations your doctor may offer you about your health, especially when it comes to hypertension.

By changing your lifestyle choices to heart-healthy ones, you can:

• Reduce your high blood pressure (hypertension)
• Prevent or delay any development of high blood pressure
• Enhance the effectiveness of your blood pressure medications
• Lower your risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, vision loss, kidney damage and sexual dysfunction

Hypertension is often also known and recognized as the “silent killer” as this disease offers no noticeable signs or symptoms to help you make better life choices unless you measure your blood pressure or until it’s too late.

If hypertension does go undetected or untreated, hypertension can cause heart disease (including congestive heart failure or heart attack), stroke, and kidney disease. This is why it is so important to have regular physical examinations to make sure your blood pressure is within normal range.

Check in with your doctor regularly, and do annual physical exams to help maintain your health and ask any questions to your doctor about your hypertension or other concerns you may have during your regular visits.

Some situations may warrant a call to your doctor immediately, especially if you:

• Are not responding to the treatment your doctor has put you on and your blood pressure is still high

• If you have these certain symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath
• Light-headedness
• Headache
• Excessive sweating
• Palpitations or irregular heart beats
• Problems with your vision
• Confusion

These certain symptoms warrant prompt medical attention from your doctor and can be uncontrolled due to high blood pressure or from the medication side effects themselves.

If you have any concerns about your hypertension or if you want to book an appointment to see if you have hypertension, do not hesitate to contact us today at Niagara Falls Urgent Care. We are conveniently located at 3117 Military Road Suite 2, Niagara Falls, NY 14304. Our team of professional, caring and experienced medical staff are here to help you when you need it most.