This is an automatically translated article.
The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Hong Phuc - Emergency Resuscitation Department - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital. The doctor has many years of experience in treating blood pressure.Many people do not know they have high blood pressure, patients only know it through random medical examinations, or until complications of the disease appear such as stroke or heart attack. And even when high blood pressure is detected, there is still a large percentage of patients who do not have proper control and treatment of their blood pressure.
1. Symptoms of high blood pressure
Most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms, even when blood pressure readings reach dangerously high levels. Some people with high blood pressure may experience headaches, shortness of breath, or nosebleeds, but these signs and symptoms are nonspecific and usually do not occur until high blood pressure has reached a severe or life-threatening stage. to life.
Regular blood pressure checks are very important, as there are usually no symptoms to alert you to the disease.
High blood pressure is often a chronic condition that gradually causes many insidious harms over a long period of time. But sometimes blood pressure rises so quickly and so severely that it becomes a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment, often requiring hospitalization.
In these situations, high blood pressure can cause:
Memory loss, personality changes, difficulty concentrating, irritability or loss of consciousness Stroke Serious damage to the body's main artery (aortic dissection) Angina - myocardial infarction Sudden deterioration of heart function, leading to acute pulmonary edema Sudden loss of kidney function Complications in pregnant women (pre-eclampsia or eclampsia)
Regular blood pressure checks are very important, as there are usually no symptoms to alert you to the disease.
High blood pressure is often a chronic condition that gradually causes many insidious harms over a long period of time. But sometimes blood pressure rises so quickly and so severely that it becomes a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment, often requiring hospitalization.
In these situations, high blood pressure can cause:
Memory loss, personality changes, difficulty concentrating, irritability or loss of consciousness Stroke Serious damage to the body's main artery (aortic dissection) Angina - myocardial infarction Sudden deterioration of heart function, leading to acute pulmonary edema Sudden loss of kidney function Complications in pregnant women (pre-eclampsia or eclampsia)
Đau thắt ngực - nhồi máu cơ tim có thể do nguyên nhân cao huyết áp gây nên
2. Normal blood pressure readings and high blood pressure readings
Blood pressure is usually measured by two numbers: systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. Based on 2 phases of contraction and relaxation of the heart muscle, corresponding to the maximum pressure and the minimum pressure of blood flow in the arteries.Normal blood pressure: For adults, systolic blood pressure below 120 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure less than 80 mmHg is called normal blood pressure.
High blood pressure: When the systolic blood pressure is 140 mmHg or higher or the diastolic blood pressure is 90 mmHg or higher, the diagnosis is high blood pressure.
3. How to monitor blood pressure?
In order to control the disease well, it is necessary to monitor blood pressure at home, especially for people with a history of blood pressure or the elderly at risk of hypertension.Self-measurement of blood pressure is no longer difficult, because today's electronic blood pressure monitors are designed to be easy to use from using a home blood pressure monitor to help you adjust your diet, reasonable living.
However, there are often two characteristic phenomena when measuring blood pressure that affect the true number of blood pressure: white coat hypertension and masked hypertension.
White coat hypertension: is a case where the patient's blood pressure is often increased when measured in medical facilities but is low at home. Hidden hypertension: is the case when measured in medical facilities, it is normal but at home, it is high. In this case, a home blood pressure monitor will help the patient and the doctor have more complete information about the patient's blood pressure.
One more reason to see the benefits of home blood pressure monitoring: psychologically, regular monitoring of blood pressure at home will help patients get used to it and no longer feel anxious about disease pressure again. There is also more motivation to control your blood pressure with an improved diet, physical activity, and proper medication use.
4. Instructions on how to measure blood pressure
Việc tự theo dõi huyết áp tại nhà đóng vai trò vô cùng quan trọng
4.1 Posture Measure Posture may not seem important, but it is one of the first factors to consider when measuring blood pressure is not accurate. Before measuring, the patient needs to sit comfortably and relax for about 5 minutes, should not measure blood pressure immediately after vigorous exercise or eating too full, too hungry, too tired, it will affect the blood pressure index.
4.2 Measurement position With an electronic home blood pressure monitor, there are 2 types: biceps sphygmomanometer: Place the arm supine on the table with the touch point located 2 cm above the elbow crease and the sphygmomanometer Wrist : Then you should lie down and straighten your arms or you can sit in a chair, arms and wrists placed on a flat surface (heart level).
4.3 Choose a home blood pressure monitor Most electronic blood pressure monitors today have high accuracy. But also need to pay attention to some points when choosing products, the machine has simple operation. Fast and quiet pump, highly responsive
4.4 Arm cuff Minimum length of 33cm for upper arm and 19.5cm for wrist measurement.
Blood pressure checks must be carried out at least once a day to detect high blood pressure levels. From there, provide timely treatment and treatment to avoid possible unfortunate complications.
High blood pressure is one of the most common diseases today. However, there is still a large number of undiagnosed patients with hypertension. Leads to unfortunate consequences.
In addition, there is a large number of patients diagnosed with hypertension but uncontrolled blood pressure leads to unpredictable consequences. Therefore, finding a quality hospital with leading experts is extremely important to keep your blood pressure at a stable level.
Cardiovascular center of Vinmec hospital is one of the leading centers. The expert team of Cardiology Center includes: Professor, Doctor, Specialist 2, Master with experience, great reputation in the field of medical treatment, surgery, interventional cardiac catheterization and application of advanced techniques in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
In particular, the Center has modern equipment, on par with the most prestigious hospitals in the world. In addition, the center has a comprehensive cooperation program with Cardiology Institute - Bach Mai Hospital, Cardiology Department of Hanoi Medical University, Paris Decartes University - Georges Pompidou Hospital (France), University of Pennsylvania (USA) kỲ) ... will closely monitor to help patients overcome and treat hypertension in the best way.
Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.
The article references the source: Vietnam Cardiology Association
