Treating blood pressure with non-drug methods

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Tran Hong Nhat - Interventional Cardiologist - Cardiovascular Center - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital. The doctor has more than 10 years of experience in examining and treating interventional cardiovascular diseases.
High blood pressure is one of the common diseases. If not treated well, the disease can have adverse effects such as heart attack, stroke, and even death. Besides the method of using drugs, non-pharmacological treatment also contributes to blood pressure control for patients.

1. What is hypertension?

Chronic pathological hypertension, which occurs when the blood pressure exerted on the walls of the blood vessels is higher than normal.
Blood pressure is expressed with two parameters, for example: 120/80 mmHg. The higher number (called systolic blood pressure - SBP) is a measure of the pressure inside the arteries when the heart is pumping blood. The lower number (called diastolic blood pressure - HATTr) is a measure of the pressure inside the arteries when the heart is resting between beats.
Blood pressure is usually measured in millimeters of mercury (symbol mmHg). When you have high blood pressure, one of the numbers, or even both, is higher than normal.

2. Meaning of blood pressure readings

The index of hypertension is usually classified as follows:
Optimal blood pressure: SBP < 120 mmHg and DBP < 80 mmHg Prehypertension: SBP > 120-139 mmHg and/or DBP > 80-89 mmHg Hypertension Grade 1: SBP 140-159 mmHg and/or DBP 90-99 mmHg Grade 2: SBP 160–179 mmHg and/or DBP 100-109 mmHg Grade 3: SBP ≥180 mmHg and/or DBP ≥ 110 mmHg The treatment target is recommended for all hypertensive patients <140/90 mmHg, if well tolerated, consider a target <130/80 mmHg for most patients.

3. Risk factors for high blood pressure

Some risk factors for high blood pressure include:
Age: the older you are, the more likely you are to develop high blood pressure Gender: male > female Race: African-Americans are more likely to have high blood pressure more oppressive than other races. Family history of early hypertension Family history of early cardiovascular disease (men < 55, women < 65) Early menopause Diabetes mellitus High cholesterol Increased uric acid Overweight or obesity Smoking smoked or smoked) Using stimulants such as beer, alcohol Consuming too much salt Having sleep apnea Frequent stress

4. Symptoms of high blood pressure

It can be said that high blood pressure is a "silent killer" because the vast majority of people with high blood pressure don't know they have it until they experience some serious complication such as a stroke or heart attack. . Usually, high blood pressure can only be detected through regular blood pressure measurements.
High blood pressure can cause you to experience symptoms such as headache, dizziness or affected vision. If blood pressure has been elevated for a long time, changes may be noticed as a result of its complications.
Here are some possible complications from high blood pressure, namely:
Heart attack, stroke: High blood pressure causes hardening and thickening of blood vessels, which can lead to heart attack, stroke or other complications Aneurysm: increased blood pressure causes the walls of the blood vessels to weaken and bulge, forming an aneurysm. If a blood vessel ruptures, it can be life-threatening. Heart failure: In order to pump blood against the high pressure in your vessel walls, your heart has to work harder, leading to left ventricular hypertrophy. When the heart muscle thickens, it becomes difficult to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs, which can lead to heart failure Renal failure due to the risk of narrowing of the renal arteries with high blood pressure Retinal bleeding Metabolic syndrome: This syndrome includes a group of disorders of your body's metabolism, including: increased waist circumference, increased triglycerides, decreased HDL-C (good cholesterol), high insulin levels. These disorders make you more susceptible to diabetes, heart disease, stroke Brain complications: Narrowed arteries make it difficult for blood to flow to the brain, leading to stroke, brain hemorrhage, cerebral infarction, dementia memory.

5. Is it possible to lower blood pressure without medication?

Non-pharmacological treatment of hypertension is used to help prevent disease progression as well as reduce blood pressure, is recommended for use in patients with pre-hypertension or grade I hypertension, and in combination with drugs in the treatment of hypertension. Treatment of high blood pressure
Just making a few changes to your daily lifestyle can dramatically improve your high blood pressure. These changes include:
Maintain a suitable body weight through the application of a low-calorie diet, Maintain BMI 20-25 kg/m2, waist circumference < 94 cm in men and < 80 cm in women. female. For people who are overweight and obese, losing 10 kg of weight will reduce 5-10 mmHg of SBP. Add more fruits, vegetables and low-fat foods. Limiting the intake of saturated fat and total fat will help reduce 8-14 mmHg SBP. Limit salt intake, increase potassium and calcium intake for the body. When you do not eat more than 6g of salt per day will reduce from 2-8 mmHg SBP. Increasing daily physical activity can reduce SBP by about 4-9 mmHg. You should spend at least 30 minutes every day exercising or playing sports. Limit the use of stimulants such as alcohol and beer. Limit alcohol consumption to < 14 units/week for men and < 8 units/week for women (1 unit is equivalent to 125 ml of wine or 250 ml of beer). According to research, drinking alcohol in moderation can reduce blood pressure by 2-4 mmHg. Quitting Smoking and Avoiding Smoke Intoxication The effectiveness of non-pharmacological treatment of hypertension depends on the patient's adherence to therapy. If done well, patients can control their blood pressure, avoid having to use drugs to reduce treatment costs as well as drug side effects
Vinmec International General Hospital currently has two Hypertension Checkup Packages for you to choose from. options: Basic Hypertension Package and Advanced Hypertension Package .
Vinmec is one of the hospitals that not only ensures professional quality with a team of leading medical doctors, a system of modern equipment and technology, but also stands out for its comprehensive medical examination, consultation and treatment services. , professionally; civilized, polite, safe and sterile medical examination and treatment space. Customers when choosing to perform tests here can be completely assured of the accuracy of test results.
Articles refer to the source: patient.info

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