{"id":7513,"date":"2020-12-08T08:08:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-08T13:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drnicollemd.com\/?p=7513"},"modified":"2021-12-30T11:47:43","modified_gmt":"2021-12-30T16:47:43","slug":"the-dangers-of-high-blood-pressure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drnicollemd.com\/2020\/12\/08\/the-dangers-of-high-blood-pressure\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dangers Of High Blood Pressure"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Hello. This is\u00a0Hypertension Prevention Tuesdays<\/em><\/strong>! Today, we\u2019ll talk about the dangers of high blood pressure.\u00a0High blood pressure is a condition in a person in which the intensity of the streaming blood is more than normal in the arteries and blood vessels.<\/a> There are several causes of this condition, and the symptoms of high blood pressure are not physically noticeable or clear unless a person goes for a check-up. High blood pressure is also known as the silent killer because of the subtlety of its symptoms and the years that it takes for this condition to become clear for many people.<\/p>

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Implications Of High Blood Pressure<\/strong><\/h2>

There are several things that are affected by having high blood pressure. One of the first things affected by having this condition is the size of a person’s heart. Since high blood pressure means that the heart is working overtime to pump the blood to and from it, the heart tends to grow bigger than normal size. While it may seem ideal to have a larger heart, it also means that the tissues are expanded beyond what they are capable of. Eventually, the heart will wear out faster than a normal-sized heart due to the double effort it makes to meet the demands of the body of a person with high blood pressure.<\/p>

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The arteries and other passages where blood passes through also suffer from high blood pressure. This condition speeds up the hardening of the arteries due to atherosclerosis and overexertion to bring the blood to the body parts. Hardened arteries and passages will be unable to keep up a steady flow of blood to vital organs which can lead to a stroke, heart attack and kidney failure, among other things. People with high blood pressure run a high risk of a fatality more than those with normal blood pressure.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Treatment<\/h2>

The best way to treat high blood pressure is to adopt a healthy lifestyle, but some people will also need the aide of medications. Limiting or eliminating salty, fatty, and greasy foods in one’s diet is one thing that needs to be done since these contribute to deposits in the arteries which make them narrower, thus reducing the passage for the blood and increasing the need for the heart to pump more. Stopping smoking can also help to control high blood pressure, as well as the reduction of alcohol consumption. Avoiding warm or hot places is also helpful for those with high blood pressure since a warm place can accelerate the heart’s work due to the need to cool the body down. Staying too long in a hot tub or a heated pool can also be dangerous for a person with high blood pressure.<\/p>

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Take Your Medicine<\/h2>

If you take medicine to treat high blood pressure or other health conditions, follow your doctor\u2019s or health care professional\u2019s instructions carefully. Always ask questions if you do not understand something, and never stop taking your medicine without talking to your doctor or pharmacist first. Stopping your blood pressure medicine without first talking to your health care team could lead to serious health consequences.<\/p>

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Manage Diabetes<\/h2>

Most people with diabetes\u2014about 6 out of 10\u2014also have high blood pressure.1<\/sup>\u00a0If your health care professional thinks you have symptoms of diabetes, he or she may recommend that you get tested.<\/p>

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If you have diabetes, monitor your blood glucose (also called blood sugar) levels carefully and talk with your health care team about treatment options. Your doctor or health care professional may recommend certain lifestyle changes to help keep your blood glucose levels under good control. Those actions will also help reduce your risk for high blood pressure.<\/p>

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Make Lifestyle Changes<\/h2>

If you have high blood pressure, you can help lower it by being physically active, eating a healthy diet, and making other lifestyle changes.<\/a><\/p>

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Talk with Your Health Care Team<\/h2>

You and your health care team can work together to prevent or treat the medical conditions that lead to high blood pressure. Discuss your treatment plan regularly and bring a list of questions to your appointments.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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If you would like to receive a free resource sheet to support your quest for\u00a0better heart health<\/em>, click the button below to receive your gift.<\/strong><\/p>

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I\u2019m excited to talk about this topic today because not only do I truly believe that you have the power to reverse heart disease and lower high blood pressure to improve your health, but the science also agrees<\/a>! You can adopt healthy lifestyle practices<\/a> that improve your health and enrich your life, which can in turn improve the lives of those close to you. You have the power to break the cycle of these chronic diseases<\/a> so that you can leave a legacy of health to your loved ones.<\/p>

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As you may already know, I use\u00a0lifestyle medicine\u00a0as the first line of treatment<\/a>, before medications, to treat lifestyle-related chronic diseases. Lifestyle-related chronic diseases include diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and some cancers, just to name a few. Lifestyle practices, such as eating a whole-food plant-based diet and regular physical activity, can help you\u00a0improve blood pressure and reverse heart disease<\/a>. In certain cases,\u00a0these approaches may even outperform pharmaceutical therapy. But I always tell my patients that conventional medications may be appropriate at this time to prevent catastrophic illness, but over time, you can work to make the necessary lifestyle changes to possibly reduce and\/or eliminate medications. Please remember to always consult your physician for your particular needs and circumstances prior to making any decisions whatsoever.<\/p>

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Is Dietary Supplementation Right For You?<\/strong><\/h2>

There is a common saying, “You can’t outrun a bad diet.” This is especially true when it comes to heart health. Diet is sooooo very important\u2026 Did you know that your diet could be the key to a healthy heart? It\u2019s true \u2013 what you eat (and don\u2019t eat) can have a big impact on your cardiovascular health. So, if you\u2019re looking to keep your heart in tip-top shape, make sure you pay attention to what you put on your plate.<\/p>

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Unfortunately, it can be difficult to eat a healthy diet<\/a> in this day and age. It is very important to note that we are not eating the same foods we ate years ago because the soils have been depleted of critical nutrients through current industrial farming practices. And because the soil is not as good as it used to be, the food supply (grown from the depleted soil) is not as good as it used to be. For example, you are not getting the same levels of magnesium as you would have gotten 30 or even 50 years ago.<\/p>

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