Natesan Medical Group

What is high blood pressure? How do you develop it? How is it treated? All of these questions and more will be discussed below. While you may or may not have high blood pressure, or hypertension, you have probably heard of it at some point in your life. This is a common chronic disease, and is the most common reason people in the United States see their primary care provider. It is also the most common chronic condition treated with prescription medication in the U.S. High blood pressure occurs when the body is unable to keep its blood pressure in check, for one reason or another. Medications such as losartan, amlodipine, hydrochlorothiazide, and metoprolol can be used to bring blood pressures down and may be prescribed by your doctor. High blood pressure typically presents itself with no symptoms, and is often picked up at medical offices when people are totally unaware of it. This lack of associated symptoms is one of the things that makes this disease so dangerous. Those with untreated high blood pressure are at higher risk of developing life-altering conditions like strokes, heart attacks, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. If blood pressure gets to dangerously high levels, typically greater than 180/100, you are at higher risk for fatal and permanent organ damage. High blood pressure has many causes. Some of the most common of these are advancing age, family history, obesity, and diet. Some things can be changed, such as diet and weight, while others are unfortunately unable to be changed, such as age and family history. If you do have high blood pressure, it is important to talk to your doctor about the next best step. You may be able to bring it down with reducing salt intake or weight loss. If this does not work however, you will likely need to start taking a daily medication. For more information on high blood pressure, check out the American Heart Association’s website about high blood pressure. If you have any questions or are concerned that you have high blood pressure, our providers at Natesan Medical Group would love to see you in the office to discuss this further.