High blood pressure, a silent health "thief", quietly erodes people's health. As an experienced doctor, I will reveal the dangers and prevention of high blood pressure for you, and I hope you can benefit from it.
High blood pressure, as the name suggests, is when the pressure on the walls of blood vessels is too high as blood flows through them. Depending on the blood pressure level, hypertension can be classified as normottensive, prehypertensive, and hypertensive. Normal blood pressure is defined as systolic blood pressure less than 120 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure less than 80 mm Hg; Prehypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure of 120-139 mm Hg or a diastolic blood pressure of 80-89 mm Hg; Hypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg or greater or diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg.
The harm of high blood pressure is multifaceted, it can affect the function of multiple organs such as the heart, brain, kidneys, etc., and may even lead to life-threatening.
1.Heart damage: Long-term high blood pressure can increase the workload on the heart, leading to hypertrophy, enlargement of the heart muscle, and may eventually progress to heart failure.
2.Cerebrovascular damage: hypertension is a major risk factor for cerebrovascular diseases, such as cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarction. Long-term hypertension will reduce the elasticity of cerebral blood vessels, weaken the blood vessel walls, and make them prone to rupture or blockage.
3.Kidney damage: High blood pressure can lead to hardening of the arterioles in the kidneys, which can lead to decreased renal filtration and may eventually lead to kidney failure.
4.Retinal damage: High blood pressure can lead to hardening of retinal arterioles, affecting vision and possibly blindness in severe cases.
5.Arteriosclerosis: Long-term high blood pressure can damage the endothelium of blood vessels, prompting cholesterol and other lipids to be deposited on the walls of blood vessels, forming atherosclerosis, thereby increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The prevention of hypertension should start from all aspects of life, mainly including the following aspects:
1.Eat a healthy diet: Maintain a low-salt, low-fat, high-fiber diet, eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, and reduce your intake of greasy foods.
2.Moderate exercise: Engage in moderate-intensity exercise for at least 150 minutes a week, such as brisk walking, running, swimming, etc.
3.Weight control: Maintain an appropriate weight and avoid obesity.
4.Quit smoking and limit alcohol: Both nicotine and alcohol in tobacco affect blood pressure, so quitting smoking and limiting alcohol is important to prevent high blood pressure.
5.Maintain a good state of mind: Avoid long-term nervousness, anxiety and depression.
6.Regular blood pressure checking: timely detection of blood pressure changes and early intervention.
For people with high blood pressure, the goal is to keep blood pressure within the ideal range to reduce the risk of complications. **Methods mainly include lifestyle modifications and medications**.
1.Lifestyle modifications: As mentioned earlier, maintain a healthy diet, exercise moderately, control weight, quit smoking and limit alcohol, etc.
2.Medications**: Antihypertensive drugs should be used in addition to lifestyle modifications, if necessary. Commonly used antihypertensive drugs include ACE inhibitors (ACE inhibitors), ARBs (angiotensin receptor antagonists), calcium channel blockers, diuretics, etc. Patients should choose the appropriate medication under the guidance of a doctor.
Hypertension is a disease that seriously threatens human health, but it can be effectively controlled through reasonable preventive measures and means. I hope you can learn about the dangers and prevention of high blood pressure from this article, and take care of your health from now on.