High Blood Pressure Specialist

What is high blood pressure?

As your blood moves through your body, it pushes against the inside of your blood vessels. This force is your blood pressure.

Physicians measure blood pressure when your heart beats (systolic pressure) and when it’s at rest between beats (diastolic pressure). Ideally, you should have blood pressure of 120/80 mm/Hg or lower.

Although, as long as it’s below 140/80 mmHg, it’s normal. People who are 60 years and older can have a blood pressure up to 150/90 mmHg.

Many factors contribute to high blood pressure, including your family’s medical history and lifestyle. For example, your risk of hypertension increases if you:

Are overweight or obese Eat a high salt, high fat diet Have high cholesterol Smoke or use tobacco products Have a sedentary lifestyle Have high levels of stress

Additionally, other health conditions, such as diabetes, thyroid disease, and sleep apnea, contribute to high blood pressure.

Unhealthy lifestyle choices increase your risk of atherosclerosis — hardened arteries. When your arterial walls harden, your blood pressure rises.

Why is high blood pressure dangerous?

Hypertension is a significant contributing factor to heart disease. When left untreated, it can cause a stroke, bleed in your brain, heart attack, or kidney failure. Elevated blood pressure can also affect the blood vessels in your eyes and contribute to vision loss.

How do you treat high blood pressure?

Depending on your needs, Dr. Siva at Sunshine Cardiovascular & Vein usually takes a conservative approach to treating high blood pressure. He combines lifestyle modifications with medication to lower your blood pressure.

For example, changing your diet to include more fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins, while cutting out fat, salt, and sugar, can lower your blood pressure. Additionally, getting 30 minutes of moderate exercise and losing weight can improve your health.

When lifestyle adjustments aren’t enough to reduce your blood pressure, Dr. Siva prescribes medication such as diuretics, ACE inhibitors, and calcium channel blockers.

Some patients take more than one type of medication to lower their blood pressure without increasing the side effects.

Most medications take 2-3 weeks to reach their maximum effect. Dr. Siva asks you to monitor and track your blood pressure at home.

If you have high blood pressure because of a blockage in your kidney arteries from renal artery stenosis or hyperactive adrenal glands, Dr. Siva can open your kidney arteries with a stent.

Call Sunshine Cardiovascular & Vein, or make an appointment online today, for expert treatment to lower your blood pressure.

We are located in 5340 Gulf Drive, Suite 101, New Port Richey, FL 34652. Call us to book your appointment today.