What Exactly is Hypertension?
Hypertension is a big word for high blood pressure and it’s the #1 reason for primary care visits. In the beginning, you may not have any noticeable symptoms. CMC Primary Care explains what hypertension is and the importance of an annual physical which can help detect this silent killer.
Understand what hypertension is
Hypertension occurs when the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels is consistently too high. This high blood pressure causes harm by making the heart and blood vessels work harder and less efficiently. Over time, the force and friction will damage the tissues inside the blood vessels. Hypertension can lead to serious consequences like heart attack, kidney disease, stroke, and death.
Your blood pressure can be determined by using an inflatable cuff and gauge that measures two levels. Your systolic level is the top number and your diastolic level is the bottom number of your blood pressure. Your blood pressure is the result of your heart pumping, the amount of fluid there is to pump, and how tight your arteries are.
Hypertension is usually caused by numerous factors, even in otherwise healthy people. Some of the most common contributing factors that increase your risk of high blood pressure are:
- Cigarettes
- An unhealthy diet
- Lack of exercise and physical activity
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- High cholesterol
- Family history of hypertension
- Race/ethnicity
Get your annual physical
Hypertension increases your risk of developing heart disease and stroke, which rank as the leading causes of death in the United States and South Carolina.
If you’re at risk of developing high blood pressure, you can’t afford to wait until symptoms occur. You owe it to your family and friends to find out if you have high blood pressure. It can be easily determined during an annual physical. Hypertension can be controlled and often reversed with the guidance of your physician and some lifestyle changes. Schedule an annual physical today with CMC Primary Care and take control of your health.
