{"id":131,"date":"2023-10-24T17:28:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-24T23:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ufmcpueblo.com\/?post_type=service&#038;p=131"},"modified":"2023-10-24T17:28:00","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T23:28:00","slug":"high-blood-pressure","status":"publish","type":"service","link":"https:\/\/ufmcpueblo.com\/service\/high-blood-pressure\/","title":{"rendered":"High Blood Pressure"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is often a silent disease that can cause severe complications, like heart disease. At University Family Medicine Center, P.C. in Pueblo, Colorado, the primary care team takes a whole-body approach to high blood pressure treatment. Consistent monitoring, testing, and lifestyle changes are among the many steps your provider takes to ensure you remain healthy. Call the clinic today or schedule an appointment online to learn more.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>High Blood Pressure Q &amp; A<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>What is high blood pressure?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Blood pressure is the force of blood against your artery walls. When you have high blood pressure or hypertension, this force is consistently too strong. Hypertension damages your blood vessel walls over time, causing them to weaken and stiffen.<\/p>\n<p>For most adults, typical blood pressure measures a systolic pressure of less than 120 and a diastolic pressure of less than 80. A systolic pressure of 130 and a diastolic pressure of more than 80 can indicate hypertension.<\/p>\n<p>Systolic pressure, the top number, measures your heart\u2019s maximum pressure while beating. The bottom number, diastolic pressure, measures the pressure in your arteries between each beat.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the complications of high blood pressure?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Uncontrolled high blood pressure can damage your blood vessels. As the walls weaken, high blood pressure can affect other organs, including your heart and kidneys. Complications of high blood pressure include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Narrowed blood vessels in the eyes, leading to vision loss<\/li>\n<li>Weakened blood vessels in the kidneys, causing organ damage<\/li>\n<li>Ruptured aneurysms<\/li>\n<li>Hardened arteries, causing a heart attack or stroke<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>High blood pressure can even lead to memory loss, interfering with your ability to think clearly.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>High blood pressure rarely causes symptoms. When it does, the condition is usually advanced and requires immediate care. Telltale signs of high blood pressure include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Headaches<\/li>\n<li>Shortness of breath<\/li>\n<li>Nosebleeds<\/li>\n<li>Confusion<\/li>\n<li>Lightheadedness<\/li>\n<li>Chest pain<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Without treatment, high blood pressure can even cause vision problems. The earlier you seek treatment for high blood pressure, the sooner the team at University Family Medicine Center, P.C. can determine the right treatment plan for you.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What causes high blood pressure?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are two types of high blood pressure:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Primary hypertension<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Primary hypertension, the most common type, has no singular cause. It tends to develop over time and often results from a combination of lifestyle factors, such as poor diet and inactivity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Secondary hypertension<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Many health conditions can also cause high blood pressure. Kidney disease, thyroid problems, congenital blood vessel defects, and certain medications can increase your blood pressure.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How do doctors treat high blood pressure?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>High blood pressure is often manageable with diet and lifestyle changes, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Following a heart-healthy diet<\/li>\n<li>Limiting your caffeine and alcohol intake<\/li>\n<li>Exercising more frequently<\/li>\n<li>Maintaining a healthy weight<\/li>\n<li>Managing your stress levels<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The team may also recommend certain medications, such as diuretics if you\u2019re striving to lower your blood pressure but aren\u2019t seeing noticeable results.<\/p>\n<p>Call University Family Medicine Center, P.C. today or schedule an appointment online to learn more about high blood pressure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ufmcpueblo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/service\/131"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ufmcpueblo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/service"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ufmcpueblo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/service"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ufmcpueblo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}