AHigh blood pressure or hypertension occurs when your blood moves against your blood vessel walls too forcefully.

If untreated, the continued force can damage both your blood vessels and your heart, putting you at risk for heart disease, a heart attack or stroke, heart failure, and other life-threatening problems.

Perhaps the most worrying aspect of high blood pressure is that it doesn't usually cause symptoms — which means your first sign of the condition could be a heart attack. It's important to keep track of your blood pressure as part of your preventive health care.

There's often no clear cause of high blood pressure, but it's usually related to lifestyle choices. Some of the factors that increase your risk of high blood pressure include:

• Sedentary lifestyle
• Extra weight
• Smoking
• Excess alcohol intake
• High sodium diet
• Type 2 diabetes

High cholesterol and high blood pressure also have a link. About 60% of people with hypertension have high cholesterol, too.

These problems are all preventable, but one unavoidable risk factor for high blood pressure is advancing age. Your risk climbs after about age 45, although you can develop high blood pressure earlier as well.

In some cases, high blood pressure is a complication of another disease. In that case, you have secondary hypertension. Diseases that can cause secondary hypertension include obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), kidney disease, thyroid disease, and congenital blood vessel defects. Some medications may also be to blame.

New Wave Physicians Group provides blood pressure monitoring as part of your primary care services. You have a blood pressure check during all acute illness visits, annual wellness exams, men's health exams, well-woman care visits, and also at special exams like Department of Transportation (DOT) physicals.

An inflatable cuff that goes around your upper arm shows your blood pressure as a set of two numbers. The first number (systolic) shows blood pressure during heartbeats. The second number (diastolic) shows blood pressure between heartbeats. An ideal blood pressure reading is under 120/80 mm Hg.

Blood pressure fluctuates through the day, and certain things like intense stress can spike your blood pressure temporarily. But, if you have high blood pressure consistently over three or more appointments, you receive a high blood pressure diagnosis.

First-line high blood pressure treatment usually addresses your controllable risk factors. New Wave Physicians Group can help with:

• Weight loss
• Diet changes
• Exercise plans
• Management of other chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes

If first-line treatment is ineffective in reducing your blood pressure to a healthy level, you may need oral medication. But, if you use blood pressure medication, it’s still important that you maintain heart-healthy habits.
New Wave Physicians Group can help you avoid the serious complications of high blood pressure. Call the office or schedule your appointment online.