Hypertension

Hypertension (high blood pressure) affects almost half of all Americans, at the office of James R. Tryon, M.D. PC. In Albuquerque, New Mexico, internal medicine specialist Edmee Rodriguez, M.D. diagnoses and manages your hypertension to keep unwanted side effects in check. The practice uses a concierge model, customizing treatment and making it available when you need care.

What is hypertension?

When your blood pumps through your body, it exerts pressure on the walls of your arteries. If too much pressure is placed on these walls, you have hypertension or high blood pressure.

Two numbers measure hypertension: systolic (the top number) and diastolic (the bottom number). Systolic pressure is the pressure during heartbeats, while diastolic is the pressure between heartbeats.

Elevated blood pressure is 120-129/80-89 mm/Hg. At this measurement, you benefit from interventions to prevent the development of full-blown high blood pressure. You have hypertension if you have a reading of 130/80 mmHg or higher at three or more visits.

How does hypertension affect my health?

Hypertension puts you at risk of health complications like:

• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Stroke
• Kidney damage
• Vision loss
• Vascular dementia

The longer your high blood pressure remains untreated, the more damage it does to your body. Fortunately, treatment can bring your blood pressure numbers down relatively quickly and mitigate the health effects of the condition.

How do you treat hypertension?

Dr. Rodriguez recommends lifestyle changes and potential medical interventions to treat hypertension:

Lifestyle changes

Your lifestyle affects your blood pressure levels. Dr. Rodriguez recommends quitting smoking, reducing stress, exercising regularly, and losing weight to help naturally lower high blood pressure.

You also benefit from a heart-healthy diet that includes whole grains, fruits, lean proteins, vegetables, and healthy fats. Lower your sodium intake, and eat fewer processed foods and foods with added sugars.

Medication

For many people, lifestyle changes vastly improve hypertension. If high blood pressure continues after making healthy changes, Dr. Rodriguez could prescribe blood pressure-lowering medication.

Hypertension medication relaxes your blood vessels, helping your heart to beat at a less forceful rate. Medication also flushes water from your body. Dr. Rodriguez considers your health history and how severe your hypertension is when prescribing a particular medicine.

Blood pressure medication offers ways to reduce your blood pressure. It can relax your blood vessels, help your heart beat less forcefully, flush water from your body, or affect your body in other ways. Which hypertension medication is best for you will depend on your health history, how severe your hypertension is, and other factors.

Call the office of James R. Tryon, M.D. PC, today to get checked for hypertension and to receive the expert management you need.