Tag: silent killer

The Silent Killer Continued…..

Sonya Suttle

So, I am attaching an image from the American Heart Association that visualizes the major points that blood pressure effects. There’s hardly an internal organ that does not escape it’s effect somehow. Think of your blood pressure as a plumbing system that has to maintain pressure, which is exactly what it is!

Source: American Heart Association (AHA)

The one common denominator in all of the images above is that they all contain vessels, that transport blood back and forth to the heart. Some of those are arteries and are very tiny and very sensitive to pressure changes. The HEART eventually fails because the pressure is to great to keep up the pace. It can’t pump that hard all the time. High Blood pressure causes arteries to scar and become blocked causing a HEART ATTACK (think stretch marks, with plaque forming on them). The increased pressure eventually damages the arteries in the kidney, which is a constant filtering system, making it difficult for them to remove waste and help regulate your blood pressure (they do that too!!). Unfortunately for males, it makes for a really bad day for bedroom shenanigans (no further explanation needed). It also damages the arteries in the eyes, increasing vision loss. And finally, it can cause a vessel to burst in your head, or become clogged, causing a STROKE—a LIFE-CHANGING event. One of the greatest causes for admission to a nursing facility!

IT IS IMPORTANT to maintain your blood pressure! It should NEVER be shrugged off as not important because you don’t feel well, because you are damaging your insides, whether you feel it or not.

A hypertensive crisis occurs when you have a blood pressure over 180/120 and are symptomatic—headache, blurry vision, chest pain, chest pain, nausea/vomiting, numbness or weakness or other stroke-like symptoms. CALL 911–do NOT attempt to drive yourself to the hospital! Treatment can be initiated earlier with the EMS, you will not have to WAIT in the ER—yes wait, and you won’t have a heart attack on the way to the ER causing a wreck! TRUST ME!

Things to do to reduce your risk, CUT DOWN ON SALT, DRINK WATER-NO SODA, eat, veggies and lean meats, eat a DASH diet or Mediterranean diet. EXERCISE! Maintain your cholesterol. Check your blood pressure, visit your PCP for an annual physical with labs. See the link below for the CORRECT way to check your blood pressure…Now you are pressure wise! No pressure though..😂

https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/understanding-blood-pressure-readings/monitoring-your-blood-pressure-at-home

Sources: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/health-threats-from-high-blood-pressure

Watercolor, 2021

The Silent Killer

Sonya Suttle

Blood Pressure…. Everyone has one but is the one you have good or not? How do you know? For starters, most people will tell you, “I don’t have high blood pressure because I don’t feel bad”. MOST of the time, people will have NO SIGNS of high blood pressure until they are in a hypertensive crisis (more on that later). Case in point, I recently had a very spry, active, elderly gentleman in my clinic, NO COMPLAINTS—he needed to have bloodwork done for the VA. So as part of his visit we did routine vital signs. He was found to have a resting blood pressure of 210/110- that is most certainly stroke level, however, his response to me was, “I feel fine”. I am sure he did!

So WHAT is blood pressure? Blood pressure is the amount of blood pushing on the walls of you arteries. The top number is the measurement of pressure as the blood is coming out of your heart and is exerting “force” on the walls of your arteries. The bottom number is when the blood is coming back into your heart, this is when your heart is at rest and your pressure should be at its lowest. Arteries are little muscles, they clamp down to raise your pressure, and open up to lower your pressure (just like a plumbing system in your home!). This is in response to various signals from your body. If you’re dehydrated and need more water then your arteries clamp down to keep your pressure raised. If you’ve had too much salt and the accompanying water that follows, then your arteries try to open up to accompany all of that volume. There are many variations to this—but it is truly AMAZING that are body has this ability without us knowing or thinking about it!

What is a “normal” blood pressure 120/<80, is the criteria for the American Heart Association (AHA). Now as a practicing provider, there are many variations to this “rule” based on age, health status, health problems, and race. However, most guidelines specify treatment almost always at 140/90-150/90. Diabetics will get treated sooner and younger. Below is a chart for blood pressure categories.

Source: AHA

As you can see it shows numbers for a “hypertensive crisis”, most people are still ASYMPTOMATIC-meaning feeling OK-even at this pressure.

Signs and symptoms of high blood pressure

  • Flushing in the face, turning red or feeling hot
  • Feeling dizzy
  • CHEST PAIN-see heart attack symptoms on prior post
  • Spots in the eyes or blurry vision
  • Severe or persistent headaches
  • Stoke like symptoms, facial numbness, balance issues, weakness on one sid

It IS IMPORTANT TO TREAT HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE—YOU CANNOT CURE IT! You can make it better in some instances with lifestyle changes. However, some people are genetically inclined to have it. I treat otherwise healthy 20-year olds for blood pressure.

IF YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF HAVING ANY OF THE ABOVE SYMPTOMS, PLEASE SEEK OUT MEDICAL TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY.

NEXT post will explore the effects of blood pressure on the body, lifestyle factors that cause it, and things you can do to improve yours, and medical treatments for blood pressure.

Source: American Heart Association https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/why-high-blood-pressure-is-a-silent-killer

Goodbye Fall! November, 2022