If you have hypertension (or high blood pressure), you’re not alone – one in three American adults lives with this condition. The cardiology team at Heart One Associates in Phoenix, Buckeye, and Peoria, Arizona, offers expert hypertension diagnosis and treatment. With their expertise, you can get the care you need to manage your blood pressure levels and protect your long-term health. Call or book your appointment online today.
Also called high blood pressure, hypertension is a condition that affects your blood vessels. The name high blood pressure is apt. This condition is characterized by your blood putting increased pressure along the walls of your arteries.
Think of a garden hose. Too much pressure from the water inside causes issues over time. Similarly, too much pressure in your blood vessels compromises your long-term health.
When your doctor takes your blood pressure, you get two numbers. The first is your systolic blood pressure, or the pressure on your artery walls when your heart beats. The second number is your diastolic pressure – the pressure between heartbeats. A healthy blood pressure is anything below 130/80.
Unless you’ve reached hypertensive crisis — a state in which your blood pressure is so high it’s immediately life-threatening — most people don’t experience any symptoms when they have high blood pressure.
That’s why your physician checks your blood pressure each time you visit her office. This simple diagnostic procedure allows both you and the team at Heart One Associates to monitor your blood pressure levels over time.
Hypertension is often referred to as the silent killer because it has so few symptoms but has far-reaching implications for your long-term health. Specifically, hypertension is linked to an increased risk of:
But just because you have hypertension doesn’t mean you have to face these heightened health risks. At Heart One Associates, the team offers care and treatment to help patients manage their blood pressure levels and minimize their risk of complications.
In many cases, hypertension is caused by unhealthy lifestyle choices like poor diet and insufficient exercise. As a result, lifestyle changes are transformative for your blood pressure levels. Your physician at Heart One Associates works with you to develop a healthy living plan that centers around you eating nutritious foods you like, finding a type of physical activity you enjoy and doing it regularly, and managing your stress.
In other cases, medication is required to keep your blood pressure levels healthy. Your physician at Heart One Associates personalizes your treatment to you and what works for your body.
Don’t risk your health to the silent killer. Schedule your appointment to have your blood pressure checked at Heart One Associates by calling the office or booking online today.
