High Blood Pressure

Overview

Someone is said to have high blood pressure when the blood pressure goes beyond 140/90mmHg. Blood pressure can be affected by physical activities, illness, medications, diet, and emotions. They often do not show any symptoms and are only discovered during a visit to the doctor. Risk factors of high blood pressure include increasing age, being overweight or obese, family history of high blood pressure, unhealthy diet, excessive intake of alcohol, smoking, and stress. Treatment of high blood pressure depends on your age, overall health and severity. You will be adviced to eat a healthy diet, maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly and learn to manage stress effectively. If the cause of high blood pressure is due to some other illness, the doctor will treat it accordingly. High blood pressure increases your risk of developing complications such as stroke, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, vascular dementia, and metabolic syndrome.