Acıbadem International Hospital Cardiology Specialist Dr. Aslıhan Eran Ergöknil pointed out that untreated high blood pressure damages the body even if there are no symptoms and said, “High blood pressure has negative effects especially on the heart, vascular system, eyes, brain and kidneys. It can lead to aneurysm in the brain vessels, heart failure and increased risk of heart attack. For this reason, everyone who experiences high blood pressure has to change their lifestyle as soon as possible. "Staying away from stress with proper nutrition and exercise comes first of all," he says.
The pressure exerted on the vascular walls by the blood pumped to the body with each heartbeat is defined as blood pressure. Systolic pressure, popularly known as "great blood pressure", occurs when the oxygen-rich blood is pumped into the veins by the contraction of the heart muscle when the heart beats. Diastolic blood pressure is defined as the pressure that occurs in the blood vessels when the heart muscle relaxes and is known as "small blood pressure". Explaining that a systolic pressure of 120 mmHg and a diastolic pressure of 80 mmHg can be defined as "normal blood pressure", Dr. Aslıhan Eran Ergöknil says, "It is divided into two groups as essential, namely primary and secondary, according to the causes of hypertension."
Age and hereditary predisposition, the most important factor
Stating that age and hereditary predisposition are prominent in hypertension factors in the primary group, Dr. Aslıhan Eran Ergöknil continues: “Some medications such as lifestyle, obesity, excessively salty foods, high alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, smoking, stress or birth control pills are also the cause of this essential hypertension. We can count kidney circulatory problems and hormonal disorders as factors that cause secondary hypertension. Hypertension also regresses after the treatments for these reasons, ”he says.
Head and neck pain first symptoms
The most important symptom of high blood pressure is head and neck pain and dizziness. Stating that shortness of breath, palpitations, chest pain and visual impairment may also occur, Dr. Aslıhan Eran Ergöknil notes that rarely, there are symptoms such as weakness, tiredness, ringing in the ears, severe high levels of nosebleeds, waking up from sleep at night, and swelling in the legs.
Women increase with menopause
The incidence of hypertension in our country is extremely high. Stating that 31.2 percent of our country's population has blood pressure above 140-90 mmHg, Dr. Aslıhan Eran Ergöknil said, “This rate is 36 percent for women and 30 percent for men. High blood pressure is more common in men under 50 than in women. Over the age of 50, it is more common in women and the rate in women in total is higher. "The most obvious reason for this is the effect of hormonal changes during menopause in women."
At least one week of follow-up is essential for diagnosis
Stating that the blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg indicates that the person may have hypertension, the diagnosis is made by physical examination, electrocardiogram, echocardiography, 24-hour blood pressure monitoring (blood pressure holter) and laboratory tests. Aslıhan Eran Ergöknil said, “These tests performed under the supervision of a physician determine the degree of the disease and the treatment processes. For diagnosis, blood pressure monitoring for at least 1 week is required. Thus, it may be possible to see the average blood pressure values of the patient and to determine the stage of hypertension. "High blood pressure is handled in three stages: mild, moderate and severe."
The treatment process should be tailored to the patient
Today, there are drugs that are effective in the treatment of high blood pressure. Noting that the combination of different active ingredients helps many patients in the best way, Dr. Aslıhan Eran Ergöknil “The art of the doctor lies in determining the most effective combination for each individual. This varies from patient to patient, that is, the general risk profile of the patient, the total of individual risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, factors such as obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, and the presence of history of heart attack and stroke in the medical history shape the treatment according to the patient. giving.
Lemon and garlic reduce blood pressure
Some vegetables and fruits play an active role in lowering high blood pressure. Stating that lemon provides the flexibility of blood vessels and lowers blood pressure, Dr. Aslıhan Eran Ergöknil gives the following information about other foods: “Garlic is the most known food among the people with its blood pressure lowering effect. It contains nitric acid and hydrogen sulfide, which lowers blood pressure. It is also known that carrots, tomatoes, celery, bananas and apricots prevent the increase in blood pressure values ”.
The best prevention against high blood pressure: healthy eating and sports
One of the things to be done to prevent hypertension is to pay attention to nutrition. Emphasizing that the body mass should be less than BMI 25, Acıbadem International Hospital Cardiology Specialist Dr. Aslıhan Eran Ergöknil lists his other suggestions as follows:
- Attention should be paid to a low-fat diet, and quality vegetable oil should be consumed instead of animal fats.
- Simple carbohydrates such as white flour, pasta, and sweet foods should be avoided.
- Whole grain products that do not affect blood sugar levels too much and thus help to reduce body weight should be consumed.
- Since too much salt also increases blood pressure, foods rich in salt should be avoided and salt consumption should be reduced.
- Away from processed or salted meat and fish products such as ham, smoked meat or dried fish, sausage and sausage products and cheeses with high sodium content, ready meals in bags, canned foods and soups, salty snacks and chips as well as salted nuts and french fries should be avoided.
- 30 to 45 minutes of exercise and walking should be done approximately three times a week.
- Smoking should be avoided, alcohol consumption should be reduced, and the stress level should be reduced.
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