What does it mean to have high systolic blood pressure?

Hey there, blood pressure enthusiasts! Today we’re going to be talking about all things high systolic blood pressure. So sit back, relax, and let’s get educated.

Introduction

First off, let’s discuss what exactly high systolic blood pressure is. Simply put, your blood pressure is the measurement of the amount of force exerted on the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood throughout your body. The top number in a reading (the systolic) measures the pressure when your heart beats or contracts.

Therefore, when someone has high systolic blood pressure (also known as hypertension), it means that they have an elevated level of force being exerted on their artery walls each time their heart beats.

Symptoms

Now you may be wondering: “Well shucks, how do I know if I have this hypertension thing?” Great question! Here are some symptoms that could indicate high systolic blood pressure:

Headaches
Shortness of breath
Nosebleeds
Dizziness

However, keep in mind that you can also be one sneaky little devil and not show any symptoms at all. That’s why it’s important to get regular check-ups with a medical professional so they can monitor your numbers consistently.

Causes

What causes someone to become affected by hypertensive divas? Well folks…there isn’t necessarily just one answer because multiple factors can contribute to this condition such as:

Genetics

Unfortunately for some folks out there who got dealt a wild card in life – genetics play a big role in whether or not one will develop hypertension if immediate family members suffered from it before them. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Lifestyle Choices

You know what else plays into developing hypertension? Our choice-making skills (or lack thereof). If you choose to smoke, be a couch potato or consume alcohol in excess, you could definitely find yourself rocking some high systolic blood pressure.

Other Underlying Conditions

Furthermore, other underlying conditions can also contribute to the development of hypertension. Such as:

Kidney disease
Thyroid problems
Sleep apnea
Adrenal gland tumors

Stay on top of those regular check-ups folks! A little bit of prevention goes a long way.

Effects on Health

Now that we know what high systolic blood pressure is and what causes it, let’s go over the really important part…how it affects your health!

When left untreated hypertension puts you at risk for:

Stroke
Heart attack
Vision problems
Kidney damage/failure
And more…

Yeah…we see why this topic isn’t exactly one to sleep on.

Treatment

However – there is hope my friends! With so many advancements in modern medicine, there are several ways to treat and manage hypertension such as(drum roll please):

Medications:

There are various medications out there that act as blood thinners or prevent our vessels from contracting/smoothing out which helps decrease overall force exerted in our arteries.

Some examples would include ACE inhibitors (Angiotensin-converting enzyme) or Diuretics (water pills). Super exciting stuff huh?

Lifestyle Changes:

This section may sound familiar but it really does come down to how we treat our bodies AKA leading healthier lives aka EATING KALE AND DOING YOGA (just kidding…)

Instead start by implementing small changes like:

Reducing salt intake
Getting more physical activity in your day-to-day life.
Maintaining good sleeping habits.

It’s not revolutionary advice but sometimes reminding ourselves consistently can help us make healthy choices automatically 🙂

Complimentary Therapies:

This is the section where you may get hit hard with some alternative therapies. Examples of complementary treatments that have shown success in decreasing hypertension levels are:

Acupuncture
Meditation/Yoga
Hypnotherapy

Surgery Option:

As a last resort, your medical professional may suggest surgery as an option for fixing underlying conditions such as kidney problems which could potentially cause high systolic blood pressure. Let’s hope we don’t have to go this route.

Conclusion

And there you have it folks! A rundown on what it means to have high systolic blood pressure, probable causes, potential effects on our health and most importantly solutions that can aid in treating or preventing this condition from arising.

Hopefully utilizing these changes will give us a healthier life – because let’s face it, living longer means joining more nursing homes 😂😭