High Blood Pressure
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Mannam Medical & Wellness
Primary Care Practice & Internal Medicine located in Bronx, NY
Around half of American adults have high blood pressure, but only about a quarter of them have their condition under control, which increases their risk of catastrophic cardiac events like stroke and heart attack. Prashanth Mannam, MD, Leslie Beckford, PA, and the team at Mannam Medical & Wellness in the Soundview neighborhood of The Bronx in New York City offer personalized treatments and advice to prevent and reduce high blood pressure. If you’re concerned about hypertension or haven’t had your blood pressure checked recently, call Mannam Medical & Wellness, or schedule a consultation online today.
High Blood Pressure Q & A
What is high blood pressure?
As your blood flows through your body, it pushes against the inside of your blood vessels. This force is your blood pressure. Healthy blood pressure is 120/80 mm/Hg or less. The larger number is your systolic pressure, which is when your heart beats. The lower number is your diastolic pressure, representing the force exerted when your heart rests between beats.
Any blood pressure readings above 120/80 mm/Hg are elevated, and any reading over 130/80 mm/Hg indicates hypertension. As your blood pressure increases, your risk of cardiovascular health problems also increases.
What causes high blood pressure?
While your genes and family medical history contribute to your risk of high blood pressure, your lifestyle has a significant impact on your risk of hypertension. For example, some of the common risk factors include:
- Being overweight or obese
- Smoking
- Leading a sedentary lifestyle
- Eating a diet with too much salt, fat, and sugar
- Consuming too much alcohol
Other health problems like diabetes, kidney disease, thyroid disease, and obstructive sleep apnea also contribute to hypertension.
How is high blood pressure diagnosed?
High blood pressure doesn’t cause symptoms in its early stages. Many patients don’t know they have elevated blood pressure until they have a heart attack or stroke. Preventive screenings at your annual physical exam are the best way to monitor your blood pressure.
If you have elevated blood pressure at a routine check-up, your Mannam Medical & Wellness provider schedules additional screening to ensure that your high reading wasn’t a one-off. They also order blood work to screen for other conditions that could contribute to hypertension.
Depending on your results, they might provide an at-home blood pressure cuff so you can check your blood pressure at different times of the day and collect more data.
How is hypertension treated?
The team at Mannam Medical & Wellness focuses on preventive care and encourages healthy lifestyle choices to prevent high blood pressure and lower it naturally.
For example, if your blood pressure is only slightly elevated, reducing the salt, fat, and sugar in your diet and getting 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day can help lower your blood pressure. The team can also help you with smoking cessation and weight loss.
If lifestyle changes don’t sufficiently lower your blood pressure, your provider can prescribe medication like diuretics, ACE-inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and alpha and beta-blockers.
Call Mannam Medical & Wellness, or make an appointment online today, for blood pressure screening and personalized care to improve and protect your health.
