Special to IFN
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is known as the silent killer. It can go undetected for years while causing permanent internal damage to your body.
Fortunately, some simple lifestyle changes can reduce the risk.
Dr. Harlan Hicks, primary care physician at Iredell Internal Medicine, sat down to discuss causes, impacts and courses of action if impacted by hypertension.
What is Hypertension?
“The main cause is stiffening of the arteries,” explained Hicks. “As we age, our blood vessels get stiffer, just like our joints. When that happens, the vessels’ inability to relax creates a higher blood pressure.”
What do your blood pressure numbers actually mean?
“The systolic, or top number, is your heart rate when it’s pumping blood at maximum contraction. The diastolic, or bottom number, is after that maximum beat when the heart is receiving blood to get oxygenated again. When your heart is dumping blood into the arteries for us to function, there’s a relaxation phase right after that where it receives deoxygenated blood. 120/80 is considered normal blood pressure,” Hicks said.
Many people have heard the terms high blood pressure or hypertension but don’t understand the impact it has internally.
“When you have high blood pressure symptoms, it has probably progressed pretty far, causing damage and stress to your organs,” Hicks said.
If left untreated, the first symptoms could be heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, or even blindness.
Hicks explained that there are three primary contributors to hypertension:
♦ Age
As people get older it is not unusual for them to develop high blood pressure. This is because as we age our arteries naturally become less flexible, making blood flow more pressured. Hicks explained as we age our blood vessels and arteries become stiffer, leading to hypertension.
♦ Lifestyle
The primary cause of hypertension correlates to lifestyle. People who don’t exercise regularly and overeat or eat poorly are more likely to develop hypertension than people who exercise regularly and make healthy choices.
♦ Genetics
Hicks explained that hypertension in some people, especially young people, can be hereditary. If multiple family members of a patient have hypertension, younger generations of the family will be more likely to develop the condition despite lifestyle factors.
How can you prevent or manage hypertension?
Hicks emphasized that one of the best ways to prevent and manage hypertension is through exercise.
“It’s important to find something that you actually enjoy doing. If you’re not a runner, you don’t need to go out and run a 5K.”
For beginner exercisers, Hicks recommends starting small.
“If you’re just starting out, try a 10-minute walk and gradually increase time and distance every couple of weeks,” he said.
Exercise releases endorphins which ultimately relaxes blood pressure.
There are methods for managing blood pressure, including diet and medication. Talk to your healthcare provider about what’s right for you.
The Silent Killer
“Most of the time, we don’t know we have a problem,” said Hicks. “One of the most common problems I see in patients in their 40s and 50s is that they’ve had high blood pressure for years and don’t realize they’d been taking ibuprofen for the headaches that they thought were basic headaches.”
Long-term hypertension or untreated hypertension can result in damaged organs, heart attack or heart failure, pulmonary hypertension (pressure on the lungs), stroke, clots, kidney damage, or kidney disease. This is why it is important to establish a primary care provider and schedule regular checkups with them.
Looking for a Primary Care provider?
Hicks is well known in the Iredell community. At Iredell Internal Medicine, he sees a wide variety of patients fighting hypertension, whether it is genetic, age related, or an effect of lifestyle factors. Hicks has extensive experience caring for a wide demographic of patients. Hicks is accepting new patients at Iredell Internal Medicine, 757 Bryant Street, Statesville, NC 28677. Call 704-873-5659 or visit Iredellinternalmedicine.com.
About Iredell Health System
Iredell Health System includes Iredell Memorial Hospital; Iredell Davis Medical Center; Iredell Davis Behavioral Health Hospital; Iredell Mooresville; Iredell Home Health; Iredell Wound Care & Hyperbaric Center; Community and Corporate Wellness; Occupational Medicine; the Iredell Physician Network and more. Iredell Memorial Hospital is the largest and only nonprofit hospital in Iredell County. The comprehensive healthcare organization has 391 licensed beds; more than 2,000 employees; and has approximately 365 healthcare providers representing various specialties. Centers of excellence include Women’s and Children’s; Cardiovascular; Cancer; Surgical Services and Wellness & Prevention. The health system’s Iredell Mooresville campus is home to the area’s only 24-hour urgent care facility, as well as an ambulatory surgery center, imaging center, rehabilitation services, and physician practices. The mission of Iredell Health System is to inspire wellbeing. For a comprehensive list of services and programs, visit www.iredellhealth.org.