Visiting Your Doctor for a High Blood Pressure Reading

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is elevated chronically or temporarily. This condition results from 2 major factors sometimes presented independently but often associated with smaller blood vessels narrowing and heart pumping blood with excessive force.

Although our body is able to tolerate an increased blood pressure for many months and sometimes even for years, eventually high blood pressure leads to the enlargement of the heart , causing a condition called hypertrophy, leading to cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks, heart failure and arterial aneurysm.

When hypertension is not treated advantageously, it can also cause injure in different parts of the body, including blood vessels in the heart, kidneys, the brain, and the eyes. Persistent high blood pressure is one of the major risk factors for strokes, and the leading cause of chronic renal failure.

Diagnosis of hypertension is made based on regular readings, which will reveal high blood pressure. Because this condition is considered a silent killer, there are no symptoms or signs that can reveal when the blood pressure starts to rise.

High blood pressure is usually detected after at least 3 separate measurements, with one week between each one. Because many people are suffering from hypertension for several years without noticing it, sometimes the first reading is enough to commence the treatment immediately.

An extreme elevation of blood pressure may cause damage to an end organ, so the diagnosis may be planned to prescribe the adequate medication to prevent major damage to the organ and control high blood pressure, by lowering the levels.

To obtain a reliable blood pressure measurement, people must try to be relaxed because worry tends to raise the blood pressure, the same as stress and anxiety. External agents such as caffeine and nicotine can also contribute to higher readings.

People undergoing high blood pressure evaluation must avoid coffee and smoking, at least 30 minutes before they visit the doctor for a blood pressure measurement, and patients should not be on any adrenergic stimulants, like those found in cold medications.

Once there, sit for a minimum of ten minutes, particularly if you have climbed stairs. Inside the doctor's office the cuff size is important because the bladder should encircle and cover 2-thirds of the length of the arm, and the person who is taking measurements should inflate the cuff suitably.

Placing a stethoscope over the brachial artery is necessary on manual readings, and the cuff should be placed at the level of the patient's heart, deflated at a rate of 2 to 3 mmHg/s.