High Blood Pressure

High Blood Pressure Monitor

The three symptoms of high blood pressure

a. Headache

Probably the most common symptom of hypertension, but there are many causes of headaches, unless the blood pressure is very high (above 180/110mmHg) and a hypertensive emergency occurs. If blood pressure is only a little higher than normal, the headache may not be caused by high blood pressure.

A survey in the United States found that the proportion of headaches in hypertensive patients is not higher than that of other groups, and even lower than that of the general population; another survey found that people with high pulse pressure (two when measuring blood pressure The difference in number) was less headache than those with normal pulse pressure. Therefore: As for judging whether high blood pressure is serious or not based on headache, it is not very reliable.

b. Dizziness

Dizziness may not be a high blood pressure problem, but when a person with high blood pressure suddenly develops severe dizziness, it must be taken seriously. If dizziness is accompanied by unclear speech and uncoordinated movements, it may be an early sign of a stroke.

From this we can see that when the dizziness is severe, the brain is also seriously injured by high blood pressure. At this point, it is too late to control blood pressure.

c. Red eyes

Bleeding and congestion of the eyes can cause red eyes, and some patients with high blood pressure have red eyes, especially when blood pressure is significantly elevated. But red eyes do not indicate high blood pressure, nor does it reflect the severity of high blood pressure.

Compared with eye redness, hypertensive patients should pay more attention to whether there is a situation where they can’t see clearly, eye damage, in addition to the surface manifestations of eye redness, retinal damage is often more serious and less noticeable, blood pressure Continued elevation will damage the blood vessels supplying blood to the retina, resulting in retinal disease, and the most important manifestation is that it is not clear to see.

Therefore, once a hypertensive patient finds that he suddenly cannot see clearly, it is often because of a sharp rise in blood pressure and a hypertensive emergency. He must seek medical attention in time.

The prevention of high blood pressure and related precautions

1. Eat less salt

Eating less salt is the key to preventing and treating high blood pressure. The World Health Organization recommends no more than 5g of salt per person per day. The measures to eat less salt are not only less salt when cooking, but also less seasonings such as oyster sauce, soy sauce, sweet sauce;

Eat less pickled vegetables, bacon and other preserved foods. If you are worried that the dishes have no taste, you can use more natural spices to enrich the taste, eg: ginger, garlic, lemon, tomato, etc.

In addition, pay attention to the salt in desserts and other snacks. These foods may not taste salty, but a lot of salt may also be added during the production process. So we have to develop the habit of looking at food labels, which can help us eat less of these invisible salts (see the Na content).

2. Diet control

A healthy diet is very important to prevent high blood pressure. The American Academy of Nutrition has designed the DASH diet for the prevention of high blood pressure. This diet encourages eating a variety of foods rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium and other elements to help stabilize blood pressure.

According to the principles of Deshu diet and eating habits, it is recommended to eat 250~300g of cereals and potatoes in the daily diet, including 50~100g of whole grains and mixed beans, 50~100g of potatoes, whole compounds, mixed beans , potatoes should account for half of the staple food; eat at least 500g of vegetables per day, preferably 1000g, and dark vegetables account for more than half; fresh fruit 200 ~ 200g; choose fish, poultry, lean meat, eggs as the source of protein, every day No more than 150g; 300g of low-fat milk per day; 25g of soybeans and soy products per day; 25~35g of nuts.

3. Exercise

Complete at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every day, no less than 5 days a week. The recommended sports are brisk walking, jogging, long-distance swimming, cycling, etc., which are informal, and the most important thing is persistence. You can know the intensity of exercise by counting the heart rate. The heart rate of moderate-intensity exercise is 75% to 80% of (220-age), which is more suitable. You can also estimate it by your own feeling. There is a slight panting during exercise, but you can still say Speaking out, it’s almost medium-intensity.

4. Weight control

Overweight and obesity increase the risk of high blood pressure. Friends with these problems are advised to control their weight through healthy eating habits and physical exercise. Control BMI (weight/height squared) within 24kg/m², and control waist circumference within 90cm for men and 85cm for women (to avoid abdominal obesity).

5. Refrain from drinking alcohol

People who do not drink alcohol should not drink. People with drinking habits are advised to choose to stop drinking or limit the amount of alcohol they drink. Liquor <50mL (1 tael)/day or wine <100mL/day or beer 300mL/day, women are halved.

6. Reduce psychological stress

Mental stress and emotional instability can lead to increased blood pressure. In addition, when you are stressed, you are more inclined to choose unhealthy diets, all of which are harmful to blood pressure.

If you feel stressed, you can solve the problem with your family and friends, or you can seek help from a psychiatrist. If stress is unavoidable, you can try to relieve stress through healthy ways, such as: exercise, playing chess, calligraphy, reading, etc.