High blood pressure

How do you notice that you have high blood pressure? And why can this be bad for your health? We will tell you more about that here. We will also briefly discuss the possible causes of this problem. Of course, we also give you tips on what you can do to lower high blood pressure and prevent it. However, for any health problem, you should always consult a doctor first if you have any questions or doubts.

When do we speak of high blood pressure?
To understand what high blood pressure is, we first tell you more about how your blood pressure works blood vessels. The blood is pumped through your body by the contraction of your heart. At that time the pressure in the blood vessels is highest. We call this the 'above pressure'. After contracting, your heart relaxes and the pressure is lower again. We call this the under pressure. Typically, the upper pressure should be approximately 130 and the negative pressure 85. If the upper pressure is always above 140, then there is high blood pressure. However, for people over 70, a systolic pressure of less than 150 is also OK.

What do you notice about high blood pressure?

To first clear up a misconception, high blood pressure is not a condition. It can increase the risk of blood vessel and heart diseases. It is therefore an important indicator to assess someone's health. To know whether your blood pressure is normal, you need to have it measured. The insidious thing is that you hardly notice it if your blood pressure is too high. In exceptional cases, you may experience symptoms such as headache, blurred vision and dizziness if you have very high blood pressure. However, these are symptoms that can also indicate many other health problems.

What could the causes be?

High blood pressure is common among the elderly. Over the years, arteriosclerosis can make the blood vessels narrower and less flexible. This causes the pressure in the blood vessels to increase. In addition, there are many other causes, including smoking, a lot of salt in the diet, eating too much fat, drinking too much alcohol and specific medications can also influence blood pressure. Examples of these types of medications are: diclofenac, naproxen, ibuprofen, corticosteroids and the pill. Very occasionally, kidney problems can also be the cause of high blood pressure.

Tips for lowering your blood pressure

The most important thing to lower or prevent high blood pressure is a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Are you a smoker? Then quitting smoking is urgent advice. The same goes for drinking alcohol. In addition, a healthy diet without many saturated fats is also very important. If you are overweight, losing weight is a must. A healthy lifestyle also includes sufficient exercise. As a guideline, at least 2.5 hours of active exercise per week is used. For example, walking, cycling and running are good options. It is also important to avoid too much stress. Consult a doctor if you need help.