High blood pressure, also called “hypertension”, is a serious medical condition, occuring when blood is pumped too hard through the arteries. When the heart beats, it pumps blood through the arteries to the rest of the body. When blood pushes too hard against the artery walls, your blood pressure increases. Blood pressure can vary depending on the time of day. It is usually higher when the person wakes up, after exercise or during times of stress. The only sure way to determine the risk for HBP (high blood pressure) is to visit a Family Physician in Andover Kansas.
Hypertension in children
In recent years, there has been an increase in childhood obesity and an alarming increase in the number of children with hypertension. Hence, proper childcare is important to prevent its occurrence. A balanced diet, exercise and blood pressure control are vital. For proper measurement of blood pressure in children, you must use appropriate size arm cuffs in relation to the child. For this reason, there are appropriate models to measure at any age.
Hypertension in women
Women usually have values of arterial systolic pressure inferior to men. However, systolic blood pressure increases with age in a more pronounced way for women above 60 years of age, which means women have higher blood pressure figures, thus increasing the frequency of hypertension. Oral contraceptives also produce a slight elevation of blood pressure in most women and can cause hypertension in a small proportion. The same applies to hormone replacement therapy.
Hypertension and pregnancy
Pregnancy hypertensive disorders remain a major cause of problems during pregnancy, one that can cause disease in the fetus and in the newborn. Normally, blood pressure decreases in the second trimester and in the third, the figures usually return to pre-pregnancy values. These changes may increase in some cases because of complications, so it is extremely important control of blood pressure during this stage. If you are pregnant, make sure to schedule regular visits with a local Family Physician in Andover Kansas.
Hypertension in the elderly
As the systolic blood pressure rises with age, it has long been considered that it is normal to have HBP in old age. Currently, it is recommended that people stay within a certain range no matter their age. For more information, Contact Wichita Family Medicine Specialists LLC today.
