Hypertension Specialist

What is hypertension?

Blood pressure is a measurement of the force your blood places on the walls of your arteries. Everyone’s blood pressure rises and falls throughout the course of the day, but if it stays consistently high, it can damage your heart. Consistently high blood pressure is known as hypertension.

How is hypertension measured?

Your blood pressure reading features two different numbers and looks something like this: 127/80 mm Hg.

The first number is your systolic blood pressure that measures blood pressure when your heart is beating; the second number is your diastolic blood pressure and measures your blood pressure when your heart is resting between beats.

The American Heart Association defines normal blood pressure as any number at or below 120/80 mm Hg. High blood pressure is any reading 130/80 mm Hg or higher.

What are the symptoms of hypertension?

In most cases, hypertension presents no obvious symptoms, which is why it’s often referred to as the “silent killer.” In fact, many people with high blood pressure don’t even realize anything is wrong.

The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to schedule a physical exam and have your provider at Dr. Jennifer Johnson-Caldwell MD monitor it.

Who is at risk for hypertension?

Hypertension affects people of all ages, from adolescents all the way to senior citizens. However, there are certain habits and lifestyle factors that can increase your risk. These include:

• Smoking cigarettes
• Diabetes
• Being overweight
• High cholesterol
• Eating an unhealthy diet

People who don’t exercise or lead a primarily sedentary lifestyle are also at a higher risk of hypertension than those who exercise.

How is hypertension diagnosed and treated?

The team at Dr. Jennifer Johnson-Caldwell MD diagnoses hypertension by performing a thorough physical exam including a blood pressure screening. If you have hypertension, your provider works closely with you to develop a custom-tailored treatment plan that helps lower your blood pressure and improve your overall well-being.

Generally, this includes a combination of healthy lifestyle changes like diet and exercise, prescription medications to help lower your blood pressure, stress reduction strategies like yoga and meditation, and nutritional counseling to help you achieve optimal health.

Working with specialists trained in monitoring and treating high blood pressure is the first step toward a better quality of life. Call or use the online booking tool to make an appointment at Dr. Jennifer Johnson-Caldwell MD today.