Let’s keep our blood pressure normal

It is not solely about being sick if you have raised blood pressure. Your doctor or healthcare provider may discover that your blood pressure is elevated and request a series of blood tests, electrocardiography or echocardiography. If your blood pressure remains consistently high, you may be prescribed medication to lower it to a normal level.

Often, we associate taking medicine with being sick. Yes, medicine is typically taken to treat a disease. However, when it comes to certain conditions that currently do not cause any trouble or symptoms, we often question why we should take medicine. Yes, that is a valid question—why should I take medicine?

Blood pressure—normally we measure it as systolic and diastolic. The normal range for systolic blood pressure is 90 mmHg to 120 mmHg. It can vary within this range, meaning it could be any number between 90 and 120, such as 96, 104, 110 or 120. All of these measurements are considered normal. Diastolic blood pressure should fall between 60 mmHg and 80 mmHg, and can also vary within this range.

This blood pressure refers to the pressure exerted by the blood ejected from the heart into the arteries. It is influenced by factors such as the pumping force of the left heart, the characteristics of the vessel wall and the pathway between the left heart and the arteries, including valves and any muscular narrowing.

If the blood pressure measurement is higher than 120 mmHg systolic or 80 mmHg diastolic, we consider it to be above normal. If it exceeds 140 mmHg systolic and 90 mmHg diastolic, we classify it as hypertension.

If blood pressure consistently remains on the higher side, it can have numerous negative effects on our vital organs. It may damage the kidneys, heart, brain, eyes and peripheral vessels. Although persistently high blood pressure may not be felt as discomfort by the body, its slow and continuous effects are detrimental to vital organs. The continuous adverse effect on the brain can lead to a stroke, on the heart can lead to a heart attack, on the kidneys can lead to kidney damage, and on the eyes and peripheral vessels can cause damage and narrowing. Statistics show that stroke, heart attack and kidney damage are more frequently observed among individuals with hypertension.

So, medical science, along with simple logic, suggests that keeping blood pressure within the normal range is important in order to decrease the risk of stroke, heart attack and kidney damage. When there are no symptoms, it is understandable that we may question the need for medication and be hesitant to take any. However, there are also alternative options available.

Making certain changes to our lifestyle can help reduce blood pressure. Brisk walking for at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week, may lead to a reduction of 4-5 mmHg. Including green leafy vegetables and fruits in our diet can further contribute to lowering blood pressure. Following a low-salt diet is also effective in reducing blood pressure. Reducing weight, if overweight, can also help reduce blood pressure. Quitting smoking is known to reduce blood pressure. Meditation or deep breath exercises, along with relaxation techniques, can lead to a decrease in blood pressure. Additionally, avoiding stress reduces blood pressure. Good sleep and management of snoring can also help reduce blood pressure.

So, there are many lifestyle management techniques that can help reduce blood pressure. However, if following a healthy lifestyle does not result in a reduction in blood pressure or if one is unable to maintain a healthy lifestyle, it is important to prevent damage to vital organs caused by consistently elevated blood pressure.

Try to maintain a healthy lifestyle, even if you do not have hypertension. If your blood pressure falls between systolic 120-139 mmHg or diastolic 80-90 mmHg, continue to prioritize a healthy lifestyle. However, if your blood pressure does not appear to be under control or remains high after a few months, do not hesitate to start taking medication.

Medicine is simply a pill that helps maintain normal blood pressure. We frequently discuss side effects, and this is indeed true. Many medications have no side effects, while others may have a few or even serious ones. Your physician will discuss this matter with you.

But when considering rare side effects, hypertension can increase the risk of fatal adverse effects and even death.

Therefore, it is important to control our blood pressure, either through a healthy lifestyle or with medication.