Check to see if you have high blood pressure. One of the symptoms is hidden in the eyes

Aleksandra Zalewska-Stankiewicz, Wprost: How old was your youngest patient with hypertension?

Bow. Veronika Blaschik: Twenty two. He was a tall, slightly corpulent man who at first glance showed no signs of illness. He claimed that he felt great, and the only sign of high blood pressure could be occasional headaches. When it turned out that this man was diagnosed with hypertension, he was very surprised. He carried out the recommendations quickly and conscientiously, especially when he heard that more and more people are dying from high blood pressure. He went to the gym, gave up fast food. In his case, hypertension was cured by changing habits. Medical therapy was not required.

This patient must have been very frightened. What would have happened to him if he had not changed his way of life?

Hypertension contributes to the development of cardiovascular diseases, which we most fear: heart attack and stroke. And heart attacks and strokes have ceased to affect only fifty-sixty-year-olds - they fall on ever younger professionally active people. Of course, we use more and more modern methods of treatment, but complications after a heart attack or stroke remain for life. Patients after such transitions should be more careful and statistically live less. You can tell they are struggling with disability.

Talk about an epidemic of hypertension. Do you agree or is this an exaggeration?

I don’t think there is an exaggeration in this term. More and more people are overweight and obese - this can be seen not only in doctors’ offices, but also on the street, at work or at school. Overweight people develop atherosclerotic deposits that clog blood vessels, resulting in a heart attack. Hypertension often accompanies being overweight.

Your patient did not notice that he had high blood pressure. How is this possible?

These are not isolated cases - hypertension does not hurt and can be misleading. It steals our health and we don’t even notice it. The patient may suffer from hypertension for many years and not be aware of it. Hypertension is insidious, develops slowlyand the body gets used to the fact that it works on the so-called. high speed. Our body is designed in such a way that it can cope with various problems on its own. When a person has high blood pressure, their blood begins to pump faster around the circuit. The heart works with more force, does more work, but we do not feel it. The patient says that he feels good, and the tonometer shows high values, for example, 200/120 mm Hg.

Can this be done for many years?

Even a dozen or two, and during this time serious changes occur in the vessels, which sooner or later will have to find a way out somewhere. This does not mean that a heart attack or stroke happens for no reason. Unfortunately, often their cause is untreated arterial hypertension. Very often, a patient comes to my office with a completely different problem, and by the way, the question of high blood pressure arises.

What pressure is considered safe?

Normal systolic blood pressure should be between 120 and 129 mmHg and diastolic between 70 and 84 mmHg.

These parameters differ slightly for each age group. Of course, in a sick 70-year-old patient, we expect different values ​​than in a healthy 45-year-old. It is worth knowing that in older people, blood pressure is higher due to the tightening of blood vessels. Unfortunately, more and more men and women have high blood pressure. I’m not talking about extreme situations where the pressure is from 180 to 110 mm Hg, but many people live with pressure from 140 to 90 mm Hg every day. I see several of these situations almost every day.

Maybe the patient’s blood pressure jumps at the sight of a white coat?

White coat syndrome is not a myth, I always consider that the presence of a doctor can be stressful for the patient. But high blood pressure is not diagnosed with a single measurement in the office. When we notice high blood pressure, the patient receives a special book at home, in which he must write down his blood pressure twice a day - in the morning and before bedtime. Then the pressure should be lower because we are resting, we are not running. Then we average the pressure values ​​and have a complete picture of the situation.

What are the warning signs of high blood pressure?

The most common symptom is headaches are localized in the occipital region, that is, on the back of the head, radiating to the back of the head. The patient describes them as hard pulsating, sometimes dull. In addition to them, there dizziness, ringing in the head and ears, palpitations. Most patients with high blood pressure feel unwell, as if they are in a daze.

Sometimes hypertension can be recognized by bloodshot eyes, dilated capillaries - these are the so-called subconjunctival hemorrhages.

So sometimes you should look at yourself in the mirror. Can you be stressed and have your blood pressure normal?

If we are in a stressful situation, blood pressure may naturally rise, but this is not always the case. A lot depends on how we deal with our emotions. I would pay more attention to heart rate.. When stressed, the pulse often quickens - we often say that we are so nervous that our heart is pounding. Often, patients become aware of their high heart rate when they start wearing bracelets, smartwatches, and smartbands that display heart rate values.

What should be the normal heart rate?

Ideally, our heart rate should be between 55 and 70 beats per minute. If it is consistently higher, the patient may have tachycardia.

A high heart rate, like high blood pressure, predisposes to cardiovascular disease. This shows that our heart has to do more work to pump blood around the circuit, and as a result, it gets more tired. And if we function under conditions of chronic stress, the risk of heart attack and stroke increases.

So it’s better to wear a watch that measures your heart rate. Everyone should have a blood pressure monitor.

Nowadays, it is as important as a toothbrush. In my opinion, the most reliable results are given by electronic tonometers. I do not recommend wrist versions, often their measurements differ greatly. Before buying, consult with a pharmacist. It is worth regularly measuring blood pressure and consulting with a family doctor during a follow-up visit.

Is a patient with hypertension always doomed to drug treatment?

No, we start treatment with lifestyle changes. Many patients are excellent at lowering blood pressure in this way, especially through the introduction of physical activity. We are not talking about extreme sports, but, for example, 45-minute walks several times a week, swimming in the pool or cycling. It is important to change your diet - avoid foods with a high content of sodium, i.e. fast food, processed foods and salt. Not to mention giving up alcohol and cigarettes. The introduction of these changes leads to a significant decrease in blood pressure values ​​after 6 weeks. If changing habits does not help, then we think about the introduction of pharmacotherapy.

If you start taking blood pressure medication, will you have to do this for the rest of your life?

This is the most common question I hear from hypertensive patients. The answer is no, provided that the patient changes his eating habits, moves more and is less nervous. This usually helps, and then - after consulting a doctor and passing tests - you can stop taking the medication. Unfortunately, sometimes it happens that, despite lifestyle changes and pharmacotherapy, we cannot lower blood pressure. I then refer patients to a hypertensiologist, a specialist who treats hypertension.