high blood pressure (hypertension)

Family Medicine & Board Certified Internal Medicine Physician located in Houston, TX

hypertension houston tx

what causes high blood pressure (hypertension)?

The oxygen-rich blood flowing through your arteries puts a lot of pressure on the blood vessel walls. Healthy arteries can stand up to a certain amount of pressure. But when the pressure rises above normal (high blood pressure), it damages the walls.

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, develops over years of lifestyle habits that affect your blood pressure. The top culprits include:

  • Consuming too much salt

  • Not engaging in regular exercise

  • Being overweight or obese

  • Living with frequent stress

  • Smoking cigarettes

  • Drinking too much alcohol

Hypertension can also come from health conditions such as kidney disease, thyroid disease, and obstructive sleep apnea.

hypertension complication houston tx

how does hypertension affect me?

Damage to the artery walls creates rough areas that snag cholesterol. Over time, more fats accumulate in the same area, causing a condition called atherosclerosis. 

As the fatty plaque keeps enlarging, it increasingly blocks blood flow. This leads to serious complications, such as:

  • Coronary artery disease

  • Peripheral artery disease

  • Carotid artery disease

  • Abdominal aortic aneurysms

  • Renal artery stenosis

Without treatment, you’re at risk for heart attacks, kidney failure, and strokes.

chest pain hypertension houston tx

what are the symptoms of hypertension?

High blood pressure seldom causes symptoms. Unfortunately, the first sign often arrives in the form of a heart attack or stroke.

However, you may experience symptoms when the fatty plaque gets large enough to significantly block blood flow. Your symptoms depend on the location of the plaque.

Coronary artery disease may cause chest pain, while peripheral artery disease leads to leg pain and non-healing leg wounds. If the blockage affects your kidneys (renal artery stenosis), you may have swollen ankles and itchy skin.

how is hypertension treated?

Though your Mai Medical Clinic provider always customizes your care, high blood pressure treatment includes several essential elements:

Lifestyle changes

Several lifestyle changes can significantly lower your blood pressure, including limiting salt, weight loss, exercising, and reducing stress. It’s also important to stop smoking. The toxic chemicals you inhale raise your blood pressure and damage the artery walls.

Medications

Medications reduce hypertension by relaxing the arteries, slowing your heartbeat, or eliminating excess water and salt.

Remote patient monitoring

When needed, you can use a Bluetooth®-enabled blood pressure cuff at home that sends information to your provider.

Treating underlying conditions

Your provider creates a customized treatment plan to deal with any underlying conditions contributing to your high blood pressure.

To have your blood pressure checked or to receive treatment for high blood pressure, call Mai Medical Clinic or book online today.