A blood pressure of 120 over 80 is considered normal. This common myth still lives in the minds of most. Is it really? Far from it.
The World Health Organization has not established a clear static value, but a range. A normal blood pressure level is considered to be from 90 over 60 to 140 over 90 or so, with minor deviations and adjustments to the so-called individual norm. It cannot exceed 10 mmHg in both directions.
Thus, a tonometer reading of 140 to 100 means normal. But is it always? No, not always either.
If a person walks at this level and has a normal upper pressure of 140 and a lower pressure of 90, then we can talk about a variant of the physiological norm. Otherwise, there is mild or severe hypertension or hypertension (depending on the etiology of the condition, it can be called either one way or another).
Each specific case must be analyzed separately; there are no single universal calculations.
What do you need to know about normal blood pressure levels in different age and gender categories?
What does a pressure of 140 per 100 mmHg mean? Art.?
A systematic increase in blood pressure is called arterial hypertension (hypertension) in medicine. If the tonometer showed a pressure of 140 over 100, which means the pressure has risen above normal limits. The first number (140) characterizes the state of systolic pressure, and the second (100), respectively, diastolic. The minimum limit of normal blood pressure is within 110/70 mm. Hg Art. (millimeters of mercury), based on this, it turns out that the pressure is increased by 30 mm. Hg Art., which does not have a positive effect on the body.
A pressure of 140 over 100 refers to the first stage of hypertension and is very difficult to determine due to weak accompanying symptoms. It is very important not to start the disease, and to prevent it from moving into the second stage (160/100), or into the third, most severe (180/110 and above), which is fraught with negative consequences for health.
Is it necessary to reduce this pressure?
Again, you should look at the situation. If this is a normal indicator for a person, you don’t need to do anything, everything is fine. Otherwise, complex antihypertensive therapy should be carried out. Strictly under the supervision of a cardiologist.
Amateur activities are excluded to avoid unnecessary consequences. If treated incorrectly, resistant (drug-resistant) variants of hypertension may develop.
Then it will become almost impossible to choose adequate treatment, the body will adapt to new conditions and the drugs will not have an effect.
Causes
People who often suffer from blood pressure of 140 over 100 often look for reasons and worry about whether it is dangerous for their health. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact causes of this disease. Most often, increased blood pressure occurs due to the following factors:
- stress and overwork;
- genetic inheritance;
- improper diet and abuse of bad habits;
- use of medications or stimulants;
- disruption of the hormonal system or gastrointestinal tract;
- improper functioning of the heart, vascular system, etc.
A pressure of 140 over 100 can be caused by various reasons, but this fact cannot be ignored, so as not to cause negative health consequences. Especially if this problem affects young people and does not go away in a short time. After all, the first degree is very difficult to immediately determine, and you can miss treatment and bring the body to a hypertensive crisis, when all the symptoms of the first degree develop into the second or third and medical intervention is urgently needed.
Symptoms requiring medical attention
It is necessary to consult a doctor if you have one or, especially, several of the described manifestations of the cardiovascular system:
- Pain syndrome in the head area. Usually of a stabbing nature, pressing pain, aching.
- Dizziness. Especially if it lasts longer than 2 hours and occurs on a regular basis.
- Vomit. Repeated, not bringing relief.
- Sweating for no apparent reason. Patients with high blood pressure literally pour out sweat. The body tries in vain to cool down and put itself in order.
- Regular tachycardia. Especially if it manifests itself in a calm state or after eating.
Is it dangerous?
Let's consider whether a pressure of 140 over 100 is dangerous. The reasons and what to do with such readings on a tonometer are interconnected.
First-degree hypertension may be asymptomatic and not be felt at all, but sometimes the patient may experience the following symptoms:
- headache;
- nausea;
- malaise.
Of course, high blood pressure cannot have a positive effect on the body - the cardiovascular system can be significantly affected. A pressure of 140 over 100 may lead to the possible development of chest and head pain, as well as general malaise. Therefore, it is extremely necessary for hypertensive patients to monitor the state of their blood pressure and not let it reach critical levels.
Arterial hypertension
High blood pressure and headaches: together or apart?
Hypertension is deceptive. It can be completely asymptomatic - it’s not for nothing that it’s called the silent killer.
At the same time, many are sure that they will certainly feel it if the pressure “jumps.”
And a headache in the back of the head is secretly the leader among those considered classic signs of hypertension. Does high blood pressure really cause headaches?
Blood Power
To understand how hypertension can manifest itself and why, it would be good to understand what happens in the body when pressure increases.
So, when the heart contracts, blood is pushed into the vessels - through them it penetrates into the tissues. In order for blood rich in oxygen and nutrients to reach every cell of the body, it must be ejected from the heart with a certain force, which, in turn, puts pressure on the blood vessels. It is this force that is considered blood pressure.
The level of pressure is determined by many factors. It depends on the force with which the heart pumps blood into the vessels, the volume of blood entering the arteries, the elasticity of the vessels and many other aspects. Therefore, the famous norm is 120/80 mm Hg. can vary both downward and upward.
However, if the threshold of 140/90 mmHg is exceeded. blood pressure is considered abnormally elevated.
If blood pressure rises regularly, arterial hypertension develops. It “approaches” imperceptibly: usually the numbers increase gradually, and the body adapts to the change in the force with which the blood presses on the walls of the blood vessels. Therefore, even with constantly high blood pressure, a person often feels great, which is confirmed by data from numerous studies studying the relationship between hypertension and its possible manifestations, including headaches.
Does not hurt…
In fact, many scientific studies have shown that there is no connection between headaches and increased blood pressure. Moreover: it has been proven that regular headaches do not affect the condition of a patient with hypertension.
Thus, the American Journal of Hypertension published the results of a large-scale study in which 1914 patients with arterial hypertension participated. Scientists observed them for three long decades, recording the symptoms, course and complications of the disease.
The results of the experiment showed that there is no connection between the regular occurrence of headaches and the likelihood of cardiovascular death.
This indirectly confirms that headache is not related to hypertension.
The lack of connection between headaches and hypertension is confirmed by many cardiological organizations, for example, the American Heart Association. Its experts have published data showing that patients with arterial hypertension are less likely to experience headaches than those with normal blood pressure. And yet there is an opposite opinion.
...or does it hurt?
The fact is that a sudden and sharp increase in blood pressure, known as a hypertensive crisis, can cause an increase in pressure inside the skull - in the sinuses of the brain, ventricles of the brain and other structures. This may result in a headache that is different from a “traditional” tension headache or migraine attack.
According to some experts, this pain is pulsating in nature and can intensify with physical activity. It is often felt in the back of the head, although its location may be different.
Some other symptoms may indicate a significant increase in blood pressure, in particular:
- Facial redness
- Weakness
- Dyspnea
- Visual impairment
- Chest pain, palpitations, irregular heart rhythm
- Nausea
- Severe anxiety or, conversely, lethargy
- Sweating
- Nose bleed.
If you experience a severe headache along with blurred vision and confusion, you should immediately call the emergency room - the combination of these symptoms may indicate organ damage and the need for emergency medical care. But in other cases it is better not to hesitate.
What to do?
For headaches that occur against the background of a hypertensive crisis, it is important to take measures to lower blood pressure as quickly as possible. We must not forget that a sharp drop in it is just as undesirable as a sudden increase. During the first two hours, pressure should be reduced by no more than 25%, and target values (i.e. normal) should be achieved within 2-6 hours after the onset of the attack.
Should it be reduced?
Often, when you see a pressure of 140 to 100 on the tonometer, you wonder whether you need to lower it or whether it will go away on its own. This is one of the biggest mistakes - after all, hypertension left without special attention can significantly affect your health in the future. If you are faced with a blood pressure of 140-100 and do not know what to do or what to drink, then you need to seek medical help.
It is imperative to react and reduce pressure that has exceeded the normal limits, even if it is not particularly felt, since this is a manifestation of the initial stage of hypertension.
Antihypertensive therapy for a blood pressure of 140 over 100 is usually carried out with first-line drugs. Self-medication can cause significant harm to health and further complicate the symptoms of the disease.
What to do at home?
Since blood pressure 140/100 is not a crisis, emergency care is usually not required. You need to open the window, loosen tight clothes, sit in a comfortable half-sitting position, bend your legs, take the previously prescribed drug and wait for improvement (in the absence of prescribed drugs, sedative drops are allowed: Valerian, Motherwort, Corvalol).
If there is no effect, immediately call an ambulance. It is also necessary if you have a severe headache, suffocation, nausea, tachycardia (pulse 80/90/100 or higher), or chest pain.
Medicines
Medicines are prescribed only by doctors. The most effective combinations:
- diuretics: Spironolactone, Veroshpiron, Triampur;
- adrenergic blockers: Propranolol, Betalok, Anaprilin;
- vasodilators: Spazgan, Sindopharm, Spazmalgon.
No experiments - deadly.
How to remove quickly at home?
You don’t know what to do if the pressure is 140 over 100, and how to reduce it at home? First-degree hypertension is not particularly dangerous for the body, but it is a chronic disease and requires constant drug treatment. But only if you are able to sensibly assess the situation and correctly approach the process of reducing pressure.
If you no longer suffer from any chronic diseases, then you can safely begin to eliminate high blood pressure.
Faced with a blood pressure of 140 over 100, fans of self-treatment have a logical question: how to relieve pressure quickly at home? And it would seem that you should not risk your health, but, nevertheless, it is quite possible to relieve the symptoms of the first degree at home. To do this, you need to carefully study the causes of the disease (it could be hypertension, which developed due to a number of provoking factors, or caused by another disease). If you are sure that the disease is not caused by other ailments, then you can use first-line drugs.
What to do?
What to do if at home you find your blood pressure is 140 over 100 and your pulse is 100? Calm down and follow simple rules:
- Find out the cause of hypertension (perhaps it was caused by ordinary overwork).
- Try to rest and relax (you can massage your earlobes and collar area).
- Ventilate the room as much as possible - the more air, the better.
- If after the actions taken there is no relief, immediately seek qualified help so as not to cause the disease to worsen.
To date, doctors have talked about what needs to be done if the pressure is 140 over 100:
- Lose excess weight if possible;
- eat less sweet and salty foods;
- eliminate the possibility of oversaturation with harmful fats;
- get rid of bad habits;
- play sports and walk outdoors more often.
These recommendations do not eliminate the disease, but can significantly alleviate the symptoms.
What tablets should I take?
Your blood pressure is 140/100: what to do? If you have hypertension, you should not self-medicate, because its appearance may be caused by another disease - it is better to leave it to the doctor.
Medicines do not cure high blood pressure, but only reduce its levels, and therefore they must be taken daily.
If taking the drug is necessary, it is prescribed by a doctor only after a series of examinations and strictly individually for each patient. Often, people with blood pressure of 140 over 100 do not always know what to do and how to treat it. Modern pharmaceuticals have developed a huge number of drugs to combat blood pressure, for example:
What else can you drink?
Are you faced with a blood pressure of 140 over 100 and don’t know what to take other than pills? In addition to taking medications, you can resort to the following methods of using natural excipients:
- diuretics: lemon and cranberry juices, chokeberry juice, etc.;
- weak tea with lemon slices;
- cold hibiscus.
Taking these medications cannot cure hypertension, but may slightly reduce its symptoms.
How to treat?
Your blood pressure is 140 over 100: what to do and what to do? Treatment therapy involves constant use of medications. At the initial stage, these are, as a rule, diuretics: indapamide, hydrochlorothiazide, etc. Medicines are prescribed by the doctor on an individual basis (based on the personal characteristics of the patient’s body). Hypertension is a chronic disease, but, if desired, its symptoms can be stopped for a while.
To begin with, you should normalize your weight, normalize your schedule (avoid overwork), get rid of bad habits and engage in more physical activity. Many patients noted that after following these simple rules, their health rapidly improved and their blood pressure stabilized.
