High blood pressure is one of the most serious health issues you can face. It can cause severe and even life-threatening damage before it ever shows a single sign or symptom. If you’ve been diagnosed with hypertension, learning how to control your blood pressure is one of the best things you can do to stay healthy and happy.
For residents of Lanham, Maryland, Kadie E. Leach, MD, is an excellent resource for chronic disease management. When you’re ready to take control of your readings, our team is here to help with personalized guidance and long-term strategies.
Each time your heart beats, it pumps oxygenated blood into your arteries. That pumping force creates pressure on the interior walls of your arteries, both during each heartbeat (systolic) and in the pause between heartbeats (diastolic).
Blood pressure readings above 120/80 (systolic/diastolic) are elevated. Once your readings rise above 130/80, it’s considered hypertension, and as those readings rise, so does your risk of harm.
High blood pressure damages your heart and arteries by placing strain on them, which can eventually cause microscopic tears in the vessels. Your body responds by sending special, “sticky” cells to repair these tiny tears. But over time, cholesterol and fats can also accumulate in the area, forming plaques that can break free and cause a heart attack.
But the damage doesn’t stop there. As plaque accumulates on the interior walls of your arteries, less blood can flow throughout your circulatory system. This leaves your organs starved of both the oxygen and nutrients they need to thrive. The result is widespread damage, which manifests as a range of serious health problems.
Heart attack, stroke, diabetes, gallbladder disease, cognitive issues, kidney disease, sexual dysfunction, and high cholesterol are just a few of the problems linked to high blood pressure.
Choosing healthful meals, snacks, and beverages is one of the best ways to bring your blood pressure back toward healthy levels. Because we eat and drink so often throughout each day, nutritional improvements can have an almost immediate effect on blood pressure, in both positive and negative ways.
But knowing where to begin isn’t always easy. Grocery store shelves are filled with products that have confusing labeling and questionable health claims. Online advice shifts seemingly from one day to the next, with foods like eggs and coffee being touted as healthy one day and harmful the next.
Billions of dollars go into advertising and merchandising food. So don’t feel bad if you have a hard time keeping up with the latest superfood trends or the most recently vilified food products.
We can help you create a workable nutrition plan, one that aligns with your lifestyle and allows you to enjoy the pleasure of food. The goal is to create sustainable changes that will last a lifetime, not on fad diets and drastic overhauls.
A good night’s rest doesn’t just feel great; it also provides the opportunity for your body to recharge and renew. Far too many of us aren’t getting enough rest, or aren’t getting high-quality rest.
If you find yourself feeling sleepy during the day or tossing and turning throughout the night, it may be time to take action to improve your sleep quality.
Some people simply need to reset their routines to embrace set bedtimes and rising times. Others can benefit from making changes to their sleep environment, whether that means turning down the thermostat or finding the perfect pillow.
Underlying health issues are a common cause of sleep disruption. Dr. Leach can perform a thorough health assessment to determine whether you have one or more chronic diseases that might be keeping you from restful sleep.
Stress is a part of life, and we all go through periods of time when high levels of stress are unavoidable. Over the years, we learn coping mechanisms to help handle stress. But those tools and techniques are not always as effective as we hope.
Reassessing your stress management approach now and again can help you know when it’s time to try new tactics. If you find yourself feeling anxious or worried, or feel as though your everyday life is moving beyond your control, consider trying something new to manage stress.
Working with a therapist can help, but there are also things you can do on your own to keep stress at a reasonable level. You might find relief by working out or engaging in activities that challenge you physically. Or you might create a sense of calm by spending time with a pet or doing things that bring you joy, like reading or trying new hobbies.
If you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, it’s essential to know your readings. Use a high-quality blood pressure monitor to track your readings, and schedule a visit with Kadie E. Leach, MD, if you aren’t seeing improvements over time.
We’re here to help you control hypertension and reduce your risk of serious adverse outcomes. We offer personalized mediation management and lifestyle coaching to help you set and achieve healthy goals. Just give us a call to get started, or use our easy online booking page.
