High blood pressure is a common chronic disease, it often has no obvious symptoms in the early stage, but once the blood pressure continues to rise, it can cause damage to vital organs such as the heart, brain, and kidneys. However, high blood pressure is not without a trace, and some abnormal manifestations of the head are often the "warning signs" of high blood pressure.
Which habits tend to trigger high blood pressure
High-sodium and low-potassium diet:
Diet high in sodium and low potassium is an important risk factor for hypertension in mainland China. The World Health Organization recommends a daily sodium intake of 5g for the average person.
Overweight and obesity:
Overweight and obesity are important risk factors for hypertension, especially central obesity. People who are overweight or obese have a 1.16 to 1.28 times higher risk of developing the disease than people who are of normal weight.
Excessive alcohol consumption:
The prevalence of hypertension increases with alcohol consumption. About 5% to 10% of people with high blood pressure are caused by excessive alcohol consumption.
Chronic stress:
When a person is nervous, angry, frightened, depressed, anxious, irritable and other states, the sympathetic nervous system in the body is excited, thereby increasing blood pressure. The risk of high blood pressure in people who are stressed is about 1.5 times higher than that of the normal population.
Lack of physical activity:
30 minutes of aerobic exercise 5-7 times a week can reduce high pressure by 4-9 mmHg.
Effects of the drug:
Birth control pills, hormones, anti-inflammatory pain relievers, etc., can affect blood pressure.
Eating a salty or greasy diet:
Excessive sodium content in the body caused by salty food will inevitably increase the metabolic burden on the kidneys, thereby triggering high blood pressure. Foods that are too oily to increase fat intake can lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure and reduce the risk of hypertension.
Sleep Disorders:
Sleep disorders are also a risk factor for high blood pressure, and long-term poor sleep can affect the body's endocrine balance and cardiovascular health.
These 3 manifestations appear in the head
Suspicion is caused by high blood pressure
Headaches
People with high blood pressure often experience headaches, especially when there is a sudden increase in blood pressure. This pain is usually a constant, dull ache, sometimes accompanied by symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.
Headaches caused by high blood pressure mostly occur when you wake up in the morning, because the body's metabolism slows down at night and blood pressure tends to rise. In addition, factors such as overwork, emotional agitation, and changes in temperature can also trigger headaches.
tinnitus
People with high blood pressure may experience symptoms of tinnitus, which is caused by increased pressure in the blood vessels in the ear, which affects blood circulation in the inner ear, which in turn causes tinnitus. Tinnitus may be unilateral or bilateral, persistent or intermittent, and high-pitched, similar to cicada chirping or buzzing.
Tinnitus caused by high blood pressure may not be noticeable in the early stages, but as blood pressure continues to rise, tinnitus symptoms will gradually worsen.
Dizziness or vertigo
This kind of dizziness is not a simple feeling of dizziness, but a feeling of spinning, losing balance, and in severe cases, it may even lead to syncope. People with high blood pressure may feel dizzy when standing up quickly, a phenomenon known as "standing hypotension" because of a sudden drop in blood pressure that causes a temporary lack of blood supply to the brain.
What to do if you have headache and dizziness due to high blood pressure
Take a break now:
When you feel dizzy or have a headache, stop your current activity immediately and find a safe place to sit or lie down to rest.
Monitor blood pressure:
Have a blood pressure monitor at home, and measure your blood pressure as soon as you feel unwell to determine if high blood pressure is causing it.
Taking antihypertensive medications:
If your blood pressure is significantly elevated and you have a doctor's prescription for blood pressure medication at home, you can take the medication as prescribed and continue to see if your symptoms improve.
Emergency Medical Assistance:
If blood pressure is extremely high (e.g., more than 180/120 mmHg) or if symptoms are severe, such as severe headache, nausea, vomiting, slurred speech, limb weakness, etc., call emergency services immediately.
Lifestyle Modifications:
In the long term, patients should follow a healthy lifestyle, including a low-salt diet, moderate exercise, weight control, smoking cessation and alcohol limitation.
Emotion Management:
Maintain emotional stability and avoid excessive tension or anxiety, as mood swings can also cause blood pressure to rise.
Avoid going it alone:
Avoid going out alone or doing activities that may be dangerous until symptoms are relieved.