Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Blood pressure is the pressure within our blood vessels. It is necessary to have sufficient pressure (tension) in the vessels that feed our organs. Abnormally high or low blood pressure can harm our organs. We call it high blood pressure or hypertension when our blood pressure is above 140/90 mmHg in hospital and doctor's office settings, or above 135/85 mmHg in home or workplace environments.

High blood pressure often does not show symptoms and is known as a silent killer. So, what are the treatments and lifestyle changes for hypertension?

• If you have hypertension, your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medication for you. However, in addition to medication, the best treatments for hypertension are losing weight, reducing salt intake, starting to exercise, treating sleep apnea and snoring if present, and avoiding cold-flu medications containing pseudoephedrine/ephedrine/phenylephrine/caffeine. If we continue to consume salty foods and do not lose weight while taking blood pressure medication, the success rate of these drugs decreases, their effects weaken, and the side effects of hypertension may still appear in the future despite medication.

• If hypertension has caused organ damage (heart, kidney, eye, etc.), medication must be started and continued for life.

• If we stop taking the medications prescribed by our doctor thinking that these drugs will harm our kidneys and liver, or because we have no symptoms or are too young to be on medication, hypertension can silently damage our organs without showing symptoms, and we may regret it later when it's too late, as permanent damages might have already developed. Blood pressure medications prescribed by a doctor do not harm the kidneys; on the contrary, they protect them. There is no harm in taking these medications for life.

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Some blood pressure medications may cause side effects like edema in both legs, cough, throat irritation, constipation, etc., after 1-2 weeks. If these symptoms occur, you should consult your doctor. Generally, if a drug side effect is suspected, stopping the medication usually resolves the side effect.

Every patient with high blood pressure should initially (before treatment) have blood tests for creatinine, sodium, potassium, uric acid, glucose, ALT, TSH, and a complete blood count, a routine urine test should be done, and those with protein leakage in urine must definitely visit a nephrologist (kidney doctor). An EKG and echocardiography should be performed, an eye examination if possible, a kidney ultrasound, and if there is suspicion of snoring and sleep apnea, a sleep test (polysomnography) should be conducted. In those using blood pressure medication, creatinine, sodium, potassium, and uric acid levels should generally be checked every 3-4 months.

Prof. Dr. Huseyin Oflaz