If you recently went to a health fair or to your local pharmacy where your blood pressure was taken and you got a reading that concerned you, your blood pressure may be too high and you should talk to your doctor about hypertension.
What is Hypertension?
Hypertension, or high or elevated blood pressure, is a condition that affects many patients both young and old but often becomes increasingly prevalent in the general population with age. Elevated blood pressure can lead to a multitude of problems in the short and long run, making it vital to keep in a healthy range. In the short term, elevated blood pressure can lead to symptoms you experience such as headaches, chest pains or feeling short of breath and could lead to damage to the heart and brain through heart attacks and strokes. Additionally, people with long-term elevations in blood pressure could have damage to the kidneys and can increase the chance for heart attacks and strokes throughout their lives.
What Can I Do About It?
It does sound scary, but it is one of those things that if you get under control, the risk of damage over time decreases. Many people with the diagnosis of hypertension lead symptom-free lives with healthy brains, lungs, hearts and kidneys. It may take some medications or a change or two in lifestyle to keep you safe. If you receive an elevated blood pressure reading, talk to your doctor about options to improve your blood pressure readings. If you don’t have a doctor, you can call to establish care with a doctor at More, MD, as we are now accepting new patients.
What Can I Expect During the Doctor Visit?
If you are new to a doctor’s office, the medical team will have you come in for a “getting to know you” visit. You will be seen by the doctor to learn about your health and address problems that are important to you. The doctor and the medical staff also will check your blood pressure in the office and obtain bloodwork to establish baseline levels for all of your internal organ functions. Additionally, the office has the ability to monitor blood pressure at home for a short period of time with a blood pressure monitor to understand how your blood pressure varies throughout the day. After we get the above information, we can come up with a plan, including lifestyle modifications and medications to optimize your blood pressure. If you have other things you would like to discuss, don’t be shy. Bring them up during your visit.
After starting medications, we would typically like to see you back in the office a few weeks later to see how you are doing, if the medications have improved things and coordinate follow-ups afterward to monitor progress.
Where Can I Go?
We recently opened an office at 2286 Crosswind Dr., Suite C. We are available to see new patients and same day walk-in appointments and take a variety of insurances as well as Medicare. Call our office at 928-224-2344 to schedule your appointment today. QCBN
By William Herron, M.D.
Dr. William Herron is an Internal Medicine Specialist at More, MD. To schedule an appointment with him, call 928-216-3160. Dr. Herron is located at 2286 Crosswind Drive – #C, Prescott, Arizona 86301.
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