High blood pressure is a major cause of heart attack and stroke, but most of us don’t even know the facts. Senior cardiac nurse Julie Ward explains. If you have high blood pressure, you may not even know about it - that's why high blood pressure is often called the ‘silent killer’. There are rarely any signs or symptoms, so millions of people with high blood pressure don’t even know they have it. The first time you may find out that you have high blood pressure is when you have a stroke or a heart attack. High blood pressure can damage the walls of the arteries, causing
coronary artery disease and stroke. It can also damage the heart muscle, leading to heart failure. It’s estimated that there are up to 5 million people in the UK with undiagnosed high blood pressure More than 14 million adults in the UK have high blood pressure – as many as
five million of these are thought to be undiagnosed, as there are rarely any symptoms. Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg). The first (or top) number of your reading is the pressure when your blood pressure is at
its highest (when your heart squeezes, called systolic pressure). The second (or bottom) number is the pressure when your blood pressure is at its lowest (when your heart relaxes, called diastolic pressure). Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, you should be aiming for a blood pressure less than 140/90 mmHg (usually spoken as “140 over 90”). Not taking regular exercise can increase your risk of high blood pressure. That’s just one of
the many reasons why we should all get at least 150 minutes a week of physical activity. Too much alcohol can increase your blood pressure. Other lifestyle factors that increase your risk of high blood pressure include being
overweight, and not eating enough fruit and vegetables.
More useful informationA heart attack (myocardial infarction or MI) is a serious medical emergency in which the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked, usually by a blood clot. A heart attack is a medical emergency. Call 999 and ask for an ambulance if you suspect a heart attack. A lack of blood to the heart may seriously damage the heart
muscle and can be life threatening. Symptoms of a heart attack can include: The chest pain is often severe, but some people may only experience minor
pain, similar to indigestion. While the most common symptom in both men and women is chest pain, women are more likely to have other symptoms such as shortness of breath, feeling or being sick and back or jaw pain. Call 999 immediately if you think someone might be having a heart attack. The faster you act, the better their chances. Treating heart attacksWhile waiting for an ambulance, it may help to chew and then swallow a tablet of aspirin (ideally 300mg), as long as the person having a heart attack is not allergic to aspirin. Aspirin helps to thin the blood and improves blood flow to the heart. In hospital, treatment for a heart attack depends on how serious it is. The 2 main treatments are:
Causes of a heart attackCoronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of heart attacks. CHD is a condition in which the major blood vessels that supply the heart get clogged with deposits of cholesterol, known as plaques. Before a heart attack, 1 of the plaques bursts (ruptures), causing a blood clot to develop at the site of the rupture. The clot may block the supply of blood to the heart, triggering a heart attack. Recovering from a heart attackThe time it takes to recover from a heart attack will depend on the amount of damage to your heart muscle. Most people can return to work after having a heart attack. Some people are well enough to return to work after 2 weeks. Other people may take several months to recover. How quickly you can go back to work depends on your health, the state of your heart and the type of work you do. The recovery process aims to:
Find out more about recovering from a heart attack Complications of a heart attackComplications of a heart attack can be serious and possibly life threatening. These include:
These complications can happen quickly after a heart attack and are a leading cause of death. Many people die suddenly from a complication of a heart attack before reaching hospital or within the 1st month after a heart attack. The outlook often depends on:
Find out more about complications of a heart attack Preventing a heart attackThere are 5 main steps you can take to reduce your risk of having a heart attack (or having another heart attack):
Video: heart attackThis video explores the symptoms, surgical treatments and importance of reducing risk factors for a heart attack. Media last reviewed: 16 April 2021 Page last reviewed: 28 November 2019 Does BP go up or down during heart attack?Blood pressure might drop if someone is having a heart attack because the heart is too weak to maintain it, as the muscle might have been damaged. The severe pain a person might feel during a heart attack could also trigger an automatic response, which might lead to decreased blood pressure and fainting.
What are the 4 silent signs of a heart attack?Four Signs of a Silent Heart Attack. Chest Pain, Pressure, Fullness, or Discomfort. Sometimes the pain from a heart attack is sudden and intense, which makes them easy to recognize and get help. ... . Discomfort in other areas of your body. ... . Difficulty breathing and dizziness. ... . Nausea and cold sweats.. |
Will your blood pressure be normal during a heart attack
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