High blood pressure patients should know these precautions in autumn

Why blood pressure is unstable during the season

The big temperature difference between day and night will increase blood pressure!

According to many studies, the temperature has a significant effect on blood pressure. When the temperature is low, the body’s blood vessels contract warmer and hotter to maintain average body temperature—the blood vessel resistance increases.

In general, for every 1°C decrease in temperature, the systolic blood pressure increases by 1.14 mmHg, and the diastolic blood pressure increases by 0.58 mmHg. When the weather suddenly becomes cold or the temperature difference between morning and evening is large, the blood pressure fluctuations will be more visible. And the elderly will have more obvious blood pressure fluctuations due to deficient blood vessel elasticity.

Soaring blood pressure can cause myocardial and cerebral infarction!

High blood pressure is a significant cause of atherosclerosis. Studies have shown that whether systolic or diastolic blood pressure increases, the incidence of atherosclerosis increases significantly. That may be due to the high pressure on the arterial wall during high blood pressure, endothelial cell damage. And harmful cholesterol (LDL-C) quickly enters the arterial wall, forms foam cells, and stimulates smooth muscle cells, causes atherosclerosis.

Long-term progressive atherosclerosis can cause diseases. Such as coronary heart disease and cerebral vascular insufficiency. And the sudden rise and fall in blood pressure is a significant cause of acute myocardial infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, and cerebral infarction.

Overeating often causes cardiovascular accidents.

The temperature and full meals, emotional excitement, staying up late and tired can cause blood pressure to rise.

The tradition of the autumn tonic has a long history. For one thing, it’s good to celebrate the harvest in autumn with delicious food, but also to prepare for the coming winter.

For another, the weather gradually turns cool. Without the hot and dry summer, people’s appetite continuously improves, and the digestive organs have to work. The blood vessels of the abdominal visceral organs expand to make the blood flow sufficient to ensure the visceral organs' blood supply. The limbs' blood vessels must contract to provide urgent protection needs, resulting in increased blood pressure.

What should high blood pressure patients pay attention to in autumn?

Pay attention to keep warm and add clothes appropriately.

In autumn, the temperature drops, and the elderly suffer from high blood, and their adaptability to environmental temperature changes is poor. Therefore, patients with high blood pressure should pay attention to keeping warm when going out because cold weather will stimulate the secretion of the inner adrenal glands and increase blood pressure. That will lead to the constriction of blood vessels.

Exercise

Moderate exercise also has a good effect on lowering blood pressure. Aerobic exercise is recommended first, and the most practical aerobic exercise is jogging.

Patients with high blood pressure should try to avoid pushing, pulling, lifting, and other strength exercises or belching exercises during the workouts. They should choose a whole-body, rhythmic, easy-to-relax activity. Also, exercise time is best 2 hours after a meal, do not exercise on an empty stomach to avoid hypoglycemia.

Adjust your diet

The diet is light and low in salt. So that you can eat more moisturizing and antihypertensive foods. For example, green leafy vegetables, kelp, carrots, tomatoes, eggplants, etc. These foods are rich in potassium ions, which can counteract sodium ions' effects on blood pressure. Also, seafood has good health benefits. Don’t get too tired and full and drink plenty of water.

Regulate emotions

Emotional fluctuations can also cause blood pressure fluctuations. Some bad feelings can increase and secrete related hormones. Promote small arterial spasm and contraction. And cause blood pressure to fluctuate, increase, and even cause cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications.

High blood pressure patients should regulate and control their emotions, maintain a happy mood, be less angry, avoid excessive feelings, and prevent blood pressure fluctuations.

How to measure blood pressure accurately at home?

Remember! Correct posture for measuring blood pressure is crucial.

Accurately measuring blood pressure is not easy. Many details can make blood pressure readings inaccurate.

Some recommendations provide in the U.S. blood pressure statement.

Push electronic sphygmomanometer

The electronic sphygmomanometer is preferred because it has an automatic pressure sensor to reduce human error. A certified upper arm cuff sphygmomanometer should be used, which is accurate and reliable.

The size of the cuff should be correct.

The most common reason for inaccurate blood pressure is an improper cuff. The cuff balloon's length should reach 75% ~ 100% of the upper arm's circumference, and the width of the cuff balloon should reach 37% ~ 50% of the circumference of the upper arm (Aspect ratio 2: 1). For obese people, arm cuffs are not enough; leg cuffs can use.

The posture of blood pressure measurement should be correct.

Sit for at least 5 minutes before the measurement, urinate, and do not exercise, drink coffee, and smoke for 30 minutes before the measurement. When measuring blood pressure, the cuff should be in direct contact with the upper arm. And when you lay on your back, you need to raise your arms properly. When sitting in a chair, use the chair with a backrest. When measuring, it will increase the systolic and diastolic blood pressure and keep your feet flat.

Note! Hurry up and go to the hospital.

Older adults are very nervous once they notice an increase in blood pressure. Still, only about 5% of hypertensive patients need to go to the hospital to reduce blood pressure. It should note that there is a type of high blood pressure emergency that cannot treat at home. To enter the hospital for emergency rescue, you need to lower your blood pressure in a short time.

For example, under the influence of trauma, emotional changes, excessive fatigue, cold stimulation, climate change, and endocrine disorders, blood pressure suddenly rises to more than 180 ~ 200 / 120mmHg.

If the blood pressure suddenly rises to more than 180 ~ 200 / 120 mmHg, the patient feels as follows.

• Sudden headache
• Dizziness
• Unclear vision
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Pale or flushing
• Shaking hands
• Temporary numbness
• Aphasia
• Twitching coma

Also, some patients with high blood pressure have increased blood pressure without acute target organ damage. The measured blood pressure is relatively high, and there is no apparent discomfort, or there is only slight dizziness and bloating. This situation does not require Go to the hospital for emergency blood pressure reduction. And as long as the blood pressure reduce within a few hours to a day, adjust the oral medication to control blood pressure.

If you notice elevated blood pressure at home without noticeable discomfort

Rest immediately

find a place to lie down, lying on your back or half lying down. In an area with soft light and air circulation, don’t make noise and have a rest-cure.

Monitor blood pressure

Monitor blood pressure at once every 5 to 10 minutes. Generally need to measure 2 to 3 times. The average value is more accurate. Measure the upper arm's blood pressure and the heart simultaneously, relax the limb muscles, and observe whether the blood pressure can naturally drop.

If the blood pressure is not well controlled, the organs will give an alarm.

In many cases, the impact of high blood pressure on the human body is like “boiling frog in warm water.” In the beginning, the patient may not feel uncomfortable. Still, the body will slowly damage the organs when it is in the state of “high pressure” for a long time.

Get alarmed, chest tightness, heart in the “complaint.”

If the hypertensive patient has symptoms such as palpitation, chest tightness, chest pain, and edema of the lower limbs, that means that the heart has something wrong. If the blood pressure is at a relatively high level for a long time, that will cause the heart to enlarge and the heart's electrical activity to be disordered. And that will gradually cause the heart to relax and contract. At this time, the patient will experience palpitations, arrhythmias. And may also have symptoms such as chest tightness and chest pain after activity due to coronary atherosclerosis and stenosis. Therefore, patients with high blood pressure who have the above symptoms should go to the hospital for ECG. Colour Doppler ultrasound and other tests as soon as possible. And, if necessary, coronary angiography to check for vascular stenosis and blockage to avoid serious consequences.

Eyelid swelling, night urine, kidney in the “call for help.”

If hypertensive patients find swollen eyelids, nocturia, or hematuria, foamy urine, there is a problem with kidney function. The kidney is the “purifier” of our body. And its decline in service is related to glomerular arteriosclerosis and decreased renal filtration function caused by long-term high blood pressure. At this time, in addition to further controlling blood pressure, it is necessary to go to the hospital for a routine urine test to understand the presence or absence of urinary protein. And also to perform a color Doppler ultrasound of the kidney. That will be to see whether the structure of the organ is abnormal.

The pressure difference between the arms is large, and the arteries are “complaining.”

Each person’s upper limbs' blood pressure is slightly different, and the difference between healthy people can reach 5–10 mmHg. If there is a big difference between the blood pressure of two arms in patients with hypertension or the walking time is long, and the lower limbs hurt, (it will get better after rest), Indicating that the arteries of upper limbs or lower limbs have hardened. And even narrowed and blocked.

That is related to poor long-term control of high blood pressure and peripheral atherosclerosis. At this time, patients should go to the hospital as soon as possible to do vascular ultrasound, enhanced CT, angiography, clear the blockage location, and take appropriate treatment as soon as possible.

Dizziness, body numbness, cerebrovascular in “struggle.”

If dizziness, blurred vision, numbness or numbness in the upper and lower limbs, or slurred speech occur suddenly in a patient with high blood pressure, it means that there is a problem with the blood supply to the brain, affecting brain function and having a stroke. That is due to chronically high blood pressure, which causes blockage or rupture of cerebral blood vessels. Family members should call the hospital immediately to help the doctor perform a CT scan of the patient. And as soon as possible to prepare for thrombolytic therapy or interventional thrombectomy.

Note! high blood pressure in older people is a bit special

The elderly are a unique group, and their high blood pressure also has clinical characteristics that are different from other populations.

The clinical characteristics differences of elderly high blood pressure patients

The pressure difference is large.

Systolic blood pressure (SBP) is the leading cause of hypertension in the elderly. That is because their organs show degenerative changes, especially in the cardiovascular system. Arteriosclerosis is obvious and almost becomes a rigid pipe. During cardiac ejection, the aorta can not fully expand, and the blood volume in the artery can not be buffered, increasing systolic blood pressure. At the same time, the diastolic pressure is relatively low, and the pulse pressure difference increases.

Big fluctuations.

High blood pressure in the elderly fluctuates greatly, fluctuating throughout the day, especially systolic blood pressure. That is mainly due to the reduced sensitivity of vascular baroreceptors in elderly patients. Therefore, during the treatment of antihypertensive drugs, it is impossible to measure whether the blood pressure is regular with one measurement result. It should be measured at least twice a day, and it is uncomfortable at any time. The medication adjusts under the guidance of a doctor.

May be false

Due to arteriosclerosis, the elderly are prone to Pseudo hypertension. Such patients are less tolerant of antihypertensive drugs. They are more likely to cause severe adverse reactions and complications, and attention should pay to the identification. The incidence of Pseudo hypertension is not high, but it tends to increase with age. Therefore, for patients with very hard peripheral arteries and high blood pressure. But who are intolerant of antihypertensive therapy and who will have severe complications when taking antihypertensive drugs. Performance should consider Pseudo hypertension if no significant organ, brain, heart, and kidney damage is found.

Orthostatic high blood pressure

The influence of changes in the translocation of high blood pressure in the elderly. The incidence of orthostatic high blood pressure is higher, especially in antihypertensive drugs. From the prone position to sitting up or squatting to standing, the blood pressure will suddenly drop, dizziness and fainting will occur, which is also related to the decrease of baroreceptor sensitivity. Therefore, drugs that cause orthostatic high blood pressure should use with caution. Such as prazosin and terazosin. When it must use, it can be taken once before going to bed at night. If there is no visible reaction, change to the daytime service should start with a small dose.

There are many complications and comorbidities.

Due to physiological decline in the elderly, heart, brain, and kidney complications can easily cause high blood pressure, such as angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, stroke, and renal insufficiency. Special care should be taken at this time not to use drugs that aggravate the disease.

Easily depressed when taking medication.

The elderly have lower nervous system function and are more likely to develop depression during medication. Therefore, you should avoid choosing antihypertensive drugs that act on the central nervous system. Such as clonidine and methyldopa. For patients with a tendency to depression, fat-soluble beta-blockers, such as Betaloc, should also be used cautiously.

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