Monday, December 5, 2011

Why Be Concerned About High Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure is the amount of force that the blood exerts on the walls of the blood vessels as it passes through smaller and smaller branches to all parts of the body.  The branches of the circulatory system eventually reach the organs where abnormally high blood pressure can harm the smaller branches of the circulatory tree.  The body structures that chronically high blood pressure (hypertension) affects the most include the heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes.  The diseases resulting from blood vessel damage in these organs are congestive heart failure, stroke, blindness, heart attack, and kidney failure.


For example, high blood pressure is a factor in 2/3rds of strokes, 2/3rds of heart attack, 3/4ths of heart failure, and 1/4th of kidney failure.  High  blood pressure is also a factor in Alzheimer's Disease.  Many people do not have symptoms of high blood pressure until blood vessel damage in these organs causes disease, so the conditions in the early stages when these diseases could be prevented are ignored because there is no discomfort.  Getting high blood pressure under control at an early stage can add years to a person's life.  At Adult Dentistry of Rochester, we routinely check your blood pressure.  Visit us to learn your blood pressure, what it means to your health, and what life style changes can improve your blood pressure and quality of life.

Tags: High Blood Pressure, Hypertension, High Blood Pressure
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4 comments:

  1. SallyDecember 6, 2011 at 4:48 AM

    People ask why we take a blood pressure in the dental office? It is so we can catch a potential problem early. Most people do not see their physician on a regular basis and are unaware of their condition because there may not be any signs. Most people see their dentist two times a year for cleanings and is a great way to follow up on your readings or learn about it for the first time.

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  2. AnonymousDecember 6, 2011 at 9:44 AM

    We want you to be healthy. And good health is more likely to endure when you take measures to prevent the disease as oppose to treating the symptoms.
    We are seeing patients, 60 & older, on blood pressure medications. Some show one of the more common side-affects of high blood pressure medication - Dementia.
    Its a "Catch 22" situation. Elimination of medication or decrease of dosage can slow down the dementia. However, the blood pressure tends to go up unless there is a drastic change in lifestyle choices.
    We encourage you to remain in close contact with your doctor so that your dosage is monitored and do the work so you stay sharp as a tack!

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  3. havin funDecember 7, 2011 at 9:51 AM

    People with high blood pressure should make sure that they are taking the medications to help maintain the pressure. Your dental office shoud check your blood pressure because if your dental procedure requires the use of anesthesia,and your blood pressure is high it could have side effects.You should ask your dentist if the anesthesia contains epinephrine. Epinephrine is used in most local anesthesia.
    Use of epinephrine in some patients with high blood pressure may result in cardiovascular changes - including the rapid development of dangerously higher blood pressure, angina, heart attack, and stroke and therefore should be used with caution.

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  4. LeahDecember 8, 2011 at 5:07 AM

    Dentists have a unique opportunity to detect cases of hypertension since patient visits at routine intervals are encouraged. It is a professional responsibility of a dental clinician to inform the patient of their hypertensive state and to offer medical advice, including appropriate referrals.

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