Why Is Hypertension Called the Silent Killer?

There’s often debate in the medical community about the seriousness of certain conditions or proper treatment protocols. But they all seem to agree on one thing: Hypertension (high blood pressure) is the silent killer. Everyone from the FDA to the Mayo Clinic and the American Heart Association has put forth this designation.

Why are doctors and other healthcare practitioners so concerned about hypertension? As a high blood pressure specialist, Dr. Peymon Zarreii can help you understand. And if you have high blood pressure and are concerned after reading this post, he’s also here at our Zarreii Medical and Aesthetics office in Delray Beach, Florida, to help you get your blood pressure under control.

Now, let’s take a closer look at this silent killer.

Hypertension 101

High blood pressure is one of the most common conditions in the U.S., affecting one in three American adults. With its prevalence, you might think you’d be hearing more about this so-called silent killer.

But the reason you don’t hear much about hypertension is what makes it so dangerous. For starters, high blood pressure doesn’t cause any symptoms until it’s in its extremely advanced stages. Even then, it’s not the blood pressure itself that kills you. It’s the extremely broad range of life-threatening conditions that it causes.

The silent killer

People don’t die from high blood pressure, per se. Instead, they die from a complication caused by the excess pressure hypertension places on your blood vessels and your organs.

Some of the most common complications resulting from high blood pressure include:

Stroke
Heart attack
Heart failure
Aneurysm
Kidney problems
Vision loss
Metabolic syndrome, which can lead to heart disease and diabetes
Memory problems and dementia

Clearly, untreated high blood pressure puts you at risk. Even if it doesn’t kill you, it can cause a variety of conditions that dramatically lessen your quality of life.

Now, here’s the good news: High blood pressure is extremely treatable. But before you can seek treatment, you need to know when your blood pressure is too high.

Getting your blood pressure checked

Because hypertension doesn’t cause any symptoms until it’s extremely serious, most people with high blood pressure don’t know they have it until a doctor tells them. The issue is that the longer your high blood pressure goes untreated, putting excess pressure on your artery walls, the greater your risk for all of the complications we just outlined.

Fortunately, getting your blood pressure checked is quick and easy. Here at our office, Dr. Zarreii can check it in minutes by simply placing a cuff around your arm.

If you’re between 18 and 39 without a history of hypertension, you can get your blood pressure checked every few years. Once you turn 40, get it checked annually.

Dr. Zarreii makes a blood pressure check a routine part of all of his annual physicals. If he does discover that your blood pressure is too high, he works with you to develop a treatment plan.

For many people, high blood pressure can be effectively managed with a healthy diet, regular exercise, and stress management techniques. In more serious cases, Dr. Zarreii may also recommend medication to you.

Don’t fall victim to this silent killer. To get your blood pressure checked, contact Zarreii Medical and Aesthetics by calling our office or requesting your appointment online today.