Hypertension or high blood pressure is often called the silent killer. High blood pressure, if not treated, can be life-threatening. It can cause heart failure, increase risk for stroke, kidney failure, and other chronic conditions. High blood pressure occurs when the pressure on the person’s blood vessel walls is consistently higher than normal. Rapid Healthcare provides a diagnosis of the disease through a blood pressure cuff. Once diagnosed, our medical team offers different treatment and management approaches for each patient at our clinic in Bolingbrook, IL.
High blood pressure is both prevalent and a serious risk factor. The CDC reports that almost half of adult Americans have hypertension, and that high blood pressure increases risk for heart disease and stroke. Hypertension is linked to an estimated 500,000 deaths a year in the U.S. as either the primary or secondary cause. While it is prevalent, high blood pressure does not have symptoms – taking your blood pressure is the only way to know if it is high. Normal blood pressure should be below 120 mm Hg systolic and 80 mm Hg diastolic. Even though there are no symptoms, not controlling hypertension can lead to damage to the heart, brain, eyes and kidneys.
Hypertension Treatment
Patient education on how to manage blood pressure is important in managing this disease. Teaching the patient to check blood pressure regularly, encouraging them to eat healthy foods and maintain appropriate body weight, creating action plans to limit alcohol intake and/or smoking, and managing stress are just some inclusions of the clinic’s patient education program. Medication and alternative ways are available in our clinic as well as follow-up checkups. Our telehealth services can help in monitoring the patient management of hypertension without inconvenient trips to our clinic.
There are effective ways to manage high blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease and other complications. To come in for a checkup, contact our team at Rapid Healthcare to schedule an appointment or stop by our walk-in clinic in Bolingbrook, IL. Most insurance plans are accepted, including Medicaid and all PPO plans.