Doctor and TV presenter Alexander Myasnikov told what to do in case of sudden surges in blood pressure. According to the specialist, first of all it is necessary to undergo a medical examination.
He noted that in order to determine and identify any pathologies, it is necessary to undergo a 24-hour Holter monitoring procedure, during which it will be found out at what time the pressure increases and at what time it decreases. Thanks to this screening, the doctor will be able to prescribe treatment.
“Maybe it’s enough for you to just lose weight, give up salt and learn to deal with stress,” Myasnikov noted on June 2 on the program “About the Most Important Thing” on the Rossiya 1 TV channel.
- What to do when your blood pressure jumps due to weather changes, your head hurts or you feel dizzy, doctor’s advice and folk remedies
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Previously, Profile talked about three obvious symptoms of a heart attack. These include chest tightness, shortness of breath, and even sudden abdominal pain.
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Sudden changes in pressure in an elderly person, when high levels are replaced by low ones and vice versa, occur quite often. Why does blood pressure fluctuate in older people? What are the dangers of such a situation? How to deal with the problem?
Why do pressure changes occur?
Jumps in blood pressure can be single or multiple. If the problem occurs once, then it does not pose a danger. But its repetition should not be ignored.
The main factors that provoke changes in blood pressure are:
- Getting out of bed quickly;
- Any sudden movements, especially with the head;
- Physical exercise;
- Various experiences, emotional stress;
- Sudden changes in air temperature (for example, when visiting a bathhouse, which cause rapid narrowing or dilation of blood vessels;
- Changes in weather conditions (typical for weather-sensitive people);
- Constant lack of sleep;
- Side effects of certain medications;
- Consumption of alcoholic beverages;
- Smoking;
- Chronic diseases.
In a healthy person, the indicators deviate only slightly from the norm and quickly return to normal.
If you have chronic diseases, then it is quite difficult to restore blood pressure. Common causes of sudden surges in blood pressure in older people are various diseases:
- Vegetovascular dystonia - the autonomic nervous system becomes unable to control the functioning of the heart and vascular tone;
- Heart diseases that disrupt its rhythm and weaken contractility;
- Brain pathologies (tumors, blood circulation disorders, inflammation) - disrupt the nervous activity that regulates the functioning of the cardiovascular system;
- Diseases of the adrenal glands and thyroid gland - the synthesis of hormones is disrupted, which affects blood pressure;
- Atherosclerosis;
- Hypertonic disease;
- Essential hypertension;
- Heart and kidney failure;
- Cervical osteochondrosis, scoliosis, radiculitis;
- Intervertebral hernia;
- Inflammation of the maxillary sinuses;
- Diabetes.
The causes of surges in blood pressure in old age are explained by changes occurring in the body, which include:
- Increased blood viscosity;
- Loss of elasticity of blood vessels and their fragility;
- Formation of atherosclerotic plaques and blood clots;
- Sclerosis of blood vessels;
- Increased stress on the heart;
- Violation of metabolic processes.
Another reason for pressure surges in the elderly is the body’s attempts to normalize indicators and their failure due to the severity of the disease or failure of regulatory mechanisms.
People diagnosed with hypertension often suffer from sudden changes in blood pressure. If antihypertensive medications are taken incorrectly, their blood pressure drops below normal, but after a few hours it will rise above the normal level, which is due to the low elasticity of the walls of blood vessels.
Who is Doctor Myasnikov?
Alexander Myasnikov is a cardiologist, candidate of sciences. Active member of the American Medical Association and the College of Physicians. In 2021, he was awarded the Honored Doctor of Moscow award.
Alexander Leonidovich is the chief physician of the Kremlin hospital. He is constantly developing new ways to treat cardiovascular diseases. He brings the invented methods to the attention of the public in his books on health, of which there are more than 16. He is actively involved in social activities, hosting programs on health.
What are the dangers of blood pressure surges?
Sudden changes in blood pressure for people over 60 years of age pose a greater danger than consistently high or low levels. They increase the load on the heart several times, accelerating its wear and tear, and provoke a hypertensive crisis, which can cause various complications, including myocardial infarction. Also, surges in blood pressure can cause cerebrovascular disorders, coronary heart disease, and stroke.
How to identify pathology?
A tonometer will help accurately diagnose changes. But they can also be identified by deterioration in well-being.
Blood pressure surges are accompanied by:
- Headache and dizziness;
- Alternating redness and paleness of the skin;
- Noise in the ears;
- The appearance of black dots before the eyes;
- Nausea and vomiting;
- Numbness of fingers;
- Cold extremities;
- Muscle tremors of the whole body;
- Tremor of the limbs;
- Slowing or increasing heart rate;
- Feeling of lack of air (shortness of breath);
- Aching or girdling pain in the chest area;
- Increased sweating;
- Severe weakness, fatigue and weakness (sometimes a person cannot even walk);
- Fainting and convulsions.
If such symptoms appear, it is necessary to measure blood pressure in both arms and monitor the readings for 2 hours, every 20-30 minutes.
How to treat the disease?
If an elderly person’s blood pressure fluctuates, then first of all he needs to see a doctor. The specialist will conduct diagnostics to determine the cause of the pathology, individually select medications, adjust the dosage, and take into account the presence of chronic diseases and contraindications.
It is recommended to keep a diary to note after what actions the blood pressure decreased or increased, which will help the doctor prescribe the optimal treatment.
Self-medication is only possible as an emergency, after which you should call a doctor. Otherwise, it can lead to serious complications and death.
First aid
What to do if the tonometer shows a strong deviation from the norm?
If blood pressure is high, you need to lie down in a comfortable position and relax. It is recommended to place a heating pad on your feet. If a person experiences chest discomfort, nitroglycerin should be taken.
If your blood pressure is low, you need to drink a cup of coffee, put a little salt on your tongue, eat a spoonful of sugar, or take citramone or a few glucose tablets.
If the pressure has returned to normal and the symptoms have not disappeared, then no additional measures need to be taken. The condition will soon be restored.
His opinion on hypertension
Dr. Myasnikov believes that synthetic drugs against high blood pressure do not always work. They are only able to correct an existing deficiency. At the same time, a properly formulated diet can prevent pressure surges.
The main danger of hypertension is that the patient feels normal and does not even suspect that a serious pathology is developing in his body.
According to Myasnikov, hypertension is the most dangerous disease of the 21st century, because it poses a threat not only to older people, but also to the working-age young population.
Even if at 20 to 80 mm Hg. If a person experiences frequent headaches or loss of strength, he needs to constantly measure his blood pressure, because he is at risk. It is at this stage that you need to begin correcting your way of life.
Hypertension is accompanied by cerebral circulation disorders, which affect small vessels. This situation does not cause much damage to the body; the patient notes only short-term discomfort.
It’s like boxers: a few missed punches don’t knock you down, but if they are repeated regularly, the pathology will make itself felt. Later, the patient will begin to experience neurological symptoms, and over time, paralysis, dementia, stroke, or cerebral hemorrhage may occur.
The doctor advises not to let the situation develop into a crisis, taking into account that at an early stage, arterial hypertension is not difficult to control.
Preventive measures
To prevent blood pressure surges, you must:
- Regularly monitor blood pressure using a home blood pressure monitor;
- Avoid coffee and strong tea;
- Minimize fat and salt content in food;
- Eliminate smoked meats, sausages, and canned food from the diet;
- Increase consumption of sea fish, vegetables and fruits;
- Do not give up physical activity, but it should be moderate (exercise, walking) so as not to strain the body;
- Get enough sleep at night and rest during the day;
- Maintain body weight at the same level;
- Do not take medications that quickly lower blood pressure, which can cause collapse due to rapid drainage of blood from the brain and lead to death (this recommendation is especially relevant for people over 90 years of age).
Dental clinic No. 2
A healthy lifestyle is extremely important if you have hypertension. All patients with blood pressure readings above 120-130 by 80-84 millimeters of mercury urgently need to change their usual lifestyle and diet. This includes: limiting smoking and drinking alcohol, properly preparing a nutritious diet, and exercising. All this will reduce the factors that affect the formation of hypertension. including atherosclerosis. The goal of treating hypertension is to lower blood pressure, which will help prevent damage to vital organs. Hypertension is dangerous due to complications from various organs and systems, such as stroke. myocardial infarction. heart failure. renal dysfunction. as well as pathology of the retina. As a result, the quality of life deteriorates significantly, a person’s working capacity decreases, even to the point of disability. For this reason, many countries around the world have developed and launched national programs to combat hypertension, and numerous pharmaceutical laboratories are developing safe, effective and easy-to-use drugs to control blood pressure.
What is hypertension?
We are talking about a disease in which blood pressure levels exceed normal values. For a person of any age, a blood pressure of up to 130/85 millimeters of mercury is considered normal. Starting from a pressure reading of 140/90 mm Hg. we can talk about the presence of arterial hypertension in a person. Pressure 130-140/85-90mmHg. considered as elevated normal.
The causes of hypertension include:
negative psycho-emotional effects; overloading the diet with table salt; age-related restructuring of endocrine organs.
But these circumstances occur quite often in life, so for the formation of hypertension, predisposing factors (acquired and hereditary) are also needed. The main ones:
change in cell membranes; increased activity in nerve regulation centers; weakening of the regulatory functions of the kidneys.
In the chain of formation of hypertension, the first link is usually an emotional experience. What to do for hypertension
If you start treating the disease in a timely manner, this will reduce the risk of complications such as myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure. For blood pressure above 140 per 90 millimeters of mercury, experts recommend conventional drug treatment. In patients with chronic kidney disease or diabetes, the recommended blood pressure level is lower than 130 per 80 millimeters of mercury.
If you have high blood pressure and have questions regarding your well-being, you can use our online doctor consultation service. where you will receive a detailed answer to your questions.
Thus, the treatment of arterial hypertension includes two main factors: drug treatment and lifestyle changes. Why is it important to lead a healthy lifestyle?
A healthy lifestyle for hypertension, as for any chronic disease, is one of the main factors for effective treatment. Lifestyle changes are considered a critical step in the treatment process, as well as in the prevention of arterial hypertension. In this case, special attention is paid to the following factors:
Psychological climate Changing diet Physical activity Quitting bad habits
Now let’s take a closer look at each of these fundamental points. Psychological climate
Stress. conflicts, quarrels in the family, insufficient sleep, excessive emotional stress become the causes of feelings such as anger, melancholy, rage, jealousy, and fear. And negative emotions. in turn, lead to excessive synthesis of adrenaline. the action of which causes an increase in blood pressure, disruption of the regulation of the nervous and circulatory systems.
Therefore, the most important thing in the fight against hypertension is maintaining goodwill and creating a healthy psychological atmosphere. Each person suffering from hypertension must develop their own individual method of dealing with stress. This could be a walk, communication with a pet, meditation, auto-training. The main thing is that the chosen method is right for you. Diet
A healthy lifestyle with hypertension involves diet correction. And in some cases, this alone is enough to keep blood pressure levels under control.
The main directions for changing the diet of a hypertensive patient are as follows:
Limiting calorie intake to control weight. Excess weight is one of the main risk factors for hypertension. You should avoid eating sweet, fatty and starchy foods. It should be remembered that fasting is contraindicated for patients with hypertension, since there is a lack of protein in the body. vitamins and microelements negatively affects the state of the cardiovascular system and metabolism. Limiting the content of animal fats in the diet. This is simultaneously aimed at reducing caloric intake and preventing atherosclerosis, which is one of the risk factors for hypertension. Foods rich in cholesterol (liver, brains, caviar) should be excluded from the diet, and butter, cheeses, sour cream, sausages, lard, fried cutlets should be replaced with additional portions of vegetables and fruits, vegetable oil, and lean fish. Dairy products are preferably low-fat. Limiting salt. Excess sodium in the body promotes water retention, which leads to vasoconstriction and spikes in blood pressure. Pickles, smoked meats, chips, salty cheeses, and canned foods should be excluded from the diet of hypertensive patients. The amount of salt used in cooking should be reduced to 1 teaspoon per day. Enriching the diet with magnesium and potassium, which reduce the tendency of blood vessels to spasm. strengthen the nervous and cardiovascular systems. A large amount of potassium is found in foods such as apricots, prunes, cabbage, potatoes, pumpkin, bananas, and rose hips. Carrots, lettuce, beets, parsley, walnuts, black currants, black bread with bran, oatmeal and buckwheat are rich in magnesium. Eating foods rich in vitamin C has a strengthening effect on the walls of blood vessels. Vegetables and fruits, which contain large amounts of vitamin C, are best consumed raw or subjected to short heat treatment. Citrus fruits, rose hips, black currants, sea buckthorn, and Sudanese rose flowers are rich in vitamin C.
Physical activity
A healthy lifestyle for hypertension involves regular moderate physical activity. Walking, swimming, and physical therapy exercises are especially useful. The load should increase gradually. During exercise, you must regularly measure your pulse. the frequency of which should not exceed the age limit, determined as follows: 180 minus age in years.
The most harmful to blood vessels is smoking. Quitting bad habits.
The most harmful to blood vessels is smoking, which is very common among the population of our planet. This habit not only significantly worsens the condition of a hypertensive patient, but also contributes to the further development of hypertension and the development of its complications, such as stroke and myocardial infarction. Take the disease into your hands!
No matter how much they write about hypertension, it’s not enough. For this disease makes every third person suffer in Russia today. In itself destructive, this disease underlies the development of angina, heart attack, and stroke.
What about the means of struggle? Synthetic drugs, etc. don’t drink, don’t smoke, walk in the fresh air, eat less salty foods, more vegetables and fruits, etc.? If the path to freedom from disease is so simple, why do millions suffer from this disease? Can't overcome bad habits? How can an ordinary person, not a hero in his strong-willed qualities and not rich, avoid the blow of hypertension? Is there anything new or original in the fight against it? Healthy lifestyle correspondent Alexander Midler asked these questions to Vladimir Ivanovich Baksheev, candidate of medical sciences, doctor of the highest category, head of the emergency medical care and home care department of the 52nd Consultative and Diagnostic Center of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
Vladimir Baksheev: Do you want something original? It is not the original that is important here, but the correct. This, I believe, is reasonable nutrition, physical activity and giving up bad habits.
Smart Eating
• What does the body lack in hypertension? First of all, potassium salts. There are a lot of these salts in cabbage, pumpkin and apricots, and truly rich sources of potassium are rose hips, prunes, dried apricots and raisins.
• The body needs the help of magnesium salts. They have a vasodilating effect and relieve vasospasm. You will get these salts in porridges - oatmeal, millet, barley and buckwheat.
The food that saves you from rising blood pressure is basically very simple - according to the proverb: “Soup cabbage soup and porridge are our food.” But, of course, it will be noticeably better if you supplement this healthy basis of the diet with parsley, lettuce and carrots.
Now dessert: nuts and berries. Among berries, black currants contain the most magnesium salts, and among nuts, they are mainly found in almonds and walnuts. For example, it’s great if you can afford to eat 100 g of crushed walnuts per day in 3-4 doses, mixing them with 60 g of honey. Course - 45 days.
• In general, honey preparations are very good. I recommend this recipe: pass the cranberries through a meat grinder, mix with an equal amount of honey and take 1 tbsp. spoon three times a day 20 minutes before meals. And second: squeeze the juice from the beets and mix half and half with honey. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3-5 times a day.
• You need to reduce your blood pressure. One of the most accessible ways to gradually and gently lower blood pressure is to eat 50 g of grated raw potatoes on an empty stomach - morning and evening.
Lingonberry juice and berries perfectly stabilize blood pressure (take 200 g 2-3 times a day; treatment course is 10 days). Fermented viburnum berries with sugar are excellent in the fight against high blood pressure - take 2-3 tbsp. spoons 3 times a day for three weeks. Chokeberry berries are very useful in the fight against hypertension. If possible, eat 100 g of them half an hour before meals three times a day. The course of treatment is a month. And finally, beet juice. I recommend taking it 1 tbsp. spoon three times a day for 2-3 weeks.
You need to boost your metabolism, and this is well influenced by foods containing iodine, especially seaweed. It is necessary to sharply reduce table salt in your diet, reduce blood cholesterol levels and body weight.
What is important here is, so to speak, the main food. If you focus on relatively inexpensive products, then pasta and rice are good for hypertensive patients. Dairy products include skim milk, egg whites and low-fat cheeses. Then I recommend vegetable soups. Fish is healthy (the only thing is, don’t eat the skin of fish, especially sardines and smelt). Meat: young lamb, chicken, rabbit. All fresh and frozen vegetables are healthy, especially legumes: beans, lentils, peas, corn.
Enter, if you have enough determination and money for it, days when you eat only vegetables and fruits: 1-1.2 kg in 4-5 doses.
Physical activity
• Increase the movement. Hypertension most often develops in people with sedentary occupations. At risk today are all those who train their body less than 4 times a week! And of course, these are the majority. True, it is important not to “go overboard” here, because from 5 to 15% of cases of acute heart attack occur due to irregular and excessive physical activity. Only systematic training, which is based on gradualness, consistency and knowledge of your personal norm, firmly resists hypertension. Swimming, cycling, gymnastic exercises, jogging, walking - in all cases you need to feel what is necessary and sufficient for your health. You also need to know the general norm. For example, walking is the best way to combat hypertension: walking does not need to be learned, it can be done anywhere, it is easily combined with everyday activities and does not require material costs. So, the best walking pace is one at which you are able to talk while walking. When you're walking so fast you can't talk, slow down. If you can sing while walking, speed up your step. For a person prone to hypertension, the time of daily training walking should be increased gradually: from 6 to 45 minutes. The intensity of the first training sessions should be low. At the same time, always start by warming up your muscles and don’t be alarmed if they hurt a little at the beginning of walking. In a day or two you will adapt to the stress and the pain will go away.
Find an opportunity to do this by choosing a time convenient for you so that exercise becomes a necessary part of your life. You can exercise for 5, 10 or 15 minutes a day with breaks, but in order for the total time for exercise to be at least half an hour per day, even better is those same 45 minutes.
Rejection of bad habits
• It is necessary to build a new relationship with alcohol and smoking, based on the fact that the consequences of hypertension, such as angina and myocardial infarction, develop several times more often in smokers than in non-smokers.
If you want to get rid of the craving for smoking without overexerting your will, there are simple folk methods that have been proven by generations: rinse your mouth before smoking with a solution of baking soda (at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 1 glass of water) or a decoction of oats (10 g per 200 ml of water).
As for alcohol, it does not need to be completely excluded from life. In the absence of individual contraindications for health reasons, men can drink 1 glass of vodka or 1 glass of wine, or 1 bottle of beer daily without noticeable harm to their health. For women, the average norm is half as much, again taking into account age and health status.
I will not dwell on treatment with synthetic drugs - they will be prescribed by a doctor. I will only say: of course, in a number of acute cases, drug treatment is necessary. As Hippocrates once said: “For an emergency state of illness, there are emergency means.” But we will try not to let it get to this point. And for this, we will focus on medicinal plants in treatment. (By the way, they are useful at any phase of the development of hypertension).
The main medicinal properties of hawthorn, mistletoe, motherwort, cudweed, valerian, chokeberry, astragalus, birch leaves, leaves and berries of blueberries, strawberries, lingonberries, rowan fruits, dill fruits, rose hips, white magnolia, viburnum, lemon balm (or mint) ), shepherd's purse grass, knotweed grass, sweet clover grass, flax seed, drop cap grass.
If you do not find any of these herbs and fruits, prepare infusions without the missing ones. There are many options for fees. Here is a typical collection: motherwort herb - 4 parts, dried cucumber - 2, hawthorn fruit - 1, mint leaves - 0.5, shepherd's purse herb - 1, rowan fruit - 1, dill fruit - 1, flax seed - 1, strawberry leaves - 2. Method of preparation: 2-3 tbsp. spoons of the mixture pour 2.5 cups of boiling water into a thermos. Leave for 6 hours. The next day, take the entire infusion in three warm doses 0.5 hours before meals.
Carry out herbal medicine courses for 4 to 6 months with breaks of 10 days every month and a half. If after 2-3 months you can feel that hypertension is receding, in this case, reduce the dose and frequency of administration.
To summarize: many consider the development of complications of hypertension to be inevitable. I am convinced that this is a mistake. Thoughtful physical activity, precise selection of nutrition, proper use of medicinal herbs, meaningful, targeted use of official medicine will give you the opportunity to take hypertension into your hands.
