Heart Lung Center : About us

Major Categories

Home

Clinic Locations and Contact Information

Hospital Affiliations

Physician Information

Accepted Health Plans

Financial Services

Registration Forms

History and Mission Statement

Online Resource Links

Diagnostic Testing

Procedures

Diseases and Condition

Locations

Palatine Heart Center
523 Old Northwest Highway,
Barrington, IL 60010
Phone (847) 381-1200
Fax (847) 381-1904

Heart Lung Center
360 Station Drive
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Phone (815) 477-8900
Fax (815) 477-7160

Hypertension

Hypertension (High blood pressure)

The circulatory system is made up of the heart and blood vessels that carry blood throughout the body. Your heart is the main pump for this system. With each heartbeat, the heart sends out blood though the large vessels called arteries. Blood pressure is the measure of how hard the moving blood pushes against the walls of the arteries. Your blood pressure consists of two numbers: systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number). The systolic number shows how hard the blood pushes when the heart is pumping. The diastolic number shows how hard the blood pushes between heartbeats, when the heart is relaxed and filling with blood.

Blood pressure is considered too high when it stays above 140/90 most of the time. Depending on other health conditions you may have, the doctor may want your blood pressure closer to 130/80 or less.

In most cases, doctors can't point to the exact cause of high blood pressure. But several things are known to raise blood pressure, including being very overweight, drinking too much alcohol, having a family history of high blood pressure, eating too much salt and getting older.

Most of the time, high blood pressure does not cause any symptoms. In some cases, when the blood pressure is very high, patients may complain of headache, vision problems or nausea. Without treatment, high blood pressure can damage the heart, kidneys, brain and eyes. This damage can cause problems like coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke and kidney failure.

Most patients with high blood pressure require medication. In addition to medication, your doctor will also recommend lifestyle changes such as losing weight, exercising more and cutting back on salt, caffeine and alcohol. In some cases, multiple medications are needed to bring your blood pressure down to a safe level.