At our Shelby dental office The Gentle Dentist we provide a full level of dental care for the entire family. During a few new dental patient visits recently we had discovered extremely high blood pressure in both a 22 year old male and a 42 year old female. The blood pressures were so high that we needed to send them to the physician immediately. The scary thing is that these people go through life with such high blood pressures that they could have a stroke or a heart attack at any moment.
The following is a chart which has systolic blood pressure readings on the left which is the pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts and diastolic blood pressure is the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest. There are some guide lines on what to do to improve your blood pressure.
The young man said that he drank energy drinks all day and had a blood pressure reading of 185/115. These drinks contain a huge amount of caffeine and sugar and gets the heart beating at a rapid pace under a lot of pressure. He could of had an aneurysm or a stroke when the blood pressure is this high. He is also setting himself up for a multitude of health problems when the pressure is this high at such a young age. Diabetes, kidney disease, and other circulatory problems develop when pressures are so high.
The second patient we saw had a pressure of 205/107. When looking at the chart above you can see how dangerous this is. We had to deny treatment to her also because of the severe nature of the blood pressure.
Both of these patients were obese and didn’t exercise. To reduce your risk of high blood pressure and a multitude of health problems it is important to exercise regularly, reduce caffeine, sugar and salt from your diet. A diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables is critical to give your body the nutrients it needs. On the chart lists the healthy things you can do to have a healthier lifestyle and lower your blood pressure. You owe it to your family and loved ones to do so. Please visit your physician or even go to the blood pressure screenings or and even use the automatic ones that you can see at the pharmacy. You can also give us a visit and we would be happy to check your blood pressure with no obligation at our office.
