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THE BEAN:
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 Meet Jane Doe. Jane is a 55 year old teacher living in Jacksonville, Florida. When she isn’t busy planning lessons and activities for her students, Jane is catching up with friends, chasing her dogs around, or relaxing with a good book. Her health is one of her top priorities, so she is mindful of keeping up with her annual doctor appointments. This year, her primary care physician diagnosed her with hypertension after seeing the log of blood pressure readings Jane has kept. Let's review Jane Doe’s case.
Jane Doe has been taking her blood pressure regularly for 3 years at the instruction of her primary care provider when she noticed it rising.
Her doctor decided to refer her to nephrology since the original medications did not seem to be working. Ms. Doe met with Dr. Munjal who made a small, simple change in her medications. Dr. Munjal decreased her blood pressure medication and now her readings are in the 150s and the uncomfortable symptoms of “low” blood pressure have been minimized. Once these symptoms went away, her regiment was changed again to further lower the readings. The uncomfortable symptoms came back briefly, but soon went away as her body acclimated to having lower blood pressure again. Her new goal is 130-140 for her systolic readings. Dr. Munjal explained: “When someone has hypertension, the body can acclimate over time and not experience symptoms of hypertension. This means that when we try to bring the blood pressure back down to a lower range, you may not feel as great as the readings may look. It is important to keep this in mind when working to reach blood pressure goals. When we set a goal, we know that this may take a while to reach since changing blood pressure has to be done in steps. You may feel worse before you feel better.” Working with blood pressure readings is not a sprint, it is a marathon. We must pace ourselves as we work through the steps needed to safely get the blood pressure down to a manageable range. If you have questions or concerns about your blood pressure, call to schedule an appointment with Dr. Munjal!  Did you know that sleep can be directly related with a risk of developing hypertension? Sleeping problems like trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and too little sleep are all associated with increased risk of high blood pressure. It’s no mystery that a good night’s sleep and good sleeping habits can make a world of difference in overall health.
Effects of Sleep Deprivation Sleep deprivation does not always mean chronic sleep issues. Sleep deprivation symptoms can start after just one night. Some of the symptoms may include:
So, how do you fix it? Here are some recommendations for getting a good night’s sleep:
Some results may be immediate, like feeling more well rested, while others may take getting into a routine to see effects. Keep in mind that this is only one of the many factors that can affect blood pressure. For blood pressure concerns, please call our office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Munjal. As always, stay safe and healthy! Resources: Mayo Clinic: High Blood Pressure and Sleep. The Sleep Foundation: Sleep Hygiene  Did you know that, according to the World Health Organization, it is estimated that 1.28 billion people (aged 30-79) in the world have hypertension? Surely, not all 1+ billion people with hypertension have the same cause, right? Listed below are 11 factors that can contribute to changes in blood pressure.
Each person is different and can have multiple other factors working both with or against them when it comes to managing their blood pressure. If you have hypertension, consider the factors that are within your control and what you can do to improve your health. Make an appointment with Dr. Munjal for a consultation and additional guidance on your blood pressure management. As always, stay safe and healthy! Resources: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hypertension |
