There are two silent killers that threaten people’s health. The more you know about them, the better you’ll be able to identify the symptoms and seek treatment to maintain your good health.
High Blood Pressure
The first of the silent killers is high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. Unless people have their blood pressure checked, there’s no way to know that they have high blood pressure.
Some hypertension symptoms include headaches or a non-specific sense of feeling unwell. Most times, however, it’s discovered during a routine blood pressure check at a doctor’s office.
The side effects of untreated high blood pressure are:
- heart attack
- stroke
- brain hemorrhage
- kidney failure, and
- more.
So it’s important for you to make sure you get your blood pressure checked during a primary care appointment, at least once a year, even if you’ve been healthy.
Kidney Disease
The second silent killer is kidney disease. Six million Americans suffer from end-stage renal disease, and another 26 million Americans are in different stages of chronic kidney disease. The only way to diagnose early stages of kidney disease is through blood tests.
The primary symptom of advanced kidney disease is fatigue. At the start, patients may not be aware of this symptom because fatigue progresses with time, so much so that our bodies become used to being tired.
Kidney disease may be caused by:
- diabetes
- high blood pressure
- excessive intake of anti-inflammatories, and
- many other things.
Where to get tested for hypertension and kidney disease
High blood pressure and kidney disease are silent killers because you might not know you have them. When you visit your family medicine provider, you can learn more about these conditions and get tested.
Even if you’ve been healthy, it’s a good idea to have your blood pressure checked regularly, and to have kidney blood tests at least once a year. Get your blood pressure and kidneys checked by requesting an appointment with one our family medicine clinics. You’ll be glad you did.