Symptoms, Causes and Treatment of High Blood Pressure
Every time your heart beats, it's pumping blood throughout your body via the arteries and your blood pressure is the force that is used to pump this blood against the walls of the veins.
Blood pressure can spike at times for various reasons, but when it becomes chronically high this is referred to as hypertension and, left untreated, this can lead to other serious health problems such as heart problems, eye problems, stroke, aneurysm, kidney failure, etc.
Anything below 120/80 is considered as normal blood pressure.
Between 120/80 and 139/89 is referred to as pre-hypertension (you have an increased risk of hypertension) and then of course hypertension itself - anything above 140/90.
Symptoms Hypertension is known as one of the silent killers because there are generally little or no symptoms until the pressure is extremely high.
It is thought that about a third of people who have it don't know and therefore, it is wise to have your pressure checked regularly and particularly if you have a family history of hypertension.
It is not until your blood pressure is extremely high that you begin to have problems such as headaches, blurred vision, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, chest pains and blood in the urine.
If you have any of these symptoms you should consult a doctor immediately because it could mean that you are having what is referred to as a hypertensive crisis, which could lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Causes In the majority of cases, the cause of hypertension is unknown but the factors that are thought to contribute to high blood pressure are:
Someone who is apple shaped (tends to store weight around the belly and chest area) is more likely to have hypertension than a pear shaped person (someone who stores excess weight around the hips and thighs).
Prevention & Treatment There are changes that you can make to your diet/lifestyle that may help with hypertension: Watch your sodium intake as some people have high sensitivity to this.
This includes not only salt that you are adding to meals, but also the high amount of sodium in processed foods and fast foods.
Some medications also contain high levels of sodium.
Start to read the labels on foods and medicines for sodium content, and cut down if your intake is too high.
Alcohol can also raise blood pressure in some adults who are sensitive to alcohol if they consume more than a couple of drinks per day.
Not getting enough exercise will contribute towards the development of obesity and hence, high blood pressure.
Women who take birth control pills are also prone to developing high blood pressure.
If you have had previously high readings or family history, then you may want to purchase a blood pressure monitor.
You can now buy these from as little as $20.
00.
It is especially important to keep track of your blood pressure if you have additional health problems, such as kidney disease or diabetes.
Try to always keep your blood pressure below 140/90.
Adopt a healthier lifestyle, get more exercise, make sure you are eating a nutritious and balanced diet, cut down on your sodium intake, don't drink too much alcohol and don't smoke.
If none of the above measures are effective, then you should discuss with your doctor the various treatment options available to you.
The main drugs used in the treatment of hypertension are diuretics, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, CCBs, nervous system inhibitors and vasodilators.
Two or more drugs combined often work better than one, but your doctor will be able to advise you on the best option for you, dependent on your current health condition, lifestyle, age, family history, etc.
Blood pressure can spike at times for various reasons, but when it becomes chronically high this is referred to as hypertension and, left untreated, this can lead to other serious health problems such as heart problems, eye problems, stroke, aneurysm, kidney failure, etc.
Anything below 120/80 is considered as normal blood pressure.
Between 120/80 and 139/89 is referred to as pre-hypertension (you have an increased risk of hypertension) and then of course hypertension itself - anything above 140/90.
Symptoms Hypertension is known as one of the silent killers because there are generally little or no symptoms until the pressure is extremely high.
It is thought that about a third of people who have it don't know and therefore, it is wise to have your pressure checked regularly and particularly if you have a family history of hypertension.
It is not until your blood pressure is extremely high that you begin to have problems such as headaches, blurred vision, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, chest pains and blood in the urine.
If you have any of these symptoms you should consult a doctor immediately because it could mean that you are having what is referred to as a hypertensive crisis, which could lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Causes In the majority of cases, the cause of hypertension is unknown but the factors that are thought to contribute to high blood pressure are:
- Family history - it appears to be hereditary and tends to run in families
- Gender - males are more like to suffer from this condition than females
- Socio economic status - more commonly found among the lower socio economic groups and less educated
- Age - the older one gets, the more likely you are to develop hypertension due to hardening of the arteries
- Race - African Americans are more likely to develop high blood pressure than Caucasians
- Obesity - as the body weight increases, the blood pressure tends to rise.
Someone who is apple shaped (tends to store weight around the belly and chest area) is more likely to have hypertension than a pear shaped person (someone who stores excess weight around the hips and thighs).
Prevention & Treatment There are changes that you can make to your diet/lifestyle that may help with hypertension: Watch your sodium intake as some people have high sensitivity to this.
This includes not only salt that you are adding to meals, but also the high amount of sodium in processed foods and fast foods.
Some medications also contain high levels of sodium.
Start to read the labels on foods and medicines for sodium content, and cut down if your intake is too high.
Alcohol can also raise blood pressure in some adults who are sensitive to alcohol if they consume more than a couple of drinks per day.
Not getting enough exercise will contribute towards the development of obesity and hence, high blood pressure.
Women who take birth control pills are also prone to developing high blood pressure.
If you have had previously high readings or family history, then you may want to purchase a blood pressure monitor.
You can now buy these from as little as $20.
00.
It is especially important to keep track of your blood pressure if you have additional health problems, such as kidney disease or diabetes.
Try to always keep your blood pressure below 140/90.
Adopt a healthier lifestyle, get more exercise, make sure you are eating a nutritious and balanced diet, cut down on your sodium intake, don't drink too much alcohol and don't smoke.
If none of the above measures are effective, then you should discuss with your doctor the various treatment options available to you.
The main drugs used in the treatment of hypertension are diuretics, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, CCBs, nervous system inhibitors and vasodilators.
Two or more drugs combined often work better than one, but your doctor will be able to advise you on the best option for you, dependent on your current health condition, lifestyle, age, family history, etc.