Hypertension

When the heart pumps blood, it goes through vessels called arteries. The rate of blood flow that passes through these arteries in the body is known as blood pressure.

In other words, this means that the amount of blood pumped by the heart in each heartbeat in relation with the resistance offered by these arteries is known as blood pressure.

When the pressure within these arteries become so high due to an underlying disease factor, this will result in what is known as HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE otherwise called HYPERTENSION.

When these occurs, it can lead to a further deterioration of the healthy states of both the heart and the blood vessels.There are some certain facts one must be aware of concerning hypertension and also one needs to be aware of how to deal with these diseases.

  1. It is the most common disease that affects the entire cardiovascular system which involves the heart, and the blood vessels (in this case, the arteries).
  2. People living with high blood pressure show no signs or symptoms. In other words, there is no sign or symptom for this disease. Little wonder, why it is called a SILENT KILLER.

You just may be living with hypertension and you may not know until you get yourself tested or until the disease finally brings you down.

  1. Due to the lack of signs and symptoms, one may not know or treat because of its lack of signs and symptoms. While some will discover early due to their regular body checkup, others will simply get to know they have the disease when the person suddenly has stroke or its early onset or the person starts to experience a heart attack (might be mild or severe as the case may be).

High blood pressure can very likely cause damages to the arterial walls and also to the heart valves. Once it damages the arterial walls, it will cause CORONARY HEART DISEASE. And if gets to damage the heart valve or the muscle of the heart, it will cause HEART FAILURE.

  1. The normal blood pressure ranges from 60-80mmhg for the diastolic and the normal systolic blood pressure ranges from 100-120mmhg. Once the blood pressure exceeds 90mmhg for the diastolic blood pressure and 140mmhg for the systolic blood pressure, the person is said to be hypertensive or the person is said to have high blood pressure.
  2. Sometimes, however, in a very little percentage of people that have hypertension, they tend to show minimal or regular symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath after running or walking for a little while, cheat pains and severe tightness in the chest may also be experienced.
  3. Hypertension can decide to hide for years without seeing any symptom or feeling any different than your normal self during your normal routines. Therefore, it is very important to check your blood pressure each day hence you would know if you are within the normal range or if you are going over the normal.
  4. ALCOHOL is a very disastrous factor that can increase the risk of having high blood pressure by 95%. Also caffeinated drinks can cause a spike or a very large increase in a person’s blood pressure and sometimes this increase can be very high enough to cause a stroke.

Fast fact: Do you know that men are more in risk of hypertension than women?

  1. Being obese can cause one to have high blood pressure. This is because when a person is overweight or obese, most especially when the person has extra fat around the abdomen, there can be a deposit of fat deposit around the arteries bringing blood out from the heart and that will cause the walls of the arteries to become clogged and hence leading to a condition named ARTERIOSCLEROSIS. This will cause a blockage causing excess pressure in the arterial walls and ultimately damaging it and this may lead to stroke.
  2. Someone who has diabetes or kidney failure will most likely develop hypertension too and this is due to the fact that in the case when the person has kidney problems or kidney failure, the kidney won’t be able to filter or pass out urine out of the body. This will lead to accumulation of fluid in the blood leading to an increased blood pressure causing hypertension.
  3. Age is also a risk factor for hypertension.  As we age, our blood vessels grow stiffer. And as they grow stiffer, the same amount of blood is pumped but it is forced to go through a smaller diameter because the arteries have lost their elastic ability, and this will therefore ultimately result in the blood pressure increasing.
  4. Genetics: The risk of developing hypertension becomes increasingly high if a family member had once had it or there is a trait of it in one’s generational background.
  5. Stress: Excessive stress either mental, physical or emotional stress can lead to an increase in blood pressure. The way a person responds to the news of a sudden incident can also lead into hypertension.

Fast fact: Do you know that too much salt in one’s diet can lead to hypertension?

  1. Exercise can reduce the chances of one having hypertension.
  2. Diagnosis of hypertension in children of ages 13 years and below is simply based on the readings of their age, height, weight and size.
  3. Undiagnosed, uncontrolled or untreated hypertension can lead to several complications such as Aneurysms, stroke, heart failure, heart attacks, peripheral artery disease, arteriosclerosis, stroke, vascular diseases such as vascular dementia, and chronic kidney disease.
  4. For people who have discovered that they have this disease, the doctor will draw out a plan that will accommodate changes in their lifestyle. Although this disease can’t really be treated, it can be managed. But once the underlying cause of hypertension is treated completely, the blood pressure in the body will revert to normal.
  5. One can effectively manage an hypertensive state by exercising regularly, maintain a healthy within the normal range of weight, stay physically active and also follow a food plan that contains less salt or sugar intake, and also by taking the appropriate drugs at the appropriate time.