What is high blood pressure?
High blood pressure is also known as HBP or hypertension and is a condition when the pressure of your blood or the force of your blood pushes hard against the walls of the vessels and when it is extremely high.
In America, almost eighty five million people suffer from high blood pressure and in every 3 out of twenty people suffer from high blood pressure. This is said by the American heart association and this problem is increasing day by day.
The national institute of health has said that in people aged 65 and above, 2/3 of them suffer from high blood pressure in the United states of America.
High blood pressure can be fatal and can be very dangerous. If it is left uncontrolled and if it is not treated properly it can cause many health problems.
Some of the conditions that can occur if high blood pressure is not controlled include, loss of vision, diseases related to kidney, stroke, and heart failure.
You might be having a high blood pressure if the readings on your blood pressure machine are constantly coming 140 way over 90 for some days or for several weeks.
When a person has a high blood pressure, the pressure and force of the blood puts extra burden and strain on his heart and on the blood vessels. This extra burden and strain can cause heart attack or stroke.
High blood pressure can also cause kidney diseases and is also linked with dementia. You can check your blood pressure on a blood pressure machine or on your blood pressure chart.
The causes of high blood pressure (HBP)
Generally, high blood pressure does not have any signs or symptoms and the best way to find out about is by measuring it on the high blood pressure machine. But even then, a slightly high reading does not mean you have high blood pressure.
Due to a number of reasons you can have a high blood pressure and your doctor needs to measure your blood pressure constantly.
It is normal for people who have high blood pressure to experience headaches and it is best to visit your doctor to get the possible cure for this.
Although there are no definite causes for high blood pressure but some causes have been evolved that can trigger high blood pressure if not avoided.
These causes are:
- If you eat a lot if salt
- You avoid eating fruits and vegetables
- You are not active and lazy all the time
- If you are overweight
- Drinking too much alcohol can also trigger high blood pressure
You can control your blood pressure by getting too high if you avoid these things and making a lot of changes in your lifestyle. It is very easy to control your blood pressure but you need to be constant with your routine and habits.
Few more causes of high blood pressure which you cannot control
There are a few more causes of high blood pressure which one cannot control which hence leads to high blood pressure.
These few causes are:
– As one gets older your health condition may deteriorate and you can end up having an unhealthy lifestyle which can promote high blood pressure. This can make your blood pressure to be high quite often.
– Ethnic origin can also promote towards a high blood pressure, for example people living in the African and carribean as well as people belonging to South Asia have a greater risk of getting high blood pressures.
– Family history can also promote high blood pressure. For instance, if you have a family history of high blood pressures it is very normal for you to get high blood pressure as well.
If your father has high blood pressure or if his family members had this problem, similarly if your mother has high blood pressure issues and so does her own family members, you are very much about to face this problem as well.
– Obesity and overweight. People who are obese and are overweight are more prone to face high blood pressure issues as compared to people who have normal weights.
– Depends on gender as well. In general, high blood pressure is more common in men than it is in women however after the age of 60 to 65, both men and women might face this problem quite often.
– Smoking can also be a great cause for high blood pressure as it narrows the blood vessels which stops the flow of blood or restricts it thereby causing high blood pressure.
Smoking also makes oxygen content low so the heart has to do a harder job to pump the blood in order to compensate which thereby makes the blood pressure to be high again.
– A diet which is high in fat and carbs can also contribute towards a high blood pressure so doctors always ask to avoid having lots of fat in order to let the blood pressure be normal. Some of the foods that are good for a controlled blood pressure include, avocados, nuts, omega oils and olive oils.
– Studies have shown that mental stress can have a very serious impact on the blood pressure, so it is advised strongly for people not to take stress as it lead towards a high blood pressure.
– People who have diabetes are also at a higher risk of getting a high blood pressure. Constant control of blood sugar level along with insulin reduces the risk of high blood pressures.
– A study conducted on 78000 women for 14 years showed that they had psoriasis, so they had a higher chance of getting high blood pressure and even diabetes. Psoriasis is a kind of immune system condition that appears on the skin like thick scaly patches.
– Pregnant women are also at a higher risk of getting high blood pressure than those women who are not pregnant. It is very common for pregnant women to face high blood pressure issues and every 2 out 20 pregnant woman have high blood pressure problems.-
– Some people can also have high blood pressures even if not for the above conditions such as kidney problems. These problems can lead towards a high blood pressure, but their ongoing medical treatment might stop the high blood pressure issue once their condition gets back to normal and medicines stop.
The signs and symptoms of high blood pressure
People who have a high blood pressure are not necessary to get all of its symptoms which is why it is known as the silent killer.
If your blood pressure reaches to 180/110 mm hg that can be a medical emergency which is known as hypertensive crisis. At this stage, it is possible that the symptoms will start appearing.
Some of the symptoms include:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Vision might be blurry or double vision
- Bleeding of the nose
- Irregular heart beat or palpitations
- Breathlessness
If any of you experience these symptoms you should contact your doctor immediately as it can be very dangerous for your health. It is possible for children to experience high blood pressure as well.
Children who face high blood pressure might experience the following symptoms.
These symptoms are:
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Bleeding of the nose
- Blurry vision
- Double vision
- Not capable to control facial muscles on one side of your face
Newborns also face high blood pressure problems and those newborns who face high blood pressure issues may experience the following symptoms.
These symptoms are:
- Not able to thrive
- Seizure or fits
- Lethargy and weakness
- Respiratory diseases
- Irritability
People who have the issue of high blood pressure should have their blood pressure checked like a routine often and on and on.
Even for people who have their blood pressures at a normal should get their blood pressures regularly to check the stability of their health and in order to stay fit. You should get your blood pressure checked every five years even if your is normal.
Some complications you might face due to high blood pressure
High blood pressure can be life threatening or extremely dangerous if it is not treated as the increased pressure on the arteries can damage the blood vessels and its organs as well.
This can get quite complicated if the condition persists for too long or if it goes for too long.
Some of the complications you might face due to high blood pressure include:
- A stroke
- Heart attack and heart failure
- Blood clotting
- Aneurysm
- Kidney diseases
- Narrow and torn blood vessels
- Metabolic syndrome
- Memory problems and brain not functioning properly
These are severe complications that you would face if you do not control your blood pressure. A high blood pressure can be quite dangerous and if not taken seriously or if not treated properly can be quite dangerous and it can lead to severe problems so it is better to treat the problem initially rather than wait for it to become dangerous and extremely high. You should consult your doctor immediately if you face any of these symptoms.
Treatment for high blood pressure
There is a definite cure for treating high blood pressure, but its treatment depends upon a few conditions such as the severity of the condition, and how intense it really is, the diseases along with it and the risk factors.
If the blood pressure is only slightly high the doctor might only suggest a few changes to avoid heart diseases and any complications.
If the blood pressure is moderately high and if the doctor thinks that it can lead to complications in the heart and lead to cardiovascular disease in ten years or so the doctor will prescribe medicines and press upon following a healthy lifestyle.
If the blood pressure level is 180/110 mg or higher than this, the doctor will immediately refer the patient to a doctor. Doctors might also recommend you to follow a healthy lifestyle that will help to lower the blood pressure.
Regular exercise and its benefits for high blood pressure patients
Regular exercising for 30 to 60 minutes for five days in a week can lower the blood pressure by four to nine mmhg. Exercising is a great option which will keep you healthy and lower the blood pressure as well.
If you perform regular exercise you will notice a certain change in your blood pressure and the outcome will be good as well. You must follow a regular exercising pattern and consult with your doctor before starting this routine. If your doctor permits then you should go on with this routine.
The key to success is to exercise regularly. Exercising only two days and then not exercising for the rest of the 5 days will not give any good results at all.
Losing weight is also beneficial for a normal blood pressure as studies tell us that losing some pounds could do real good to a balanced blood pressure. A good diet with a combination of some good choice of foods is the key towards having the perfect blood pressure level.
If a person does not get enough sleep, it can be a great risk in to developing a high blood pressure. Disturbed sleeping patterns and insomnia can develop in to hypertension and then the doctor might give medications to take for the entire life.
Your doctor will also recommend you to take as little as salt as well as this can really trigger the blood pressure and make it high.
Overall, it is really up to the person to take care of his own health to manage his own eating and sleep habits. If the person himself will not take care then he will be responsible himself.
You should avoid eating those foods that can increase the blood pressure. Exercising is emphasized to be the best therapy for a good blood pressure.
For people aged 60 and above are more prone towards getting a high blood pressure so it is recommended highly for them to follow a regular exercising pattern in order to avoid the high blood pressure issues.