How to keep your blood pressure under control
High blood pressure or hypertension is a silent murderer with few warning signs. About 70 million people 1 in 3 adults are living with her, but only 52 percent are under control. This disease stealth is a common risk factor for heart disease and stroke are two main causes of death in the United States.
It is difficult to say on your own if you have hypertension because it has few or no symptoms. The most important step is to take your blood pressure checked regularly by a health professional and always ask what he knows how he is doing.
What is blood pressure and why is it important?
Blood pressure is vital for life. It is the force of blood against the walls of the arteries that push blood through the main arteries into smaller arteries and finally in small capillaries that allow the exchange of fluids between the blood and tissues.
When blood pressure is taken, two numbers are given as 110/70. The top number is called systolic pressure,which is the blood pressure at its highest when the heart is beating. The bottom number is called the diastolic pressure which is blood pressure when the heart is resting between beats and or pressure drops.
Along increases blood pressure day and falls but when it stays high for long periods of time, this can damage the heart and increases the risk of heart attack or stroke. At the time when the force of blood flow become high blood vessels extend so it flows more easily in the blood. Over time this stretch scars and weakens blood vessels throughout the body.
The kidneys which help regulate the blood pressure, can also be affected by hypertension. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause arteries around the kidneys to reduce weaken or stiffen to hypertension is the second leading cause of kidney failure in the United States after diabetes.
Symptoms and causes
Most people have no symptoms of hypertension. Some people may experience headaches or nosebleeds, but they usually do not occur until the severe high blood pressure is reached. That's why every time a person goes to a doctor, your blood pressure is always taken. blood pressure is 120/80 or less perfect rest. High blood pressure is defined as 140/90 or higher.
There are two types of hypertension: primary hypertension or essential and secondary hypertension
Primary hypertension is when there is no identifiable cause of hypertension. This type tends to develop over several years.
Secondary hypertension is caused by an underlying disease. It tends to appear suddenly, and higher than the reading of the primary pressure. Some conditions that can lead to high blood pressure are kidney or thyroid problems, sleep apnea, or alcohol abuse.
Risk factors
Age –The risk of hypertension increases with age. Over two-thirds of adults over age 65, and people who have normal blood pressure at age 55, will have the chance of developing hypertension during their lifetime of 90 percent.
Family history – High blood pressure is tends to run in the families.
Race –It is especially common among African Americans and develops at an earlier age than Caucasians often.
Obesity –An estimated 70 percent of people with hypertension are overweight or obese. Obesity raises blood pressure by altering kidney function, which increases the volume of blood, and promote blood vessel damage by resistance to insulin. Excess grease also means additional thousands of capillaries through which it must pump blood.
High salt intake –More salt intake, so does the blood pressure.
Reduced potassium intake –Potassium helps balance the amount of sodium in the body cells. Excess salt in your diet can accumulate in the blood in the body is not getting enough potassium.
Alcohol –One day more than two glasses strongly associated with high blood pressure.
Stress –High stress can increase blood pressure.
Certain chronic conditions –Having diabetes, kidney disease, or sleep apnea can increase blood pressure.
Complications
You can include uncontrolled high blood pressure which can lead to many medical complications:
- Cardiac or stroke
- From Aneurysm
- Cardiac arrest
- Weak and narrow blood vessels in the kidney
- Eye, thick narrowed or torn blood vessels
- Metabolic syndrome
- Problems with memory or understanding
Lifestyle changes to treat high blood pressure
Fortunately, many lifestyle changes a person can do to prevent or treat hypertension. Before the changes in life, they can reduce the risk of developing or start to avoid adopted more likely.
Here's how you can help reduce high blood pressure:
Weight reduction –The Maintain of a healthy body weight (body mass index of 18.5 to 24.9 or BMI).
DASH eating plan –Fruit with low saturated fat intake to adopt DASH, diet rich in vegetables and low-fat dairy products (dietary approaches to stop hypertension).
Sodium restriction –Per day reduce sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium and hypertension or prehypertension to reduce consumption to 1,500 milligrams for people with a greater reduction in blood pressure.
Physical activity –A minimum of 30 minutes a day, do aerobic exercise most days of the week.
Moderate alcohol consumption –Men: limited to 2 drinks per day, women: 1 drink per day limit.
There are several medications for high blood pressure treatment. Drug class, your doctor may prescribe is based on the measurement of blood pressure and other medical history.