High Blood Pressure – a Silent Killer
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is often characterized as the silent killer–and for good reason. Although it affects an estimated one in five North Americans, many people don’t experience any symptoms. As a result, less than one-quarter of sufferers actually receive treatment. Left untreated, however, it can severely damage the cardiovascular system, leading to death from stroke, heart attack or kidney failure. Most high blood pressure patients are candidates for medications, including ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers and diuretics. However, statistics show that of the 20 to 30 million individuals diagnosed with high blood pressure, less than half stay on their medication for more than one year. Moreover, 60 per cent of those who lower their medication do so because of side-effects. Given this information, the use of nutritional and botanical supplements, along with the adoption of a healthier lifestyle, can be of immense benefit in fighting this hidden killer. Lifestyle and Dietary Approaches
If you wish to either prevent or treat high blood pressure, changing how you eat, sleep, and respond to stress are very important considerations. In the eight-week DASH trial conducted by the Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in 1997, 70 percent of volunteers who eliminated meat and sugar, decreased unhealthy fat intake, and increased fruit and vegetable consumption decreased blood pressure to below 140/90 mm/Hg compared to just 45 percent of those who only ate more fruits and vegetables. Individuals with high blood pressure should decrease sodium intake to approximately three grams per day and add at least four daily servings of foods rich in potassium (beans, spinach, melon, potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, avocados). Decreasing sodium intake alone has reduced blood pressure by 8.4 mm/Hg systolic and 4.4 mm/Hg diastolic. Moreover, alcohol intake should be reduced to less than two drinks per day. Research has shown that a shift from five to two drinks daily can decrease blood pressure by 8 mm/Hg systolic and 4.4 mm/Hg diastolic. A structured exercise program is another important factor. In one study, an average weight reduction of 4.5 kg by individuals who were 10 to 65 per cent overweight led to a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure after just six months. In addition, stopping smoking is a must for anyone diagnosed with hypertension.
Stress Management and Sleep
Those with high blood pressure need to employ stress management and relaxation techniques. This concept was investigated by Dr. D. Shapiro and associates from the department of psychiatry and bio behavioural sciences at the University Of California Los Angeles School Of Medicine. Individuals with a mild to moderate increase in blood pressure were given blood pressure-lowering medications and then divided at random into two groups. One group performed simple stress management techniques, while the other did not. Remarkably, 55 percent of those who employed stress-reducing strategies were able to remain medication free, compared to only 30 percent in the control group, as found after a one-year follow-up examination. A good night’s sleep is also important. Researchers from the University of Pavia in Italy found that high blood pressure patients deprived of sleep had significant increases in blood pressures and heart rates, especially during the evening. CoQ10, Magnesium and Fish Oil
Several supplements have proven to be of great value in the fight against hypertension. One is coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), or ubiquinone. One study of 18 patients with high blood pressure concluded that 100 milligrams of CoQ10 daily for 10 weeks lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 10.6 and 7.7 mm/Hg respectively. In addition to CoQ10, 480 mg of magnesium oxide daily for two months decreased blood pressure on average by 2.5 mm/Hg systolic and 1.4 mm/Hg diastolic over 24 hours in individuals with mild to moderate hypertension. (Those employing magnesium therapy are cautioned that this may lead to episodes of diarrhea.) Fish oils rich in the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are also helpful adjuncts in the control of blood pressure. Individuals with mild increases in blood pressure were given either two grams of EPA and 1.4 g of DHA from fish oil (approximately 12 1,000-mg capsules of an 18 percent EPA/12 percent DHA mixture) or a placebo every day for four months. After only eight weeks, blood pressure was reduced by 6 mm/Hg systolic and 5 mm/Hg diastolic. Individuals wishing to try this high-dose fish oil approach should also increase vitamin E intake to 800 IU per day. Garlic and Reishi Mushroom
For those with mild to moderate elevations in blood pressure, garlic and reishi mushroom may be of value. The use of standardized garlic (Allium sativum) supplements at a dose of up to 900 mg per day for 12 to 16 weeks decreases both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in individuals with moderate elevations in blood pressure. In fact, one study concluded that garlic supplements decreased standing diastolic pressure from 101 to 90 mm/Hg and systolic pressure from 171 to 150 mm/Hg after 12 weeks. Unlike garlic, the use of reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum or Ling zhi in Chinese) in the treatment of hypertension is not well recognized. However, the conclusions of a recent trial suggest that it may be another helpful, natural, blood pressure-lowering agent. Fifty-five individuals on anti-hypertensive medications with moderate increases in blood pressure were given either 55 mg of concentrated reishi mushroom extract or a placebo, three times a day for one month. Unlike the 14 individuals in the placebo group, those taking the concentrated mushroom extract had a significant reduction in blood pressure. In conclusion, high blood pressure is a serious problem that affects one in four adults. It is important that individuals afflicted with this problem adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes quitting smoking, reducing stress, eating better, losing weight and increasing exercise. These changes, along with the judicious use of supplements and herbal therapies, can help combat this silent killer.
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What is Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is simply the pressure of blood against the walls of the main arteries. Two readings, systolic (when the heart is contracting) and diastolic (when the heart is relaxing), are measured by a device that records pressure changes in millimetres of mercury (mm/Hg). Various factors–age, stress, diet, exercise–will affect the readings. The following chart shows a continuum of blood pressure values including both healthy and unhealthy states.
Blood pressure
Systolic
Diastolic
Ideal
Less than 120 mm/Hg
Less than 80 mm/Hg
Mild hypertension
140 to 159 mm/Hg
90 to 99 mm/Hg
Moderate hypertension
160 to 179 mm/Hg
100 to 109 mm/Hg
Severe hypertension
More than 180 mm/Hg
More than 110 mm/Hg
Quickly Lower Blood Pressure
Blood Pressure Medications – How to Choose Right Medication
Choosing blood pressure medications - This is the biggest dilemma one faces while going through high blood pressure disease. Most of the time your dilemma will be solved by your doctor, his expertise of disease and knowledge of your medical condition will decide what medication is suited best for your body. According to National High Blood Pressure Education Program has recommended established guidelines for high blood pressure. This is a coalition of doctors, professionals, and voluntary organizations and government.
The information about medication mentioned here may differ from what your doctor has advised you. This depend what level of high blood pressure you are having and in what medical condition you are in. There are people with other diseases apart from high blood pressure, in such cases it gets more complicated and this needs to be treated with combination multiple drugs.
Pre-Hypertension (120/80 - 139/89)
This is the stage when one starts developing high blood pressure. There are no major sign, which will tell you that you are having high blood pressure. If this remains undetected, this has chance of growing into high blood pressure. Undetected high blood pressure is dangerous situation and can lead to heart failure and kidney failure.
At this stage with changes in lifestyle focusing on eating and exercise can reduce high blood pressure. Ensure you are in touch with your doctor; proper diet plan and changes in lifestyle will help you in lowering high blood pressure.
Changes needed in your lifestyle are as follows:
1. Low intake of salt and sodium in your diet.
2. Stop smoking.
3. Eat lots of vegetables, fruits and low fat diary products.
4. Excess weight in your body does no good to you; it puts more pressure on heart to pump blood into vessels. Maintain healthy weight.
5. Daily exercise is needed for 30 minutes and more. In the beginning you can break this exercise into 2 or 3 parts spread across the day. There can be many ways you can do exercise, starting with simple brisk walk, dog walking, swimming, light exercise running etc. Please take doctor’s advice before doing any active exercise.
6. Stop alcohol drinks, no good to your health.
In case you have other diseases along with prehypertension, you might need medication; your doctor will be in better position to advise you about medication.
High blood pressure (140/90 to 159/99)
Stage 1 of diseases
Once your blood pressure numbers are between 140/90 and 159/89 you have progressed from prehypertension to stage 1 high blood pressure. I both numbers (top - systolic and bottom - diastolic) are high or in this range leads to stage 1 of high blood pressure.
At this point your doctor may recommend you trying diuretics. The diuretics are also called water pills. The objective of diuretics is to flush excess water and sodium from the body. The lowering of excess water and sodium helps in lowering the blood pressure and with major changes in lifestyle will help in reducing blood pressure.
Doctor will recommend you medication and changes in lifestyle to control your blood pressure. Depending upon medical condition you might need only diuretic medication with changes in lifestyle to control your blood pressure.
Blood Pressure Drugs:
Calcium Channel Blockers - The goal of the drug is to prevent calcium going into heart and blood vessel, which causes cells to relax and lowers blood pressure.
Beta Blockers - This drug helps in reducing nerve signal to heart and blood vessel, which in turn helps in lowering blood pressure.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme - This drug helps blood vessel to relax and helps blood vessel not to narrow. This drug is also helpful in reducing blood pressure.
Your doctor may recommend you one of these medications to bring down blood pressure. There can be other complications such as one suffering from diabetes etc. In such situation a combination of drug is needed to reduce blood pressure.
High blood pressure (160/100 to Above)
Stage 2 of diseases
Now if your blood pressure numbers are falling in the range of 160/100 and above, this is alarming situation. You now are in stage 2 category. At this point your doctor will prescribe you couple of medications to quickly reduce high blood pressure. Even in this case your doctor will start medication with diuretics to flush out excess water and sodium from the body. Keeping your high blood pressure number in view, your doctor will prescribe you more medication to lower blood pressure.
Blood Pressure Drugs:
Beta Blocker - This drug helps in reducing nerve signal to heart and blood vessel, lowering stress on heart helps lowering blood pressure.
ACE inhibitor - This drug helps blood vessel from getting narrow, which lowers pressure on heart and lowers blood pressure.
Calcium Channel Blocker - The drug prevents calcium going into heart and blood vessel. This helps cells to relax and which in turn lowers blood pressure.
Angiotensin II receptor blocker - This medication helps in widening blood vessel and stops hormone called angiotensin from affecting blood vessels.
At such higher elevation blood pressure can cause kidney failure and heart stroke problems. In stage 2 hypertension, aggressive treatment and strong discipline for lifestyle in needed to lower blood pressure.
Take control of your medical situation by consulting doctor in early stages and bringing changes in your lifestyle. The medication and changes in lifestyle go hand in hand; strong discipline will surely lower blood pressure. Lastly monitor your blood pressure, at least 2-3 times a day. Do not depend entirely on this blood monitoring equipment and at no point discard visit to Doctor. Your doctor is best to judge your medical situation. The statistics have shown that a combination of good drugs and changes in lifestyle have helped patient to lower blood pressure.
High Blood Pressure: Causes,symptoms,treatment
Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. Blood pressure is the result of two forces: from the heart as it pumps blood into the arteries and throughout the circulatory system, and the force of the arteries as they resist blood flow. Blood pressure is measured by putting a blood pressure cuff around your arm, inflating the cuff and listening for the flow of blood. Blood pressure is always given as these two numbers, the systolic and diastolic pressures. Blood pressure is traditionally measured with a device called a sphygmomanometer. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Blood pressure is generally felt to be abnormally high at a level of 140/90, and some sort of definitive therapy and follow-up should be started at this level. High blood pressure is called the silent killer because it usually has no symptoms.
Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of your body in vessels called arteries. Blood does not flow regularly like water from a tap:-When the heart contracts (systole), the blood is propelled into the main arteries that act as a pressurised reservoir.
Pressure in a hose can be regulated either by controlling the rate at which fluid passes through it or by widening it. Pressure inside your arteries can cause the muscles that line the walls of the arteries to thicken. Your blood pressure is at its highest when the heart beats, pumping the blood. When the heart is at rest, between beats, your blood pressure falls. Still, for most of your waking hours, your blood pressure stays pretty much the same when you are sitting or standing still.
Heart disease is the UK’s biggest killer, claiming thousands of lives each year. Heart failure is when your heart cannot pump blood around the body as well as it should, and this can cause you to become short of breath and can cause your ankles to swell. Heart attack High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart attacks.
Various disorders and drugs can cause the compensatory mechanisms to malfunction, and high blood pressure may result. Causes In most instances of high blood pressure, no known cause can be identified. Doctors do not know what causes high blood pressure in 90 to 95 percent of people who have it. For some people, just being in a medical setting causes their blood pressure to rise.
Symptoms When blood pressure is too low, the first organ to malfunction is usually the brain. Symptoms that may occur include: Confusion Chest pain Ear noise or buzzing Irregular heartbeat Nosebleed Tiredness Vision changes. What is treatment, medication, medicines, remedy, drugs, cure of lowering high Blood pressure or Hypertension? . Although high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, can cause headaches, dizziness and problems with vision, the majority of people with the condition do not display any noticeable symptoms.
Treatment
Treatment is focused on reducing water retention and lowering blood pressure to normal limits. Treatment for high blood pressure depends on the severity of the disease and whether you have other health problems, such as heart failure or diabetes, or you are pregnant. Treatment of primary high blood pressure, especially moderate or severe high blood pressure, decreases the risk of heart failure, coronary artery disease, heart attack, abnormal heartbeats, stroke, and kidney disease, and reduces the risk of death from these conditions. Treatment for high blood pressure must be highly individualized and based on your risk factors, such as diabetes, smoking, and heart disease. Treatment when blood pressure increases slightly and the woman is not near the end of her pregnancy, bed rest may help reduce the pressure. Treatment begins with changes you can make in your lifestyle to help lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease .
High blood pressure is called the silent killer because it usually has no symptoms. When high blood pressure is not found and treated, it can cause: The heart to get larger, which may lead to heart failure. If your blood pressure is in the prehypertension range, it is more likely that you will end up with high blood pressure unless you take action to prevent it. High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the heart work too hard and contributes to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). If your blood pressure is between 120/80 mmHg and 139/89 mmHg, then you have prehypertension. The good news is that if your blood pressure is high, it can be lowered by making changes to your lifestyle, for example changing your diet, exercising and losing weight, and when needed, with tablets. The medical community?s knowledge of high blood pressure is great, but far from perfect. High blood pressure is more common: In patients whose families have high blood pressure In those over 35 years old In males In Afro-Americans In women on oral contraceptives. The only way to know whether you have high blood pressure is to have it taken by a person who knows how (those automatic machines you sit at in the supermarket are not necessarily kept accurate condition.
__Alexis Kenne
http://www.extend-yourlife.com/hypertension
http://www.goodhealthguaranteed.com
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The other name of this blood pressure is “silent killer”. Blood pressure is the pressure that is exerted by the blood on the walls of the blood vessels. Having high blood pressure increases in the risk of you to some of the heart problems like stroke or heart attack.
Blood pressure is the measurement of pressure of the blood flowing through your blood vessels against the vessel walls. It can be caused by two reasons one is by the heart as it pumps the blood and the other is the arteries as they resist the blood flow. This blood pressure may be low or high in an individual.
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Blood pressure is indicated or determined by the amount of blood your heart perhaps pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The normal person’s blood pressure is 120/80. If he has less than 120/80 then it is low blood pressure and more than 120/80 and with in 140/90 then it is considered to be as high blood pressure.
High blood pressure develops with no signs and symptoms. This high blood pressure affects everyone in their lives. If it does not occur in your life by the age of 55 then you are likely to develop it any of your age. This high blood pressure does not have any signs or symptoms. But it can cause diseases like heart attack, stroke and many other diseases. But few people feel like suffering with dull headaches, dizzy spells or few more nose bleeds than normal. But the high blood pressure does not occur until it reaches the advanced or life threatening stage.
There are more number of high blood pressure cases than low blood pressure. There are no definite causes for this blood pressure. But the high blood pressure can be developed due to hypertension. The high blood pressure can be caused due to kidney abnormalities, tumors of the adrenal gland or certain heart defects. It is said that this can be occurred due to the intake of certain medications like birth control pills, cold remedies, decongestants, pain relievers and some of the other prescriptions cause high blood pressure. The intake of the illicit drugs like cocaine and amphetamines also cause blood pressure. Having overweight is also one of the cause for this blood pressure.
If this high blood pressure is treated then it can help in preventing serious and life threatening diseases. If there is control over your cholesterol and diabetes then you can control the high blood pressure. If there is change in your lifestyle then that can be helpful in controlling blood pressure. There should be changes in diet and exercises which are prescribed by your physician that will lower the blood pressure. Reduction in overweight helps you in controlling blood pressure. There should be reduction of salt and high diets as they are harmful. Quitting smoke also contributes in controlling blood pressure.
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Clarify What Low Blood Pressure Is
Low blood pressure is a difficult clinical finding for a healthcare provider to address. While high blood pressure is known as the “silent killer,” because it is associated with few acute symptoms, hypotension (hypo=low + tension=pressure) may be normal for a patient if it is without symptoms, but can be of great importance if it is associated with abnormal body function.
Sometimes low is good, a goal to be achieved in keeping blood pressure under control. Sometimes low is bad because there is not enough pressure to provide blood flow to the organs of the body.
For low blood pressure to be a problem there needs to be a symptom associated with that low number. Readings below 120/80 may be normal depending upon the clinical situation. Many people have systolic blood pressures below 100, but some people develop symptoms with pressures that low. Symptoms of low blood pressure occur because one or more of the body’s organs is not getting enough blood supply.
If low blood pressure is the normal state for a patient, then there will be no symptoms. If low blood pressure is symptomatic, then the patient may feel lightheaded, dizzy and weak, short of breath, or have chest pain. The symptoms will depend upon which organ in the body is lacking adequate blood flow.
Blood pressure readings have two parts and are expressed as a ratio. “Normal” blood pressure, for example is 120/80 (120 over 80) and measures the pressure within the arteries of the body. Systolic pressure, the upper number, measures the pressure within the arteries when the heart is contracting (systole) to pump blood to the body. Diastole pressure, the lower number, measures resting pressures within the arteries, when the heart is at rest.
Normal blood pressure depends on many factors including age and body size. Infants and children have lower normal readings than adults. Smaller or petite patients may have lower normal blood pressure ranges.
According to American Heart Association guidelines, any reading greater than 120/80 is considered pre-hypertension or early high blood pressure.
You can think of the heart and the blood vessels (arteries and veins) as a system to pump blood, just like the oil pump in your car. Oil is pumped through rigid tubes. Pressure remains relatively constant throughout the pumping cycle unless the pump fails or there is an oil leak. Then oil pressure will fall.
The body is similar, except that the tubes have pliable walls, meaning that the space within the arteries can get bigger or smaller. If the space gets bigger, there is effectively less fluid, and pressure falls. If the space gets smaller, pressure goes up. Arteries have layers of muscles within their walls that can contract and narrow the artery, making less space inside the vessels.
Alternatively, the muscles can relax and dilate the artery, making more room. These muscles are under the control of the autonomic nervous system, the body’s automatic system that makes adjustments for moment-to-moment changes in the relationship of the body to the world. The autonomic nervous system has two pathways that balance each other.
The sympathetic nervous system uses adrenaline (epinephrine) to cause the muscles to contract (sympathetic tone). The nerves that help with this control are located in the sympathetic trunk, which is a group of nerves that runs alongside the spinal column. The parasympathetic system uses acetylcholine to make muscles in the blood vessel walls relax via the vagus nerve.
As an example, when you stand up, the blood vessels have to narrow just a little to cause a slight increase in blood pressure, so that blood can travel uphill to the brain. Without that change, you might feel lightheaded or pass out.
If low blood pressure causes clinical symptoms, the cause will be in one of three general categories. Either the heart is not pumping with enough pressure, the artery walls are too dilated, or there is not enough intravascular fluid (intra=within + vascular= blood vessels) within the system.
The heart is an electrical pump. Problems with either the pump or the electricity can cause problems with low blood pressure.
The valves of the heart allow blood to flow in only one direction. If a valve fails, blood can regurgitate backwards, minimizing the amount that will flow out to the body. If a valve becomes narrowed (stenotic), then blood flow may be decreased. Both situations may cause hypotension.
If the heart beats too quickly, blood pressure may fall because there isn’t enough time for the heart to refill in between each beat (diastole). If the heart beats too slowly, there may be too much time spent in diastole when blood is not flowing.
If the heart muscle has been damaged or irritated, there may not be enough pumping force to maintain blood pressure. In heart attack (myocardial infarction), enough heart muscle may be stunned so that the heart is too weak to pump effectively.
Diuretic medications [for example, hydrochlorothiazide (Hydrodiuril), furosemide (Lasix)] are used to control blood pressure by causing the kidneys to make more urine and decreasing the intravascular volume. If the patient loses too much water and becomes dehydrated, low blood pressure may result.
Beta blockers and calcium channel blockers are two commonly prescribed medications used for the treatment of high blood pressure. They may cause the heart to beat too slowly and thus cause hypotension. Any heart medication needs to be monitored by a healthcare provider to evaluate the body’s response and to select the appropriate dose.
Medications like sildenafil (Viagra) in combination with nitroglycerin may cause blood vessel dilation and low blood pressure.
Normal physiologic changes in pregnancy increase the intravascular space, especially in the first two trimesters, and can cause lower blood pressure. One of the complications of diabetes is damage to the nerves in the body, including those in the autonomic nervous system.
In those people with diabetes who have autonomic dysfunction, orthostatic hypotension can occur. The blood vessels are unable to adjust to quick positional changes.
If low blood pressure causes lack of blood flow to the organs of the body, then those organs will start to fail. This may result in stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and bowel ischemia (decreased blood supply to the small and large intestine). Shock and death are the end result of prolonged low blood pressure.
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High Blood Pressure Known as Hypertension is Very Sneaky
It is often called the “silent killer” because it can damage your heart, kidney, and brain, even though you feel no symptoms. Blood pressure is the force exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels, and constitutes one of the principal vital signs. If your blood pressure is normal, you can work with your health care team to keep it that way. If your blood pressure is too high, you need treatment to prevent damage to your body’s organs. High blood pressure is dangerous because it makesthe heart work too hard and contributes to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Blood pressure is a measure of how hard the blood pushes against the walls of your arteries as it moves through your body.
The medical term for high blood pressure is hypertension. It causes around 50% of coronary heart disease, and approximately 75% of strokes. Hypertension can be especially hard to manage when combined with other disorders, such as diabetes or obesity. Although high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, can cause headaches, dizziness and problems with vision, the majority of people with the condition do not display any noticeable symptoms. It is good to be asking about normal blood pressure values for children because most people think “high” blood pressure (hypertension) is something that only happens to adults. High blood pressure often does not cause any symptoms in children, but if not treated, it can cause serious health problems in the future.
Doctors do not know what causes high blood pressure in 90 to 95 percent of people who have it. In about 10 percent of patients, the disease can be traced to specific causes: heredity, kidney abnormalities, adrenal gland tumors, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, hormone abnormalities, use of birth control pills, pregnancy or a congenital narrowing of the aorta. Other possible causes of higher blood pressure are weight gain and decreased physical activity in winter. The nicotine in cigarettes and other tobacco products causes your blood vessels to constrict and your heart to beat faster, which temporarily raises your blood pressure. In some people, alcohol causes blood pressure to rise quite a lot.
The key for any high blood pressure treatment is to bring the condition under proper control. Treatment depends on how high your blood pressure is, whether you have other health problems such as diabetes, and whether any organs have already been damaged. Treatment begins with changes you can make to your lifestyle to help lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease (see the box below). You want to achieve your treatment goal, but sometimes it seems your blood pressure just doesn’t want to budge. You and your doctor can carefully review your treatment and lifestyle to see what’s going on. For hypertension that isn’t controlled by diet and exercise, new treatment guidelines for hypertension recommend that most patients be started on a thiazide-type diuretic, unless there is a compelling need for a different class of medications.
So high blood pressure is a condition that most people have at some point in their lives. You should always have an idea of what your blood pressure is, just as you know your height and weight. However, the biggest problem with treatment of high blood pressure is not a lack of knowledge, but a lack of the application of our current knowledge.
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High Blood Pressure Prevention and Control
MARIAN was afraid! Without warning, her nose had begun to bleed profusely. “I thought I was going to die,” she recalls. A doctor informed Marian that her nosebleed had been caused by high blood pressure (arterial hypertension). “But I feel fine,” answered Marian. “Many people do not know that they have high blood pressure because they have no symptoms,” she replied.
What about your blood pressure? Could your current life-style cause high blood pressure in the future? What can you do to keep your blood pressure under control?
Blood pressure is the force blood exerts against blood vessel walls. It can be measured using an inflatable rubber cuff, which is wrapped around the upper arm and connected to an apparatus that records pressure. Two readings are obtained. For example: 120/80. The first number is called systolic blood pressure because it indicates blood pressure during the heartbeat (systole), and the second number is called diastolic blood pressure because it indicates blood pressure while the heart is relaxed (diastole). Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury, and physicians classify patients as hypertensive when their blood pressure is above 140/90.
What makes blood pressure increase? Imagine that you are watering your garden. By opening the faucet or by reducing the caliber, or diameter, of the jet of water, you increase the pressure of the water. The same occurs with blood pressure: Increasing the rate of flow of blood or decreasing the caliber of the blood vessel elevates the blood pressure. How does high blood pressure occur? Many factors are involved.
Factors You Cannot Control
Researchers have discovered that if a person has relatives with high blood pressure, his chances of suffering from the disease are greater. Statistics indicate a higher incidence of hypertension in identical twins than in fraternal twins. One study refers to the “mapping of the genes responsible for arterial hypertension,” all of which would confirm the existence of a hereditary component responsible for high blood pressure. The risk of abnormally high blood pressure is also known to increase with age and to be greater among black males.
Factors You Can Control
Watch your diet! Salt (sodium) can boost blood pressure in some people, especially people with diabetes, those with severe hypertension, older people, and some blacks. Excess fat in the bloodstream can create deposits of cholesterol on the internal walls of blood vessels (atherosclerosis), thus reducing their caliber and increasing blood pressure. People who are more than 30 percent above their ideal body weight are liable to have high blood pressure. Studies suggest that increasing the intake of potassium and calcium may lower blood pressure.
Smoking is related to a greater risk of atherosclerosis, diabetes, heart attack, and stroke. That being so, smoking and high blood pressure are a dangerous combination that can lead to cardiovascular diseases. Although the evidence is contradictory, caffeine—contained in coffee, tea, and cola drinks—and emotional and physical stress may also aggravate high blood pressure. In addition, scientists know that intensive or chronic consumption of alcoholic drinks and lack of physical activity can increase blood pressure.
Healthful Life-Style
It would be a mistake to wait for high blood pressure to develop before taking positive steps. A healthful life-style should be a concern from an early age. Taking care now will result in a better quality of life in the future.
The Third Brazilian Consensus on Arterial Hypertension defined the life-style changes that favor a decrease in arterial blood pressure. They are a helpful guide to people with high or normal blood pressure.
For the obese, researchers recommended a balanced low-calorie diet, avoiding fast and “miracle” diets, while maintaining a program of moderate physical exercise. With regard to salt, they suggested a consumption of no more than six grams or one teaspoon per day. In practice, that means cutting to a minimum the use of salt in food preparation, as well as minimizing canned foods, cold cuts (salami, ham, sausage, and others), and smoked foods. Salt intake can also be reduced by refraining from adding extra salt during the meal and by checking the packaging of processed foods to see how much salt has been added.
The Brazilian Consensus also suggested increasing the intake of potassium because it may have an “antihypertensive effect.” That being so, a healthful diet should include “foods that are low in sodium and rich in potassium,” such as beans, dark green vegetables, bananas, melons, carrots, beets, tomatoes, and oranges. Keeping alcohol intake at a moderate level is also important. Some researchers indicate that hypertensive males should consume no more than one ounce [30 ml] of alcohol per day; and women or those with low body weight no more than one half ounce [15 ml].
The Brazilian Consensus concluded that regular physical exercise decreased blood pressure and thus lowered the risk of developing arterial hypertension. Moderate aerobic exercise, such as walking, cycling, and swimming, for 30 to 45 minutes, three to five times a week is beneficial. Other factors that have been associated with a more healthful life-style include quitting smoking, controlling blood fats (cholesterol and triglycerides) and diabetes, getting an adequate intake of calcium and magnesium, and controlling physical and emotional stress. Some drugs may increase blood pressure, such as nasal decongestants, antacids high in sodium, appetite moderators, and caffeine-containing painkillers for migraines.
Certainly, if you have arterial hypertension, your doctor is in the best position to give you advice on your diet and habits, according to your personal needs. Regardless of your situation, however, adopting a healthful life-style from an early age is always beneficial, not only for hypertensive people but for all the members of the family. Marian, mentioned at the beginning of this article, had to make changes in her life-style. Currently she takes medication and leads a normal life despite her health problem.
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On Jun 21, had a steroid injection in left side for sacroiliac joint, after a couple of days felt lighted, just feeling bad. My mom being a nurse-had me chk. blood pressure & blood sugar. Bllod pressure elevated some. But blood sugars stayed in the 300’s of higher, even one time over 500. Just need to know for how long(many days or weeks) does it take for sugars to go back down to normal.
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Can my blood sugar raise if I don’t eat?
My mother in law has just found out she has diabetes her bllod sugar was a little hight this moring so she did not eat she took her blood sugar before she ate does your blood sugar raise if yo don’t eat when youre sopusse to.Does she have to eat at her schudle time each day even if she does not fell hungery Thanks for everyones help this is new to all of us
How to naturally cleanse colon painlessly
Bllod sugar level and metabolic syndrome?
My blood test came back and said my blood sugar level was 166, pre-diabetic they said. Well now I read that soda can give you the same symptons and cause metabolic syndrome, I do drink about 6 cans of diet soda a day, what do you think? I am stopping the soda and switching to coffee!
Cannot go back for another blood test just yet, had cortizone injection in neck, this will elevate blood sugar leveles also, had 2, one more left, then blood test.
Blood Sugar Secrets