Easiest Ways To Get Information About Hypertension

Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, is considered by many doctors as the root of all evil when it comes to an individual's health. Current research suggests that over 45 million Americans suffer from hypertension and this is the main reason many of going to the physicians.

Hypertension is a medical condition marked by increased pressure in the arterial system that transports blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The pressure refers to the force of the blood on the walls of the arteries as it flows. Blood pressure originates mainly from a combination pumping force of the heart and resistance of the blood vessels to flow.

Blood pressure is expressed as two numbers, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. The systolic blood pressure is caused at the time of pumping of the heart and is higher number than diastolic blood pressure which occurs during the relaxation phase of the heart's pumping cycle. Systolic blood pressure is usually written above the diastolic blood pressure as in 110/70. The values are expressed as mm of mercury. In the example the systolic blood pressure is said to be 110 mm of mercury and the diastolic pressure is 70 mm of mercury. When one is having blood pressure above the normal limit he or she is said to have hypertension or high blood pressure.

Normal:

Systolic blood pressure is less than 120 and diastolic blood pressure is less than 80.

Pre-hypertension:

Systolic blood pressure is between 120 to 139 and diastolic blood pressure is between 80 to 89.

Stage 1 hypertension:

Systolic blood pressure is between 140 to 159 and diastolic blood pressure is between 90 to 99

Stage 2 hypertension:

Systolic blood pressure is between 160 or higher and diastolic blood pressure is between 100 or higher.

Research is ongoing as to why individuals develop high blood pressure, and the exact causes have yet to be traced. In about 2% of the patients for high blood pressure or hypertension, a cause can be traced and these are then watched with care to pinpoint any other individual who may also be at risk. Among these causes is kidney disease or problem with the adrenal glands. Such individuals generally develop higher levels of hypertension. Another cause has been the disease of the thyroid glands as well. But apart from this, a number of factors contribute towards increasing the risk of high blood pressure. These are;

Having close relative with hypertension

Male gender

Black race

Age above 35 years

Diabetes

Kidney disease

Smoking

Obesity

Sleep apnea

Taking oral contraceptive pills

Excess alcohol use

Lack of exercise

Precautionary Measures:

There are some precautionary methods that you can follow to reduce your chances of contracting hypertension at an early age. Among these are;

Develop a healthy eating habit

Maintain ideal body weight

Have a regular exercise program

Keep alcohol to moderation

Reduce salt intake in your diet

Stop smoking

Is Hypertension worth paying attention to?

Yes, it most certainly is. If you think that hypertension will go away if you simply ignore it, think again. Hypertension poses a great risk for your heart, leaving you vulnerable to heart attack or stroke. The increased pressure that your heart is under impairs its functioning and may cause early heart failure. You should be all the more conscious about what your blood pressure and make a point of getting it checked regularly on a monthly basis.

• John Palsson
• 18/11/2008, 4:59 AM
• 0 Comments