Hypertension, often known as the “silent killer,” is an illness whose repercussions can be seen in tens of millions of human lives around the world Every year. Due to lack of knowledge about their own diagnostic results most of those guys don’t know they have Hypertension. When a person knows that he has some other problematic condition or attributes, he sleeps suspecting to be Hypertension-characterized by high blood pressure. Hypertension can bring about a serious health crisis, such as heart disease, stroke and, if not taken care of properly, kidney damage. Knowing how to control and prevent hypertension will have a profound and lasting effect on your health and physical well-being.
What High Blood Pressure Is Blood pressure is the pressure of blood pushed on by the heart against the walls of our arteries as it runs through them. It combines two numbers: blood pressure in the circulation while the heart is squeezing out and blood pressure when there is no heart beat to measure between heart beats. On the whole a normal blood pressure reading would be about 120/80 mmHg. Hypertension In this case the diagnosis is relatively straightforward: a sustained blood pressure reading that exceeds 130 systolic and 80 diastolic mm of mercury.
Why High Blood Pressure Is Bad Many people have “asymptomatic” high blood pressure, which means that they feel no symptoms at all. This particular characteristic of the disease makes it extremely dangerous: as it creeps up upon one organ after another in the body without a murmur and symptoms seem to do anything more than lay down and take a nap—in many cases silently damages organs for life. For its every cell the body requires a good blood supply. If hypertension leads to hardening and narrowing of the blood vessels, heart attacks and strokes are just waiting to happen, like the plague-infested ships of Genghis Khan spreading death across half the world from port to port. And there are also some health hazards related to Hypertension that we probably have yet to come across– senile cataracts just being one of them!
The Main Risk Factors
The risk of hypertension is increased by the following factors:
Genes: If there is a family history of hbp you may be prone to the development of this disease yourself.
Age: With advancing years, risk factors rise when arteries become stiffer and arteries more fragile by nature.
An unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, smoking or excessive drinking can all aggravate high blood pressure.
Obesity puts extra pressure on the heart and blood vessels.
Chronic conditions can add to it. For example, diabetes and high cholesterol affect hypertension.
How to Prevent Hypertension: Lifestyle Changes.
It is healthy to embrace a diet high in fruit, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein–low in added sugars and fats. This is the dietary approach to stop hypertension: DASH * also cutting back on the amount of salt you eat is good for your blood pressure readings. And eat as little processed food as possible.
Regular moderate exercise: Do at the very least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity such as brisk walking or cycling a week. Exercise can help keep high blood pressure–a leading risk factor for heart diseases–in check and maintain body weight.
Body weight: Absolutely, it is the prime point at which to start controlling risk factors for high blood pressure. You should eliminate excess body fat and keep your BMI within a normal range.
Reduce your alcohol intake and give up smoking: Both can raise your blood pressure, either reducing or eliminating these harmful habits will serve well for the heart as well.
Stress: Your blood pressure readings will soon be high if you are under constant stress. Techniques such as meditation and deep breathing exercises as well as regular physical activity can help to lighten the load for your heart (and head).
Regular check-ups: Regularly monitoring blood pressure readings is very important, especially for anyone with a family history that includes being at risk for hypertension. Early detection allows for timely treatment and control.
Management of High Blood Pressure
For those who have already been diagnosed with high blood pressure, they must strive as far as possible to adjust their lives in this respect, and thereby control their pressure in a reasonable manner. For some people, drugs can also be of assistance in lowering blood pressure. The common types of antihypertensive agent include diuretics, ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers. Necessary medicines should be taken every day as prescribed by the doctor, and in the way he or she indicates.
Finally,
Hypertension may be a silent killer but with proper management and a little adjustment of lifestyle it can be effectively wiped out. Awareness and control of major risk factors, a healthy diet that’s good for your heart–and don’t forget regular visits to your doctor’s office for blood pressure checks. Follow these simple rules and you can protect yourself from becoming another tragic statistic in this deadly disease.