High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by the blood on the artery walls when the heart contracts and relaxes. This blood pressure rises and falls with every heartbeat and is recorded as two figures which denote the normal blood pressure reading. High blood pressure is also called hypertension.
BP (Blood Pressure) is measured in mm Hg (millimetres of mercury) and the normal reading is 120/80 mm Hg where 120 refers to the systolic pressure and 80 refers to the diastolic pressure.
Systolic pressure is the pressure in the arteries when the heart pumps blood ie: when it contracts.
Diastolic pressure is the pressure in the arteries when the heart relaxes ie: when the heart is filled with blood.
There are two main types of high blood pressure:
- Essential (primary) hypertension : The most common type of hypertension that usually develops over many years and does not have any specific cause
- Secondary hypertension : Includes only 5 to 10 percent of High Blood Pressure cases and is caused by an underlying condition such as - kidney abnormalities, adrenal gland tumors, thyroid disease or certain congenital heart defects.This type of High Blood Pressure appears suddenly and tends to cause higher pressure that Primary hypertension.
High blood pressure or hypertension is a condition where the blood pressure rises to 140/90 or greater.
Symptoms of High Blood Pressure
High Blood Pressure is known as a 'Silent Killer' because it does not usually cause symptoms and when left undetected, it begins to damage the heart, kidneys and blood vessels. This damage could lead to problems such as stroke, heart failure or kidney failure. The only way to know that you have high blood pressure is to get regular checkups done before it is too late.
However, very high blood pressure could show a few symptoms such as :- Headache
- Fatigue
- Confusion
- Visual disturbances
- Dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Uneven heartbeat
The longer it takes to detect hypertension, the more damage it could cause. Hence, it is very vital to get your blood pressure checked regularly.
Risk factors of High Blood Pressure
The pressure of the blood flow in the arteries is mostly determined by the following
conditions
- Volume of blood pumped by the heart : Higher the volume of blood, more effort is required by the heart to pump the large volume. As the volume of blood circulated through your blood vessels increases, so does the pressure on your artery walls.
- Resistance to blood flow in the blood vessels : Any irregularities that cause narrowing of blood vessels, increase resistance to blood flow, and raise blood pressure.
- Some of the risk factors that lead to increase in either one of the above conditions are : Obesity - Leading to higher blood volumes
- Inactive lifestyle: Leading to higher heart rates
- Heavy alcohol consumption : Excessive alcohol intake could lead to high blood pressure
- Smoking : Leading to narrowing of arteries
- Eating salty or high-fat foods : Salts lead to fluid retention and thus higher blood pressure. Saturated fats lead to increase in resistance to blood flow by hardening the blood vessels
- Ongoing stress : Increase blood pressure
- High cholesterol : Leads to narrowing of arteries and hence higher resistance to blood flow
- Diabetes : Interferes with the kidneys ability to regulate water content in the body. Also promotes high blood pressure by causing thickening of blood vessels and hence increased resistance to blood flow
- Low potassium intake - Leads to imbalance in sodium levels in the body cells
Apart from this, Age and Genetic factors also contribute towards higher risk of Hypertension.
Treatment of High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is measured using an inflatable cuff that is placed around the upper arm and is attached to a pressure gauge that takes both the blood pressure readings. Usually readings are taken on more than one occasion on different days before a confirmed diagnosis is made.
The treatment plan varies as per the level of hypertension diagnosed. This usually includes :1. Lifestyle changes : This means- Losing weight if you are overweight
- Eating a healthy diet, restricting salt and fatty foods intake, increasing fruits and vegetables intake, avoiding alcohol and excessive caffine intake
- Following a regular exercise routine
- Avoid Smoking
- Managing your stress with relaxation techniques
2. Medications : Various medications are available to lower your blood pressure. These are needed in addition to the above changes in lifestyle. The prescription and dosage depends upon your health history and your stage of hypertension.
Prevantion of High Blood Pressure
Following a good lifestyle can help to reduce the onset of high blood pressure to a great extent. Some of the healthy lifestyle that you can adopt to prevent high blood pressure are:
- Choose a nutrition-rich diet
- Avoid excessive intake of salt (sodium).
- Try to reduce weight, if you are obese.
- Avoid intake of alcohol.
- Quit smoking.
- Regular blood pressures check up by the physician.
- Regular exercise along with some relaxation techniques.