Hypertension also known as high blood pressure is a condition where the force of the blood hitting against your artery wall is excessively high that it causes health problems like heart diseases. Blood pressure is usually determined by the level of blood which your heart pumps.
If your arteries are narrow and your heart pumps excessive amount of blood, your pressure tends to get higher. Hypertension can develop for many years without any apparent symptom, high blood pressure can give rise to complications such as stroke and heart attack which might result to death if not treated on time. High blood pressure eventually affects everyone at one time or the other.
High blood pressure or Hypertension is a serious medical condition. It can cause serious damage to the heart, can lead to heart failure, chest pain. It can also burst or block the arteries that supply blood & oxygen to the brain, which can cause a stroke. It can even damage the kidney and can cause kidney failure.
Hypertension have been classified into two types depending upon the causes. They are:
The symptoms of hypertension are as follows:
Basically, the normal blood pressure is under 120/80, and before normal under 140/90. The guidelines for blood pressure measurement is:
Hypertension is otherwise called High Blood Pressure. It is the force that exerts against the walls of the human blood vessels. This BP depends on the resistance of the blood vessels and how tough the heart has to perform. Most of us have this problem but unknowingly we are running our lives. But, untreated hypertension might lead to stroke, heart ailments and sometimes death.
The main cause of hypertension depends on the underlying medical and mental conditions. Blood plasma volume, hormone activity, stress, and lack of activities, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, obesity, sleep apnea, pregnancy, and Cushing syndrome are considered as the main causes of hypertension.
The four stages of hypertension namely:
Hypertension is usually diagnosed during a routine body checkup. It is advisable to visit a general physician on the off chance that you develop high blood pressure. People who are between the age group of 18 to 39 and 40 years or older are at a higher risk of developing high blood pressure. An appropriate sized arm cuff is used to diagnose Hypertension. There are some machines available which can analyze your blood pressure levels for free.
Risk factors that can increase your chances of developing hypertension:
Hypertension is also called the 'silent killer'. If you leave Hypertension untreated there is a higher chance of death within a year. High blood pressure has an average survival rate of 10 months. It can even lead to stroke, blindness, heart attack, and kidney disease. So, it is advised to keep your bp level in the normal range and always keep a check on your level of Blood pressure.
No, Hypertension can't be cured. It's a chronic disease and in 90% of patients, the cause of Hypertension is unknown. It can be controlled with medication and with some modification in lifestyle and eating habits. It generally requires regular medical attention and regular follow up with your doctor.
Adopt a healthy lifestyle to control Hypertension:
Usually, hypertension is treated with thiazide diuretics, ACE inhibitors, Angiotensin II receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers. When you are not able to reach the normal BP with the above medicines, your health care professional may recommend you Alpha, Alpha-beta blockers, beta-blockers, Renin inhibitors, Aldosterone antagonists, Central-acting agents, Vasodilators.
When your blood pressure stays stubbornly high despite taking at least three variants, out of which one must be diuretic, you will be treated as a “Resistant Hypertensive Patient”. If you fall under the category, then your doctor will evaluate the underlying cause. He will consider adding an aldosterone antagonist such as spironolactone (Aldactone). It might help to control resistant hypertension.
Hypertension is a condition to be treated at the right time. However, some of the natural remedies will work out for hypertension such as maintaining healthy BMI, regular exercises, cutting down excess sodium, added sugar and refined carbs, stop smoking, and alcohol intake.
Other remedies like eating well-balanced diet, reducing stress, doing breathing exercise and meditation to make your mind calm, intaking calcium and magnesium-rich food, taking natural supplements’ are primarily counted in the natural remedies account.
Hypertension brings out many complications and the problems associated to heart and blood vessels, chest pain, stroke and other brain issues such as dementia, Transient ischemic attack, mild cognitive impairment, renal diseases, eye problems, type 2 diabetes, sexual dysfunction, bone loss, sleeping trouble, etc.
Since in the initial stages the hypertension is non-symptomatic, most of the people are unaware of the condition. So, regular blood pressure monitoring is required to stay away from any negative outcome.
Blood pressure is an important part of your health. So, early detection is very important as it is a ""Silent Killer"" because it may show no symptoms. Hypertension puts one at the risk for heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and other diseases. High blood pressure is a long-lasting condition and requires immediate medication. The higher the BP, the higher the chance of serious complications.
You can keep your blood pressure normal by following a healthy lifestyle. Maintaining a healthy weight, eating a normal and nutritious diet, indulging in physical activities, managing stress levels, limiting alcohol, avoiding smoking, cutting down caffeine helps in preventing hypertension. When you feel stressed, try to see natural views, listen to music and do meditation to relax.
If you are already a victim of hypertension, then you should be careful to prevent it from worsening or causing complications. You should always consult the doctor regularly and follow the prescribed medications without any breaks. Keep a BP monitoring device at home to check out your blood pressure periodically.
A healthy diet can prevent you from getting hypertension. These are the few tips to consider as a part of your healthy diet
Read More About: Diet Chart For Hypertension - The key to a successful diet to control hypertension.
Summary: Hypertension is known as the ""silent killer"". It is a serious concern and requires immediate medical attention. 1 in 5 people with high blood pressure have the problem under control and it's a major cause of premature death. You can manage your Hypertension by keeping a check on below:
- Treat your high blood pressure.
- Reduce stress.
- Keep a regular check on BP level.
- Manage other medical conditions, if any.