Blood Pressure Explained

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High blood pressure or hypertension
Home » Posts » Blood Pressure Explained

According to the World Health Organization, high blood pressure or hypertension affects 1.13 billion people worldwide. 1 in 4 men and 1 in 5 women had hypertension in 2015.

High blood pressure or hypertension, often referred to as the ‘silent killer’, is typically asymptomatic – meaning it has no symptoms. Some people with high blood pressure will experience chest pain, dizziness, headaches, shortness of breath, palpitations, and heart and nose bleeds. However, most people will experience no symptoms until the damage is done, often after several years of living with high blood pressure.

Hypertension is a medical condition in which the arteries are persistently subjected to elevated blood pressure. This increased pressure is caused by a rise in the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. The increased pressure can be caused by the arteries becoming thicker or hardening due to plaque build-up. Thicker artery walls mean less space for the blood to flow through the arteries. This thickening (or narrowing of the artery) results in abnormal blood flow whereby the blood pushes harder against the walls of the arteries. This raises blood pressure.

The higher the pressure, the greater the stress the arteries are under, and the more difficult it is for the heart to pump and deliver blood to the body. When blood pressure is high, this places stress on the body, which in turn can cause damage to the heart, kidneys, brain, and eyes.

Blood pressure is expressed using two numbers – the systolic pressure (as the heart beats) over the diastolic pressure (as the heart relaxes). The normal systolic pressure is 120 mm Hg, and the normal diastolic pressure is 80 mm Hg. Therefore, normal blood pressure is 120 over 80, or 120/80.
Normal Blood Pressure: 120 or less OVER 80 or less
Prehypertension: 121 – 139/81 – 89
Stage 1 Hypertension: 140 – 159/90 – 99
Stage 2 Hypertension: 160 or more/100 or more

  1. Prehypertension: People who fall under the prehypertension classification are strongly encouraged to adopt health-promoting lifestyle changes/modifications.
  2. Stage 1 Hypertension: During this stage, defined by a constriction of arteries or an increase in blood volume, high blood pressure is reversible.
  3. Stage 2 Hypertension: During this stage, characterized by the permanent thickening of the blood vessels, high blood pressure is irreversible without medication.
  4. Stage 3 Hypertension: This is a hypertensive emergency

Primary and Secondary causes of hypertension

PRIMARY

-Depression/Stress
-Excess caffeine consumption.
-High salt intake – this raises the blood pressure in salt-sensitive individuals.
-Lack of physical activity.
-Obesity.

SECONDARY CAUSES

Secondary high blood pressure results from a disease; therefore there is an identifiable cause.
-Acromegaly – abnormal enlargement or growth of the hands, feet, and face.
-Coarctation (narrowing) of the aorta.
-Conn’s syndrome.
-Cushing’s syndrome.
-Hyperaldosteronism – a condition of excessive secretion of aldosterone leading to high blood pressure and low potassium levels.
-Hyperthyroidism – a condition characterized by a rapid heartbeat caused by the abnormal over-activity of a thyroid gland or Hypothyroidism – a condition where the activity of the thyroid gland is abnormally low.
-Kidney disease – kidney disease is the most common secondary cause of high blood pressure.
-Obesity.
-Pheochromocytoma – tumor of the adrenal medulla.
-Pregnancy
-Sleep apnea

One of the most effective ways to understand your current health is to measure your blood pressure using a home monitoring device routinely. The consequences of chronic high blood pressure can be worsened by other factors that increase the likeliness of stroke, heart attack, and kidney failure. These include alcohol abuse, tobacco use persistent stress, obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes, an unhealthy diet, and a general lack of physical activity. The best thing to do is not worry if any of these habits apply to you and your current lifestyle.

Good news! Hypertension is treatable, and taking preventative measures to control your blood pressure is the best way to protect your health. After all, prevention is better than cure, and there is a lot that you can do to prevent and control your blood pressure. In most cases, lifestyle changes are completely effective in controlling blood pressure. I will cover all of the different natural hypertension prevention strategies you can use to prevent high blood pressure – permanently!  If you already have high blood pressure, the same methods can also be used to control and lower your blood pressure to a healthy level.

What you need to do for now is to call or sms DMMC Pharmacy on 0743034468 and for Kes. 3,800/- get yourself an Fabia BP machine or Omron at Kes. 4,700/- to measure your blood pressure at home.

Before taking your blood pressure:

  1. Do not exercise, eat, smoke, drink alcohol or coffee for at least 15 minutes before taking your blood pressure. This is because all of these factors can have an impact on your blood pressure reading
  2. Make sure you use a properly sized blood pressure cuff. The length of the bladder of the cuff should be at least 80% of the circumference of your upper arm. Use small cuffs on children and large cuffs if you are overweight or muscular.
  3. Get the posture right! Sit down with your arm and back supported. Your elbow should be supported at around the same level of your heart, e.g. on a table next to you. Dangle your legs, remain silent and rested for a few minutes in that exact position before taking the reading.

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