Hypertension or high blood pressure accounts for more than 60,000 deaths every year in the United States alone. Since there are no early symptoms of high blood pressure millions of people are completely unaware of the fact that they suffering from it.
This unknowingly puts them at greater risk of heart failure, kidney disease, stroke, heart attack and even eye diseases.
What Is Hypertension?
Blood pressure is a measurement of the force with which blood is pushed through the arteries by the heart. The measurement of hypertension is provided in the form of a ratio.
The top number is the systolic pressure, which is the pressure of the blood when the heart actually beats. The bottom number is the diastolic pressure, which is the force in the arteries when the heart is at rest. The normal ratio of systolic to diastolic is about 120/80 mmHg and when this ratio shoots higher than 140/90 mmHg, that person is considered to be suffering from hypertension.
What causes high blood pressure?
Though the exact causes are still unknown there are a number of factors and health conditions that contribute to its development:
- Being overweight or obese
- Stress
- High amounts of dietary salt
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Genetics
- Alcohol addiction
- Old age
- Thyroid disorders
- Chronic kidney disease
How to manage hypertension on a daily basis?
It is important to go to the doctor for your yearly checkup and have them check. If you’re diagnosed with high blood pressure, don’t panic—you can get it under control.
While your health care professional can get you the medication you need, don’t stop there. Your body is telling you that you need to make some changes.
Exercise and proper nutrition can help.
If you have high blood pressure, your body is hinting to you that it needs more exercise, less stress and alcohol, and for you to eat a more balanced diet with less salt. If you smoke, your body is making the recommendation for you to quit.
Doing of these things can help you lower your blood pressure and keep it within a healthy range. Following a balanced diet and exercising regularly can help you either lower them or maintain them at a healthy ratio. Wishing you a healthy and fit life!
Comments (0)