High Blood Pressure Is A Dangerous Condition For Which There Is Usually Simple Solution
Over the past few years alterations to the lifestyle and diet in the majority of western societies have resulted in a rise in the number of people suffering from high blood pressure.
High blood pressure (which is otherwise called hypertension, or more accurately arterial hypertension) can be a dangerous condition that seldom shows any symptoms and that, if left undetected and untreated, can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, arterial aneurysm or renal failure - any one of which is a life-threatening condition.
So just what is high blood pressure and precisely what causes it?
The arteries within the body are constantly filled with blood that produces a normal 'background' pressure against the artery walls. As the heart pumps newly oxygenated blood around the body it forces this blood into the arteries which momentarily raises the pressure on the walls of the arteries with every heartbeat. These two pressures are referred to as the systolic pressure (the higher pressure as the heart is pumping) and the diastolic pressure (the reduced normal or 'background' pressure).
Normal blood pressure varies from individual to individual but, in general, systolic pressure ought to be about 120 mm Hg and diastolic pressure ought to be about 80 mm Hg. This is generally written as a pressure of 120/80.
If your blood pressure begins to rise and then stays above 120/80 then you are described as being 'prehypertensive' and, although this is not serious in itself, it is an indication that you may be at risk of developing hypertension and all of the problems linked with it. Once your blood pressure reaches, and stays at, a level of 140/90 or higher you are suffering from hypertension and action needs to be taken to lower your blood pressure.
But what causes your blood pressure to rise and stay elevated?
Well, there are a variety of factors at play here and to begin there is a group over which you have little, or no, control. This group includes low weight at birth, a number of genetic factors, certain forms of diabetes (in particular type 2 diabetes) and your age (as we grow older the arteries tend to become fibrous and lose their elasticity, resulting in a reduced cross-sectional area for the blood to flow through).
The next group of factors is much more within your control and includes a sedentary lifestyle, high levels of salt and saturated fats in your diet, being overweight, smoking tobacco, excessive alcohol consumption, stress and working in specific occupations like flying or motorway maintenance.
The majority of these factors are treatable and, in many cases, a simple change in your diet and the addition of a little exercise into your daily diary is all that is needed to cure the problem. The difficulty however is that, with few, or no, symptoms, the vast majority of people do not know that they are suffering from hypertension to start with.
So how can you cure the problem?
Luckily the answer to this particular question is quite simple. All you need to do is to pop into your doctor's office on a regular basis (about twice a year should be sufficient) and ask him/her to check your blood pressure. The whole process is pain free, simple and fast and will provide you with peace of mind and possibly save your doctor a lot of work, time and expense down the road when you are forced to drop by his office once high blood pressure rears its ugly head.
If you are not all that keen on calling in to see your doctor then one excellent alternative today is to simply monitor your own blood pressure. A wide range of simple to operate and relatively inexpensive blood pressure monitors are available now, allowing you to keep an eye on your own health, and that of your whole family, in the comfort and privacy of your own home.