An Overview on High Blood Pressure

By CH Woods

Free Ebook on High Blood Pressure - Link Below

Your heart has the ability to pump blood into the arteries with enough power to drive it all throughout your entire body and back to the heart. The blood pressure can be thought as the speed of blood as it flows through the body. Blood pressure is at its highest while its leaves the heart and slowly lessens as it moves through your body.

Hypertension is the clinical name for high blood pressure. This condition has no early symptoms and can become a long-term condition and other problems. Most people who have high blood pressure don't even realize it.

Problems brought on by unchecked high blood pressure include conditions such as kidney failure, stroke, heart attack, and congestive heart failure; a form of heart failure in which the heart is unable to pump away the blood returning to it fast enough, causing congestion in the veins.

Causes of High Blood Pressure 
In many people with high blood pressure, the cause of it is not clearly known and is termed as essential hypertension. Although the precise cause is not known, there are many risk factors that can play a role in developing high blood pressure such as:

• Old Age
• Thyroid Disorders
• Chronic Kidney Disease
• Genetics
• Stress
• Lack of Exercise
• Excessive Salt
• Heavy Alcohol Consumption
• Being Overweight
• Smoking

Most of the above factors can be changed by making simple changes to your life.

A few of the lifestyle changes you could make are:

1. Lose Weight: As weight increases, blood pressure does as well. Carrying excess fat adds to the risk of high blood pressure. Medical professionals suggest that all overweight people who have high blood pressure slim down until they are at least fifteen percent of their recommended body fat.
2. Exercise More: An inactive lifestyle plays a part in the development of obesity as well as high blood pressure. Working out will help to increase blood circulation and get rid of that extra weight.
3. Reduce Alcohol: Drinking one or more drinks of alcohol daily is likely to increase blood pressure in people who are sensitive to alcohol. It is suggested that women stick to one drink while men should only have two.
4. Stop Certain Medications: Specific drugs, like stimulants, birth control, weight loss supplements, and some medicines for colds are likely to increase blood pressure.
5. Lower Sodium Intake: Your body might not react well to salt which may cause your blood pressure to soar. Lowering sodium intake will lower blood pressure levels. Refined and processed foods have especially large levels of sodium. Many over-the-counter medications also have a lot of sodium as well.

Symptoms of High Blood Pressure 
High blood pressure usually has no symptoms in the beginning. Those who have high blood pressure usually are clueless about it until their blood pressure is measured when they get a physical.

Occasionally, people who have noticeably increased blood pressure may develop symptoms like:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Dizziness
• Blurred Vision
• Chest Pain
• Shortness of Breath
• Headache

People do not often seek medical treatment right up until they have organ problems as a result of high blood pressure.
The organ conditions below are typically seen in people who have long-term high blood pressure:

• Eye Damage
• Heart Failure
• Heart Attack
• Stroke
• Kidney Failure

Treatment for High Blood Pressure 
Many signs and symptoms occur slowly after many years of bad blood pressure management. Often, the first signs of high blood pressure happen when a patient complains about chest pain or has symptoms similar to a stroke. Blood pressure can be checked at most drug stores or when you visit your doctor. 

Speak with your physician if you believe you have high blood pressure and before making any lifestyle changes. Your doctor will tell you exactly what to do and how to handle high blood pressure.
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CH Woods is the Executive Director of Organic & Environmental Products
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