What is High Blood Pressure?

Its
Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
By admin December 6, 2019 in Uncategorized

Whether you have low or high blood pressure, both conditions cause major
damage to the blood vessels.

This damage can further results in various severe health complications, such as
heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, vision problems, and other health issues.

When we talk about high blood pressure, this condition often does not show any
symptoms.

Due to this, many people are even unaware of the fact that they are dealing with
high blood pressure or hypertension and they need immediate action.

There are several ways to manage this condition, like regular screening may help
a lot in getting aware of the situation and you may learn about what preventive
actions need to be taken to keep your blood pressure in a normal state.

High Blood Pressure – Causes, Symptoms

& Treatment
Here, in this guide, you will learn everything about this condition that includes
high blood pressure symptoms, causes, and treatment.

Table of Contents

• What is High Blood Pressure?

• High Blood Pressure Symptoms
• High Blood Pressure Causes
• High Blood Pressure Treatment

What is High Blood Pressure?

Many people do not know what exactly occurs in high blood pressure, which is
also called hypertension.

In this condition, the blood pressure of a person increases to a level that is

unhealthy for him/her.

The people with narrow arteries are more likely to deal with high blood pressure,
because they increase resistance and hence, result in higher blood pressure.

If you have high blood pressure for a long time, it may further cause various
health issues, including heart disease.

No doubt, these days due to hectic schedules, modern lifestyle, unhealthy eating
habits, etc., hypertension is common among the people.

But, with time, the chances of high blood pressure increase without noticing any
symptoms.
 Even if you do not notice any symptoms, this condition causes damage to the
blood vessels and organs, such as the heart, brain, and kidneys.

So, it is important to keep your blood pressure under control for preserving health
and to reduce the risk of various health issues.

The symptoms of hypertension will let you know that something wrong is
happening to your body and you need to consult a doctor.

High Blood Pressure Symptoms

Many people with this condition have no signs or symptoms and their blood
pressure readings reach high levels without any notice.

While on the other hand, some people may experience symptoms such as

• Headache
• Shortness of breath
• Nosebleeds
• Chest Pain
• Visual Changes
• Dizziness
• Heart Palpitations

These signs and symptoms do not occur in all people suffering from
hypertension, but sometimes a person reaches the severe or life-threatening
stage of the condition.

So, to get your condition treated at the right time, these high blood pressure
symptoms need immediate medical attention.

To get to know about the regular blood pressure readings, most doctors take
these readings at each appointment to check your blood pressure.
In some cases, doctors recommend you having regular blood pressure checked
if he/she finds anything wrong in your readings or if you have a family history with
the risks that can develop this condition.

Now, have you ever thought that what causes high blood pressure? Why there is
a great increase in the number of people having high blood pressure?

High Blood Pressure Causes

When it comes to high blood pressure causes, food habits, medications, lifestyle,
age, and inheritances are some of the common risk factors for this condition.

Here are some of the causes that can lead to hypertension.

• Age

As you get older, the risk of getting hypertension increases, especially people of
above 60 years are more likely to develop high blood pressure.

• Family History

If you have a family history with high blood pressure, you may get this condition
over any age because this condition tends to run from one generation to another.

• Overweight or Obesity

If you are overweight or dealing with obesity, your body needs more blood to
supply oxygen and nutrients to the tissues.

When more blood circulates through blood vessels, it results to the pressure on
artery walls and hence increases your blood pressure.

• Lack of Physical Activity

If you are not physically active, you may have higher heart rates, which means
the pressure on your arteries increases.

In addition, the lack of physical activity also results in gaining more weight.

• Tobacco

Smoking or chewing tobacco not only results in increasing your blood pressure,
but it also damages the lining of the artery walls.

Hence, narrow arteries increase the risk of high blood pressure and heart
disease as well.

• Too much Salt

 If you are eating a diet high in salt on a regular basis, immediately stop it,
because consuming too much salt results in retaining fluid in your body and
hence, increases blood pressure.

• Low Potassium Intake

If you are not getting an adequate amount of potassium in your diet, your body
will be unable to balance the amount of sodium and may increase sodium in your
blood, which will further increase the blood pressure.

• Too much Alcohol

If you drink too much alcohol, the chances of having hypertension increase to a
great extent. So, either stop drinking alcohol or if you cannot do this, drink it in
moderation.

So, it is advised to have one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for
men, more than this may affect your blood pressure.

• Stress
 Stress is the main cause of many diseases, including high blood pressure.

If you have high levels of stress, you are more likely to have a temporary
increase in blood pressure.

Apart from these high blood pressure causes, various chronic conditions may
also result in increase in blood pressure, these include diabetes,
hyperthyroidism, and kidney disease.

High Blood Pressure Treatment

High blood pressure treatment usually starts by making certain changes to your
lifestyle as it works great in lowering your blood pressure as well as also reduces
the risk of heart disease.

Medications

Along with some recommendations for your lifestyle, a doctor may also prescribe
some antihypertensive medicines to lower your blood pressure.

No matter what kind of high blood pressure treatment your doctor recommends
you, the main goal is to get your blood pressure to a normal level.

Sometimes, your doctor may recommend you to take more than one medicine
depending on your condition to manage the risk of having a stroke or heart
attack.

Managing Diet

Apart from medications, it is very important to manage your diet that works
effectively in preventing and treating high blood pressure.

• You must include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and omega oils in your diet.
• People who eat animal products must avoid processed meats.
• By limiting your salt intake, you can reduce the risk of hypertension to a great
extent.
• Do not forget to add avocados, nuts and olive oil in your daily diet, but have them
in moderation.
• Health experts recommend people with high blood pressure to have seeds,
beans, and low-fat dairy products.
• Moderate consumption of caffeine is safe for people with hypertension, but over-
consumption may risk various health problems.

Home Remedies

You can also manage your high blood pressure by following these home
remedies.

• Do at least 30 minutes of exercise every day.

• Losing those extra pounds can also help in reducing blood pressure.
• You must have adequate sleep at night.
• You can also do yoga to normalize your blood pressure.
• Also, cut down the intake of added sugars and refined carbs.
• Eat potassium-rich, magnesium-rich and calcium-rich foods.

Conclusion
Hopefully, this guide will help you to learn the most about the high blood pressure
and how to manage it.

Also, the best way to prevent high blood pressure is to monitor it regularly by
taking readings at home or you can visit your doctor’s office.

Source What is High Blood Pressure? Its Causes, Symptoms & Treatment