High Blood Pressure
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- High blood pressure treatment
- Diet for high blood pressure
- nutritions and supplements for high blood pressure control
- High blood pressure Herbal treatment
- Acupressure treatment for high blood pressure
- Aromatherapy treatment for high blood pressure
Blood pressure, the force exerted by the blood against arterial walls, is what keeps blood circulating. If the level of pressure in the blood vessels is inadequate, circulation is impaired and may even stop. However, if the pressure is too high, it places a strain on the arteries that can lead to serious problems throughout the body. Of all the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure is one of the greatest. This is especially true for people over sixty-five, the age group most likely to suffer from heart disease.
A blood-pressure reading consists of two numbers, which represent the pressure within the blood vessels at two different phases of the heart's cycle. The first number, the systolic pressure, is the highest amount of pressure against the arterial walls, which occurs when the heart contracts to pump out blood. The second number, the diastolic pressure, is the diastolic pressure, is the pressure between heartbeats, when the heart is relaxed.
There is no single blood-pressure reading that is normal for everyone. Most newborns have systolic readings between 20 and 60, and that number generally rises progressively throughout life. For healthy adults, however a reading of 120/80 (120 over 80) is widely considered the norm. Even so, blood pressure varies throughout the day in response to your level of activity, stress, and other factors. Blood pressure also normally raises somewhat with age. Tense or excitable individuals often experience a rise in blood pressure simply as a result of having their blood pressure read, which results in a false reading. Some doctors take a second reading after giving a nervous patient time to calm down.
High blood pressure, known to doctors as hypertension, is one of the liabilities of modern life. Factors common to this day and age that foster as unhealthy rise in blood pressure include poor dietary choices - excessive consumption of alcoholic and caffeine-containing beverages, for example - a lack of exercise, and the multiplicity of stress we are all subjected to.
About 90 percent of all people diagnosed with elevated blood pressure suffer from essential, or primary, hypertension. This is simply high blood pressure that has no obvious underlying cause. The remaining 10 percent have blood pressure as a result of some other condition or disorder, such as kidney disease or adrenal or thyroid problems. Sometimes high blood pressure is a side effect of certain medications. Nearly one in five Americans, around 50 million people, has high blood pressure. The incidence is twice as high among African-Americans as it is among people of other ethnic backgrounds, and it affects more men than women.
It is possible to have high blood pressure and not know it. While some people with the condition suffer headaches, sweating, episodes of dizziness, and even nosebleeds that send them to the doctor, most experience no symptoms at all. High blood pressure may go undiscovered until detected during a routine physical or an examination for another health problem.
Essential hypertension seems to run in families. Although it usually doesn't surface until middle age, some people seem to be more prone to develop high blood pressure than others. Whether this is a result of genetics or lifestyle choices passed down within families is not known, however. High blood pressure has been linked to diet, alcohol consumption, smoking, and the use of stimulants, drug abuse, excessive consumption of sodium and caffeine, and obesity. In some cases, women on birth control pills develop hypertension, and a rise in blood pressure is not uncommon during pregnancy.
A small percentage of people with high blood pressure have what is known as malignant hypertension. This does not refer to cancer, but rather signifies that it is a form of high blood pressure that is dangerous and difficult to control. Diabetes, kidney disease, certain disorders of the adrenal glands, or coarctation (narrowing) of the aorta can all lead to malignant hypertension. Although rare, this condition comes on suddenly and causes the blood pressure to shoot up dangerously. If left untreated, malignant hypertension becomes life threatening in a very short time.
- Treatment for high blood pressure: This section provides information about high blood pressure treatment.
- High blood pressure diet: It gives information and guidelines to choose your sample diet to eliminate your high blood pressure.
- High blood pressure nutritions and supplements: This section provides comprehensive list of nutritional supplements for high blood pressure.
- Herbal treatment for high blood pressure: This section focuses on various traditional herbal treatments used to cure high blood pressure.
- High blood pressure acupressure treatment: This section provides various acupressure points on the body to treat high blood pressure.
- High blood pressure aromatherapy treatment: This section provides information about essential oils which are helpful to cure high blood pressure.