People may not even realize
their pressure is high, since there are often no symptoms with high blood
pressure. High
blood pressure, or hypertension, is often called the silent killer as it
usually lacks obvious symptoms, and by the time it comes to the fore, damage to
the ticker has already occurred. If not diagnosed early and left unchecked, the
muscle may become so thick that it does not get enough oxygen, which can lead
to angina (chest pain). Without appropriate HBP monitoring and control, the
heart can weaken over time (not being able to pump as efficiently as it could)
and heart failure (HF) may develop. The risk of
heart attack and stroke also increases in an individual with HBP, since HBP
also leads to thickening of the blood vessel walls. When combined with
cholesterol deposits in the blood vessels, the aforementioned life-threatening
situations can unfold. Hypertensive
heart disease is the leading cause of illness and death from HBP.
Symptoms:
High blood pressure develops
over a period of time and takes years to manifest. One may not even know they
have HBP until damage has already occurred to the major organs in the body,
including the brain, kidneys, eyes, and heart (are especially susceptible).
Some symptoms you should watch out for:
1.
Headaches
2.
Light-headedness
3.
Shortness
of breath
4.
Nosebleed
5.
Pain in the
chest
6.
Flushing
7.
Blood in
urine
8.
Changes in
sight
9.
Fainting
spells
Checking the BP is a routine
in most doctors. BP is defined as high if the top number is 130 or above, or
the bottom number is 80 or higher. Blood pressure checkups at regular intervals
are important to protect yourself from other health issues.
Causes:
1.
Genetics
(family history- individuals who have a family history needs to be doubly
attentive to their blood pressure readings)
2.
Lifestyle
choices (eating a calorie and processed food rich diet, lack of physical
activity, and having excess weight can lead to hypertensive heart disease)
3.
Physical
changes (some other organ malfunctioning could cause your blood pressure to
increase, which highlights the importance of getting an annual medical checkup
to monitor your BP as well as health of other organs)
Treatment:
Your doctor will suggest
lifestyle changes to control your BP if the readings are not to be worried
about. You might as well be put on medications. If there is some other disease
that has led to HBP, doctors will treat that issue first before resorting to
other measures.
Prevention:
When you can prevent it from
developing in the first place, why think about treatment measures! Even if you
are suffering from hypertension, the following tips will be immensely helpful
to lower the BP.
1.
Eat a
healthy diet (you’ll most probably be familiar with the link between sodium and
BP, and why it’s important to cut down on salt, what you might not know is that
much of it comes from food prepared outside the home- say, ordered in a
restaurant. It’s advised that you cook with simple, healthy ingredients- a
major dietary step that can help lower your BP and improve your heart health.
At the same time, look for sources of potassium- mainly found in sweet
potatoes, bananas, spinach, and avocados- increasing potassium intake can help
to lower your sodium level.)
2.
Exercise regularly
3.
Manage
stress well
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