Unfortunately most of us will experience elevated blood pressure sometime in our lives and if it is to be managed well it is important to have a basic understanding of the condition when talking to medical professionals.
Someone once said that the secret to a fit healthy old age is a fit healthy cardiovascular system. Seems logical when you think about it, the circulatory system is a miracle of bio engineering, transporting all manner of goods throughout the entire body non-stop, 24/7 for a lifetime, a loss in efficiency or worse a malfunction is going to have dire consequences.
The average body has 5 litres (1.2 gallons) of blood circulating continuously through a network of arteries, veins and capillaries. The heart is the miracle machine that maintains circulation, contracting and relaxing on average 70 to 80 times per minute pushing blood through 4 chambers that either receive from or discharge to a network of blood vessels.
Blood pressure readings are taken with a sfig (sphygmomanometer) and record two pressures, the higher pressure following the heart contraction called the systolic pressure and the low or relaxed pressure called the diastolic. The measure is in millimeters of mercury and is recorded as systolic/diastolic for example 120/80. A healthy circulatory system has very elastic artery walls that accommodate pressure fluctuations by flexing or expanding with each high pressure pulse.
A pressure reading of 120/80 is considered normal whereas you are classed as pre hypertensive in the range up to 139/89 and hypertensive with readings above that. Interesting thing is that you don’t know whether you have a problem with high blood pressure without being tested, there are no obvious symptoms and no strange feelings that something is not quite right. If diagnosed with hypertension chances are the cause will be unknown, called essential or primary hypertension, alternately the condition may be linked to a pre existing condition and is termed secondary hypertension. Essential hypertension is related to underlying factors such as genetics, lifestyle and simply getting older, whereas secondary hypertension can result from disorders across a range of functions, example kidneys and adrenal glands.
There are long term consequences for ignoring or not dealing with elevated blood pressure readings appropriately, a loss of body functions or even premature death.
Congestive Heart Failure – heart attack caused by lack of oxygen supply to cardiac muscle.
Heart Disease – continual pumping at high pressures simply overworks the heart causing severe cardiac damage.
Stroke – two thirds of people having first time strokes suffer from high blood pressure.
Artery and Coronary-Artery Disease – arteriosclerosis
Kidney – impaired function and possible total failure.
A diagnosis of hypertension is going to require implementation of a management routine, in most cases there will not be a cure however, a combination of lifestyle changes and/or a tailored drug regime will provide control at acceptable levels. It may be possible, depending on the severity of diagnosis to gain control and reduce pressure levels utilising lifestyle changes without the need for drugs. Some conditions will require a combination of various drug types perhaps as many as three, each working in different ways to reduce levels. Unfortunately drugs will have side effects, the extent and severity will vary in each case with untenable outcomes requiring trials of different combinations and dosage rates to arrive at an acceptable formula.
Any determined approach to controlling the condition will integrate lifestyle changes into the routine. For many this change alone will be sufficient but if drugs are required lifestyle changes will enhance their effectiveness and likely lead to a less hard hitting regime.
Faced with a diagnosis of high blood pressure it is essential to maintain your power in the decision making process. It is too easy when feeling pressured to assume your health professional has the skill, knowledge and the will to make decisions on your behalf that will produce the best outcome for you. Your approach to the issue armed with a good working knowledge will enable you and your advisor to be an effective team for making sound decisions affecting your health.
If your intention is to live a long, healthy and fit life then looking after your cardiovascular system must be a core strategy.
John Munson is a freelance writer with a particular interest in healthy longevity. A long and healthy life full of meaning is possible for most of us.View http://www.scopepublishing.com for more information
