Blood pressure is a measurement of the force of blood flowing against the walls of the arteries. This pressure is constantly changing during the course of the heart related cycle. The highest pressure in the cycle is called the systolic, while the lowest is the diastolic. Both pressure readings are necessary to enable a health practitioner to evaluate the status of a patient’s blood pressure. Many factors such as physical activity, time of day etc can influence one’s blood pressure, for example, it is typically low in the morning and increases from the afternoon to the evening, and it is lower in the summer and higher in the winter.
High blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension means high pressure (strain) in the arteries. Arteries are tubes that carry blood from the pumping heart to all the tissues and organs of the body. Veins carry used blood from the organs and tissues back to the heart for recycling. If arteries become narrowed by one or more of several reasons, then the pressure of blood flow within the tubes that carry blood increases. The heart is therefore made to work harder to ensure that fresh and recycled blood is pumped to every organ of the body.
According to medical science the word “hypertension” or “arterial hypertension”, by itself, normally refers to increased pressure of blood passing through the entire arteries of the whole body. In order words the normal pumping pressure of blood through the body is in a way “hyped”. The opposite of it is called “normotensive”.
The American Heart Association estimates high blood pressure affects approximately one in three adults in the United States – 73 million people. High blood pressure is also estimated to affect about two million American teens and children, and the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that many are under-diagnosed. Hypertension is clearly a major public health problem.
Damage to the heart and blood vessels may occur if the condition remains unchecked, increasing the risk for stroke (brain damage), heart attack, kidney or heart (cardiac) failure, hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis or arteriosclerosis), and eye damage. Hypertension is often called the “silent killer,” because it often shows no symptoms until it reaches a life-threatening stage.
High blood pressure does not necessarily mean excessive emotional tension, although emotional tension and stress can temporarily increase it. Hypertension can be classified as either essential (primary) or secondary. Essential or primary hypertension means that no medical cause can be found to explain the raised blood pressure. It is common. About 90-95% of hypertension is essential hypertension. Secondary hypertension indicates that the high blood pressure is a result of (i.e., secondary to) another condition, such as kidney disease or tumors
Primary hypertension has no symptoms until complications develop. Symptoms and signs are not specific and arise from complications in some target organs. Dizziness, flushed facial appearance, headaches, fatigue, nose bleeding and nervousness might be some symptoms that might trigger a suspicion.
Medication applied by most physicians only work to reduce the level of pressure, without dealing with the cause of the problem, and is often prolonged. More like giving a patient with a broken bone, painkillers to relieve his suffering without setting the bones to heal. The best approach really is to have the patient start a program of mild exercising which will break sweat, proper dieting and stress control. Generally speaking while the patient monitors his own blood pressure on a daily basis, he should reinforce those activities which lead to drops in in it and refrain from indulgences which aggravate it.
Tobechi Chigbu is a public health enthusiast. For more information on Hypertension and other health tips visit diseasenaturalremedies.blogspot.com.
