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Getting to know high blood pressure the simple way

By ebazaar ⋅ August 14, 2009 ⋅

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Heart diseases and cancer are not the only major killers around. There’s another one that’s just as equally dangerous to human being. It’s called ‘hypertension’ or high blood pressure. Hypertension or high blood pressure is a disease that often accompanies other chronic diseases such as heart diseases (such as strokes and heart failure) and diabetes. That is why, sometimes when a person who is diagnosed with high blood pressure are often advised to watch out from getting the other two infamous diseases through strict diet and lifestyle. Nevertheless, it is more likely that these three diseases are of hereditary factor which is almost inevitable.

Here’s what it means:-

The blood pressure of the human body is measured in two components, commonly known as the ‘top’ (systolic) and the ‘bottom’ (diastolic) pressure reading. The ‘top’ pressure actually works to measure the pump pressure of your blood vessels, meaning the arteries. Pump pressure is the pressure that can be measure in your arteries when the heart is not pumping. It’s considered as normal when it’s between 90 to 130 mmHg. As for the bottom pressure, it should be between 80 to 85 mmHg. (Refer to diagram 1 for the range table)

If you think you’re safe at ‘Normal-high’ level, think again. Recently, medical studies and research has found out that a person with blood pressure around this level has a considerable risk of having cardiovascular diseases.

How to measure blood pressure?

Originally, you will need a stethoscope and an inflatable cuff to measure blood pressure manually. However, nowadays blood pressure can be measured easily at home by using a digital machine that looks like in the picture below. It may not provide a reading as accurate as the manual ones, but it won’t differ much.

Initially, the cuff is used to be wrapped around the arm and air is pumped to compress shut the brachial artery. When air is released from the pumped cuff, a thump will be heart and this is when the systolic pressure reading is recorded. Whereby the diastolic pressure is recorded when the cuff pressure dropped below the level of systolic pressure and the slight regular thumping noise that occur as the artery started to open and close beginning to soften and faint out.

The best time to measure blood pressure? It’s in the morning before you had breakfast, especially before consuming caffeine, nicotine and doing any kind of exercise. You should at rested heartbeat and relaxed.

Symptoms of hypertension

- severe headache, migraine and giddiness

- blood-shot eyes and feeling hot in the head

- Starts losing focus

- Seizure (severe hypertension is a potential factor of seizure)

Causes of hypertension

Most of the time it is due to hereditary cause (almost 90%), and usually those with heart diseases and diabetes are more prone to hypertension. Diseases affecting the kidneys, adrenal glands and the aorta (the main artery of the body) can also cause hypertension, but they are much less common.

What you should do to prevent hypertension or reduce the risk?

1. Cut your salt intake

By reducing your salt intake in your daily diet menu substantially is effective in lowering blood pressure by about 5 to 10 mmHg.

2. Lose weight

This should be done if you are overweight. Weight loss together with decrease salt intake is the most important steps a person must take in order to control his blood pressure. When you’re overweight, you need more energy to carry your body and this will increase your breathing when you’re on the move. Your heart will be working extra hard, and so the pump pressure within arteries in your body will rise.

3. Continue your medication

It is common for a patient to stop taking medication after some time as some older forms of medication commonly causes impotence. He should tell his doctor who can then change the medication for him. When he stops the medication, the blood pressure rises and predisposes him to stroke, heart failure and kidney failure. The prevention of complications is the main aim of the treatment of hypertension. The concept of reserves is highly applicable here.

4. Follow on healthy eating plans

Consume more vegetables, fruits, fresh fishes, whole meal products with less of fat-rich foods and read meat.

But most importantly, you should seek professional help even when you feel a slight symptom. However, for hypertension, you can always have yourself checked up at a local clinic even when you feel perfectly healthy. Make sure you pay a visit to your doctor once a month or in a few months for a full body check up. Prevention is better than curing.

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