Hypertension Overview

Hypertension is the medical term used for high blood pressure. As the heart beats, blood is pushed through the arteries creating a certain pressure inside them known as blood pressure. It is quite normal for the blood pressure to vary during the day, but if it stays up, you are probably suffering from high blood pressure.

 

High blood pressure can damage the blood vessels, kidneys and heart, leading to a heart attack, stroke or other health problems. Hypertension is called the “silent killer” because it generally shows no symptoms while damaging the body from inside. Your blood pressure consists of two components, systolic and diastolic. The systolic pressure indicates the force with which the blood is pumped by the heart against the walls of the arteries, while diastolic pressure indicates the force with which the blood is pumped when the heart is filling with blood and is in a relaxed state.

 

If a person has a blood pressure of 120/80, it is treated as normal blood pressure for any adult. It indicates that the systolic blood pressure of that person is 120 and diastolic pressure is 80. A blood pressure of 140/90 or higher is considered as hypertension in adults.

There is no specific cause for hypertension, and it usually goes unnoticed unless there is a sudden rise in the blood pressure. In fact, almost one third of people with high blood pressure don’t realize that they suffer from hypertension until it is checked by their doctor. However, there are many things that can raise your blood pressure, such as being overweight, excess intake of alcohol, heredity, eating a lot of salt and, not to forget, aging. Leading a sedentary lifestyle might also contribute as one of the reasons for hypertension.

Some of the symptoms of hypertension are:

1. Headache

2. Nausea and vomiting

3. Vision problems

4. Fatigue

5. Chest pain

6. Irregular heartbeat

High blood pressure can be diagnosed by the doctor on your routine checkup. You should be diagnosed with a blood pressure of 140/90 on three different occasions for your doctor to confirm that you suffer from hypertension, probably measured after a gap of 1-2 weeks.

Hypertension treatment depends upon how high your blood pressure is, and whether you suffer from any other health problem, such as diabetes. Your doctor also needs to check the probability of you developing other health problems, especially heart attack. You can relieve hypertension by making certain healthy diet and lifestyle changes. If you don’t see any benefits by making these changes, then you will also need to take some medication to keep your blood pressure under control. Keep in mind that high blood pressure controlling drugs need to be taken throughout your life. Your doctor can suggest the right kind of medicine having the least side effects. Some changes in your lifestyle that can help keep your blood pressure under control are:

1. Maintain a healthy weight or try to lose those extra kilos

2. Cut your salt intake and avoid salty foods

3. Exercise regularly

4. Control or reduce your alcohol intake