High blood pressure – An overview - By: Anthony Delar

Blood pressure refers to the force, with which your blood flows through your arteries. Every heart beat indicates that blood is getting pumped into your entire body. The blood pressure is measured in terms of two different pressures, as systolic pressure against the diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure is the measure of your blood pressure, when your heart contracts, the point at which, the blood pressure is at its highest. When your heart is relaxed, the blood pressure falls or is the lowest, which is known as the diastolic pressure.

The normal blood pressure ranges 120/80 mm Hg, in which 120 refers to the systolic pressure while 80 refers to the diastolic pressure. High blood pressure is a cardiac chronic medical condition, in which the blood pressure remains elevated. In an adult, if the blood pressure measures as 140 mm Hg or above systolic pressure and 90 mm Hg diastolic pressure, then the person is said to be suffering from high blood pressure. This medical condition is also known as hypertension, which can affect not only adults but children too. This condition is more common among people who are above the age of 35 years.

A large number of different factors can be responsible for causing high blood pressure in a person. Some of the factors that can cause high blood pressure are such, on which you do not have any control on. One such factor is age; older people are at a greater risk of suffering from high blood pressure, especially with elevated systolic readings. Psychological factors such as low self esteem of low self confidence, that comes as a result of belonging to the lower socio-economic group, are also at a risk of suffering from high blood pressure. Gender and genetic inheritance are another uncontrollable factors that can play a role in developing high blood pressure in a person.

The other set of factors are such that they can be controlled and one such factor is obesity. It is one factor that you can cross out as a cause, by controlling and improving on your unhealthy eating habits, or those which lead you to become obese. Another controllable factor is alcohol; you can always control the excessive intake of alcohol that you have. Emotional stress, caffeine, birth control pills and certain other medications, can all be added to the controllable factors that can cause high blood pressure. But if you do not control on these factors, or do not take care while you have developed this condition, you are likely to suffer from health conditions such as impotence, stroke and heart failure.

How can high blood pressure be treated?

You can start controlling blood pressure through a stepwise approach, which begins with diet, weight loss and lifestyle changes. You can then add on medications, which are required for the treatment of high blood pressure. You can also start with more of physical activities, which can play a major role on controlling your blood pressure. If you are addicted to nicotine or any type of drugs, you can start controlling your habits around these drugs. A natural herb named as hawthorn, is often preferred when it comes to treating high blood pressure. At times, fish oil can also help in maintaining your blood pressure, and prevent you from developing high blood pressure. Meditating and yoga can also help in controlling your blood pressure levels. You should try and cut down on the excessive intake of salt that you have.

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