Joe Barton asked:


Do you have high blood pressure? Do you have low blood pressure? This is an important question for your health and your life. Why? According to the American Heart Association (AHA), about one in three adults in the United States have high blood pressure. And only about 63 percent of those with high blood pressure are even aware that they have it. Causing, a heart wrenching of almost 60,000 Americans dying each year of complications related to high blood pressure. So what are the symptoms of high blood pressure?

Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

Unfortunately, the reason so many people don’t know they have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is that there aren’t really any clear symptoms of hypertension. However, some high blood pressure sufferers complain of: frequent headaches and dizziness. Therefore, if you even question that you or a loved one has high blood pressure, it is important to monitor your blood pressure regularly. And if you know your blood pressure is too high, you can do something about it TODAY. Keep reading!

Blood Pressure 101

What is blood pressure? Blood pressure is basically the force pushing on the arteries by your blood as it passes through them. Someone with high blood pressure has blood that is putting higher than normal pressure on the arteries. This puts more stress on the body. Hence, the heart has to work so hard to get the blood pumped through those arteries that it can actually enlarge and damage the heart, eventually causing a heart attack, stroke, aneurysm and other heart problems if left untreated. High blood pressure is not something to mess around with!

Causes for High Blood Pressure

What could put you at risk for high blood pressure? There are numerous causes but here is a list of the major ones:

Heredity: If your parents had high blood pressure, you are at risk.

Race: African Americans are most at risk. However, all ethnicities are on a rise.

Gender: Men are more likely than women to have high blood pressure.

Age: As you age, your risk of high blood pressure increases.

Salt Intake: Sodium intake has been linked with high blood pressure sufferers.

Obesity: Being overweight is a huge risk factor for high blood pressure.

Smoking: Smokers will often times be more at risk for hypertension.

A Sedentary Lifestyle: If you are required to sit a lot at your profession… your risk rises.

A Natural Cure for High Blood Pressure

Due to the seriousness of hypertension, doctors do have medications for sufferers. Including: Diuretics, Beta Blockers, ACE Inhibitors, Alpha Blockers and Vasodilators. However, here is the shocking part, as well as costing hundreds to thousands, many of these medications could have the following side-effects: kill nutrients in body, risk of asthma symptoms, speed heart rate, depletion of taste, rashes, cold symptoms, kidney problems, headaches, nausea, weight gain, and growth of hair. Not pleasant! Besides, I thought they were suppose to help hypertension sufferers?

Now the good news! There is an all-natural treatment for high blood pressure. Yes, you can drop points off your blood pressure reading in days! Doctors would agree there are numerous non-pharmaceutical things you can do lower your blood pressure. Start with these…

How to Lower Your Blood Pressure Today!

1. Educate Yourself! Most people **** studying but we’re talking about your life! Check out our web site below for more information on lowering your blood pressure.

2. Lose Weight! What are ways you can be more active and cut a few calories during each day? Jump on the scale in one week and you might be surprised. PS. Your blood pressure will drop too!

3. Lower your salt intake now. Try to lower your intake to less than 2,400 milligrams per day. If possible, go as low as 1,500 milligrams per day. Lower your salt… lower your blood pressure.

4. Get enough potassium. Eat foods rich in potassium including bananas, vegetable juice, potatoes, citrus fruits and fish.

5. Take those Calcium Pills and eat that low-fat dairy. This mineral is proven to help the cause of lowering blood pressure.

6. Pack in the fiber! Any fiber is going to be helpful for clearing out the excess gunk in your body and keeping the blood pressure normal. Switch to whole grain foods whenever possible.

Finally, don’t stop here! This is just the tip of the iceberg for getting your life back to normal and lowering your blood pressure. Please take a few more minutes and check out our high blood pressure/hypertension website. You would be amazed what others are saying about it! We offer a 100% satisfaction guaranteed report loaded with tons of information and tips to begin lowering your high blood pressure today! Life is priceless, please do not delay! You will drop points in months and feel like a new person! 100% guaranteed! What do you have to lose?

http://www.bloodpressurenormalized.com/hbp1/



Jamie

Drrao asked:


The other name of this blood pressure is “silent killer”. Blood pressure is the pressure that is exerted by the blood on the walls of the blood vessels. Having high blood pressure increases in the risk of you to some of the heart problems like stroke or heart attack.

Blood pressure is the measurement of pressure of the blood flowing through your blood vessels against the vessel walls. It can be caused by two reasons one is by the heart as it pumps the blood and the other is the arteries as they resist the blood flow. This blood pressure may be low or high in an individual.

For more information meets: dr jack

Blood pressure is indicated or determined by the amount of blood your heart perhaps pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The normal person’s blood pressure is 120/80. If he has less than 120/80 then it is low blood pressure and more than 120/80 and with in 140/90 then it is considered to be as high blood pressure.

High blood pressure develops with no signs and symptoms. This high blood pressure affects everyone in their lives. If it does not occur in your life by the age of 55 then you are likely to develop it any of your age. This high blood pressure does not have any signs or symptoms. But it can cause diseases like heart attack, stroke and many other diseases. But few people feel like suffering with dull headaches, dizzy spells or few more nose bleeds than normal. But the high blood pressure does not occur until it reaches the advanced or life threatening stage.

There are more number of high blood pressure cases than low blood pressure. There are no definite causes for this blood pressure. But the high blood pressure can be developed due to hypertension. The high blood pressure can be caused due to kidney abnormalities, tumors of the adrenal gland or certain heart defects. It is said that this can be occurred due to the intake of certain medications like birth control pills, cold remedies, decongestants, pain relievers and some of the other prescriptions cause high blood pressure. The intake of the illicit drugs like cocaine and amphetamines also cause blood pressure. Having overweight is also one of the cause for this blood pressure.

If this high blood pressure is treated then it can help in preventing serious and life threatening diseases. If there is control over your cholesterol and diabetes then you can control the high blood pressure. If there is change in your lifestyle then that can be helpful in controlling blood pressure. There should be changes in diet and exercises which are prescribed by your physician that will lower the blood pressure. Reduction in overweight helps you in controlling blood pressure. There should be reduction of salt and high diets as they are harmful. Quitting smoke also contributes in controlling blood pressure.

You must be wondering though you are taking the natural and herbal medications for this high blood pressure but still it is not decreased and the doses of your medications are increased but not healed with your disease. But who so ever comes to us we cure them with the medications that treat the disease as soon as possible and makes you fit as a normal person. After heal of the disease there is no need of continuing the medications further as our medications work in such a way. They have treated the people with marvelous and miraculous improvements. But you must be assured with the supplements which we provide to you and you will be relieved with our supplements. We have helped a lot of people in curing similar kind of problems. In some cases we also use yoga and mediation to enhance the effects.

I would be glad that i doing something to the society by spreading the education of health and to know more about the chronic disease and how they are cured with a natural heal within fewer periods and no harm.



Norma

brianandmartha2000 asked:


I know that normal blood pressre varies with age, height, and weight. Does anyone know any sites that would tell me what my specific blood pressure should be? I am 23 year old female, 5 feet tall and weighs about 115lbs. Any help would be appreciated!

Marlene

Jeremiah Slivka asked:


What is blood pressure? Blood pressure is the force of your blood against the walls of your arteries. Blood pressure consists of two number; a top and bottom number. The top number is the systolic pressure. The bottom number is the diastolic pressure.

Systolic blood pressure is the force of blood in your arteries as your heart beats. If your systolic number is higher than one hundred and forty you have high blood pressure. Even if your diastolic number is not high you can still have ‘isolated systolic hypertension.’ This means only your systolic number is high.

This is more common for older Americans. This pressure usually increases with age whereas diastolic pressure decreases after fifty-five. You might not know if you have isolated systolic hypertension so ask your doctor if you are concerned.

Diastolic blood pressure is the force of blood in your arteries when your heart relaxes between beats. For younger people this is a very important number. The higher this pressure is the more you are at risk. This blood pressure lowers as you get older and your systolic increases. Therefore diastolic is more important in younger people and systolic in older.

Normal blood pressure is less than one hundred and twenty over less than eighty. If your pressure is between the normal numbers and one hundred and thirty-nine over eighty-nine, you have what is called prehypertension. This puts you at risk to develop high blood pressure in the future but it easily preventable.

Hypertension is a name for high blood pressure. Having high blood pressure puts you at risk for heart disease or even strokes. High blood pressure makes your heart work harder than it should and can lead to blindness, kidney disease and even congestive heart failure.

According to statistics high blood pressure killed over fifty-four thousand people in 2004. Statistics also show that twenty-eight percent of people have high blood pressure and aren’t even aware of it. Are you one of them?

You should be aware of the risks of high blood pressure so you can avoid them as best as you can. High blood pressure is a risk for stroke and heart disease. While some risks can be altered or fixed, some cannot. For instance if you use tobacco or are overweight you are at risk for high blood pressure.

You can easily fix this by trying to quit using tobacco and watching your diet to help lose weight. If you have trouble doing either of these on your own, consult your physician. They may be able to prescribe you something or give you useful information to help.

High blood pressure can affect certain parts of your body as well. You might suffer from a stroke. This happens because the high blood pressure can break a weak blood vessel leaving it to bleed into the brain. Also if you have a blood clot blocking a narrow artery, you can also experience a stroke.

Sometimes impaired vision or blindness can occur from high blood pressure. It might eventually cause your blood vessels in your eye to bleed or burst leaving you with blurred or impaired vision.

Your arteries harden as you age, even more so for those in your heart, brain and kidneys. These harder arteries are associated with high blood pressure. When this happens your kidneys and heart have to work harder. If you have any questions or concerns about your blood pressure ask your doctor. They can answer any questions you might have and find a solution if you do in fact have high blood pressure or might be prone to it. It’s never too late to take care of your body, including your blood pressure.



Cindy

Author asked:


Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against the walls of the arteries each time your heart beats. Your blood pressure is highest each time the heart beats, pumping blood into the arteries. This is called systolic pressure, and is the high number in your reading. The diastolic pressure measures the pressure in between beats, when your heart is at rest. Your blood pressure is lowest while sleeping and although it varies some during the day, it remains close to the same. Normal blood pressure is 120/80. If your systolic pressure rises to 140 or above, or if your diastolic pressure rises to 90 or above, this is considered high blood pressure.

According to the American Heart Association, an estimated one in three U.S. adults have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, and an alarming one-third of those don’t even know they have it. It’s no wonder this condition has long been called “the silent killer”.

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke, heart attack, heart failure and kidney failure. And when it exists with obesity, smoking, high blood cholesterol or diabetes, the risk of heart attack or stroke increases several times. If you don’t have high blood pressure by age 55, your chance of developing it at some point in your life is 90 percent, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Although high blood pressure can occur in both children and adults, it is most common in those over age 35, and is most prevalent in African Americans, middle-aged and elderly people, obese people, heavy drinkers and women taking birth control pills. Although many people get high blood pressure as they get older, it is not part of the aging process! Proper diet, exercise and lifestyle changes can help in prevention and lowering of blood pressure.

Commonly Prescribed Medication for High Blood Pressure.

In 90–95 percent of cases, research scientists don’t know what causes high blood pressure, but fortunately they know enough to have developed both drug and non-drug products to treat it effectively.

A wide variety of medications are available to medical professionals for treating high blood pressure. Although other classes of medications are sometimes prescribed, the most commonly prescribed can be broken down into five different classes of medications that work in different ways to lower pressure.

· Diuretics (water pills) work in the kidney to get rid of excess water and sodium.

· Beta-Blockers reduce nerve impulses to the heart and blood vessels to cause the heart to beat more slowly and with less force.

· Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors prevent the formation of a hormone called angiotensin II, which would otherwise cause vessels to narrow.

· Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB) block the action of angiotensin II.

· Calcium Channel Blockers prevent calcium from entering the muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels, causing blood vessels to relax.

As of June, 2005, there didn’t appear to be much global agreement among medical experts worldwide in terms of recommended first-line therapy for treating high blood pressure. It is important to note that in June, 2006, The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and the British Hypertension Society have come to an agreement within the UK, and have issued new guidelines, including important changes to help guide primary care physicians in determining first-line therapy. A major change is that Beta-Blockers, which have been shown to be less effective in preventing strokes and more likely to cause diabetes, are no longer recommended as routine treatment for the majority of people with high blood pressure. Instead, ACE Inhibitors (or Angiotensin Receptor Blockers if there are side effects) are now recommended in the UK for most people, with some exceptions, before trying other classes of medication for hypertension.

As with any medication, there may be side effects from taking ACE Inhibitors, and some should not use them at all, including black people of any age. According to the Mayo Clinic, a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine, also in June, 2006, indicated an increased risk of birth defects in children whose mothers took ACE inhibitors during the first trimester, adding to the known risks during the second and third trimesters. While most people can tolerate ACE Inhibitors, some may experience side effects such as cough, elevated blood potassium levels, low blood pressure, dizziness, headache, drowsiness, weakness, abnormal taste (metallic or salty taste), and rash. Rare, but more serious side effects include kidney failure, allergic reactions, a decrease in white blood cells, and swelling of tissues (angioedema).

Very similar to ACE Inhibitors are ARB medications, and depending on the individual’s particular health issues, a doctor may switch between the two, and may sometimes prescribe both. The most common side effects with ARBs are cough, elevated potassium levels, low blood pressure, dizziness, headache, drowsiness, diarrhea, abnormal taste sensation (metallic or salty taste), and rash. Compared to ACE inhibitors, cough occurs less often with ARBs. The most serious, but rare, side effects are kidney failure, liver failure, allergic reactions, a decrease in white blood cells, and swelling of tissues (angioedema).

On January 19, 2007, Rush University Medical Center reported findings that ACE Inhibitors and ARBs prevent people from getting diabetes, and that diuretics and beta-blockers increase the chance that a person becomes diabetic. The authors pointed out that more studies are required to determine whether new-onset diabetes leads to as many heart attacks, strokes or death, as long-standing diabetes. However, their data suggests that the differences between antihypertensive drugs regarding the risk for new-onset diabetes are real and are significant. Melaleuca offers a natural high blood pressure remedy called ProStolic™ which interacts with a natural body enzyme much like the ACE Inhibitors and ARB medications to relax blood vessels and allow healthy blood flow. As a comparison, it might be helpful to understand how the ACE and ARB class of drugs react, as well as how the non-drug hypertension remedy ProStolic™ formula reacts with the body.

In Part 2 of our Blood Pressure Research Report we will discuss the ACE Inhibitors and Angiotension Receptor Blockers, Natural Therapy for Maintaining Healthy Blood Pressure and benefits of Bioactive Casein Hydrolysate Tripeptides VPP and IPP.



Jamie

Mitamins Team asked:


Recent estimates have indicated that one in three adults in the USA has high blood pressure and that a third of these people are unaware of their condition. Your blood pressure is quite simply the force of the blood on the artery walls when the heart beats (systolic pressure) and when it rests between beats (diastolic pressure). The normal values are less 120 mm Hg systolic and less 80 mm Hg diastolic. If your blood pressure is 140-159 mm Hg Systolic over 90-99 mm Hg Diastolic then this is classified as High blood pressure or Hypertension.

There are many causes of high blood pressure; in 90-95% of cases the actual cause cannot be discerned. Nerve impulses cause your arteries to dilate (become larger) or contract (become smaller). If these vessels are wide open, blood can flow through easily. If they’re narrow, it’s harder for the blood to flow through them, and the pressure inside them increases. High blood pressure may occur at this point. The remaining cases high blood pressure may be caused by kidney abnormalities, an abnormality of the aorta, the narrowing of certain arteries.

Blood volume also affects blood pressure – the more blood in the body, the higher the amount of blood returning to the heart and the resulting cardiac output and higher the blood pressure. Arteries thickened by fatty tissue increase the resistance of the blood as it flows and this increased the resistance will contribute to higher the blood pressure. Other factors could also affect blood pressure like blood viscosity or stickiness. This is called your triglyceride levels. A raised triglyceride can be caused by a high alcohol or carbohydrate diet, being over weight or having poorly controlled blood sugars.

Keeping fit through a balanced diet and exercise is an important way to decrease high blood pressure. There is a direct link between rising blood pressure or hypertension and being overweight. Exercise improves the condition of the thickened arteries which helps in the treatment of high blood pressure by making the heart stronger. A stronger heart pumps more blood efficiently, which means that the heart doesn’t have to work as hard. However anyone with high blood pressure should consult a doctor before any exercise plan.

Research has also shown some evidence that exercise reduces the release of nor epinephrine, which is a hormone that raises blood pressure by constricting arteries and increasing the heart rate.

Aiming for and maintaining an ideal body weight is really important in the treatment of high blood pressure. If you are overweight or obese, ask your doctor for a referral to a dietitian who can help you make permanent, achievable changes to the way you eat to assist with weight loss.

Cutting down on your alcohol intake, is very important – as this has a significant role in boosting blood pressure. Women should limit their intake to one drink per day and men two. Smoking injures blood vessel walls and accelerates the hardening of the arteries. Although it does not directly cause even though it does not cause high blood pressure, smoking is bad for anyone, especially those with high blood pressure

Dietary changes can really contribute to the treatment of high blood pressure. In studies sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan has been shown to be effective. Essentially this plan involves consuming increased amounts of fruit and vegetables and choosing low-fat or non-fat dairy products. Studies have shown that eating fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy food and proteins as well as foods with lower saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol, lower blood pressure and promote overall fitness. Whole grains, poultry, fish and nuts with lower fat content are good choices for the heart. Details of the DASH diet can be found at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov

Foods with large amounts of saturated and trans fats such a fatty cuts of meat, fast food, fries, cakes and cookies should be kept to a minimum. This will also help with limiting the amount of sodium or salt in the diet. You should also try to avoid adding salt in your cooking and at the table, to limit gravy powders, salty soups and seasoning as well as salted crisps and nuts.

So why not have a go at these small changes – they really can make a difference in the treatment of high blood pressure!



Cynthia

Rachel Broune asked:


Blood Pressure is a pressure of blood against the walls of a blood vessel or heart chamber. The measurement of the pressure or force inside the blood vessels (arteries) with each beat of the heart. Blood pressure is written as two numbers; the first number, the systolic pressure, is the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats and fills the arteries with blood. People with diabetes should aim for a blood pressure of 130 / 80 or lower. High blood pressure (hypertension) can cause health problems such as heart attacks, strokes and kidney problems. Blood pressure 120/80 mm Hg. If blood pressure is above 140/90 mm Hg,it is considered to be a high blood pressure.

Blood pressure is measured with a monitor called a sphygmomanometer. This is a digital box attached to a tube with a cuff on the end. The cuff is placed around the upper arm and inflated to a certain level, then deflated slowly. A sensor in the cuff provides information about the blood pressure or a doctor or nurse will listen to the blood flow using a stethoscope.

High blood pressure is called the silent killer because it usually has no symptoms. Some people may not find out they have it until they have trouble with their heart, brain, or kidneys. Nearly 1 in 3 American adults has high blood pressure. Once high blood pressure develops, it usually lasts a lifetime. The good news is that it can be treated and controlled.

Symptoms of Blood Pressure

The symptoms of high blood pressure are hardly traceable. It is very difficult to identify this disease physically as such. But still, some of the general symptoms noticed in most of the patients are:

1) nose bleeding

2) bouts of headache

3) dizziness and fatigue

If high blood pressure is due to phechromocytoma which is a tumor of the adrenal gland, the symptoms may include unstable or rapid heart beats, perspiration, anxiety, headache and paleness.

Low blood pressure (hypotension) is pressure that is so low that it causes symptoms or signs due to the low flow of blood through the arteries and veins. When the flow of blood is too low to deliver enough oxygen and nutrients to vital organs such as the brain, heart, and kidney, the organs do not function normally and may be permanently damaged.

Slightly raised blood pressure may not need to be treated so aggressively, but regular monitoring is important. If you have very severe high blood pressure, you may need to go to hospital for treatment. But it’s much more likely that you will be cared for by your GP and/or a nurse. Blood pressure changes during the day. It is lowest as you sleep and rises when you get up. It also can rise when you are excited, nervous, or active.

According to research studies, the risk of dying of a heart attack is directly linked to blood pressure, especially systolic hypertension. The higher your blood pressure, the higher your risk, even with blood pressure in the normal range.



Sandra

tropicana_hannah asked:


I remeber learning about counting the beats n all with ur fingers at ur wrist. But i dont remember it all. Is that technique to find out your blood pressure? How can i find out my blood pressure at home?

Tamara

Bob Held asked:


As a first step, let’s talk about your heart.

Your heart is an organ that is mostly muscle tissue. It is a pump. In very simple terms its job is to receive incoming blood from the body that is low in oxygen and pump it to the lungs.

As it passes through the lungs the blood gets rid of carbon dioxide and picks up oxygen. Then the blood goes back to the heart and the heart pumps the oxygen rich blood out to the entire body.

Blood flows through arteries going out from the heart to various parts of the body, and through veins on the way back to the heart.

The heart pumps blood by the rhythmic contraction of the four chambers in the heart. It is the strong contractions of the lower two chambers (called ventricles) that pumps the blood out of and away from the heart to the various parts of the body.

There is a great deal of pressure created by the contraction of the ventricles. and it is this pressure that pushes the blood through the miles of arteries within the body.

It is the pressure, the force of the blood pushing against the inside walls of your arteries, that is being discussed when we talk about blood “pressure.”

What do the numbers mean?

You’ve probably heard the sound of a heart beating at some time. It sounds sort of like: lub-DUB, lub-DUB, lub-DUB, lub-DUB.

The “lub” is the sound of the auricles beating and pumping the blood into the bigger, more powerful chambers, the ventricles. The “DUB” is the sound of the ventricles beating, and pumping the blood away from the heart (see the above illustration).

When the powerful ventricles contract (the “DUB”), that is the moment of greatest pressure called the “systolic pressure.”

Between one “lub-DUB” and the next “lub-DUB” is a moment when the heart is not beating at all, that is the moment of lowest pressure called the “diastolic pressure.”

When doctors or nurses measure your blood pressure, they usually give it to you as two numbers, the “systolic” over the “diastolic” or the high over the low measurements.

These numbers fall into certain ranges:

What controls blood pressure?

Blood pressure is controlled by tiny muscles that line the inside of your blood vessels.

These muscles allow your arteries to operate like soft rubber tubes, that expand with each beat of your heart.

When these muscles throughout the vascular system [the arteries and veins that carry blood] expand, blood pressure drops.

When these muscles throughout the vascular system tense up, blood pressure rises.

When these muscles get tense, the arteries become narrower, more rigid, less flexible, and the heart has to beat harder to keep the blood flowing through these narrower tubes.

If the muscles that line your arteries are tense all the time, the blood pressure will remain high. This is called hypertension!

Continuous high blood pressure puts extra strain, wear and tear on your heart and arteries, that can eventually lead to heart attacks and strokes.

What Causes High Blood Pressure?

What is it that makes the muscles that line your blood vessels tense all the time? What are the things that can actually drive your blood pressure up?

* Poor diet

* Nutritional deficiencies

* Being overweight

* Alcohol and caffeine in excess

* Emotional and physical stress

* Being diabetic

Each of the above can cause the loss of vital minerals from the body. These minerals are essential to the natural and effective control of blood pressure.

“Magnesium is essential for cells to maintain proper balances of other minerals such as potassium, sodium, and calcium.”

“When cells are deficient in magnesium, this balance is disrupted, and cells lose potassium and are flooded with calcium and sodium.”

“In the smooth muscle cells of the blood vessels, this sets the stage for constriction and elevation of blood pressure.”

excerpted from The Magnesium Solution

by Jay S. Cohen, M.D.

Not having enough magnesium is one of the main causes of high blood pressure.

“As many as half of us in the United States are magnesium deficient.”

“Our soils are becoming depleted of magnesium, which eliminates the natural opportunity to receive magnesium from fruits, vegetables, and water.”

excerpted from The Sinatra Solution

by Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D.

Blood Pressure Drugs

Today, most people with high blood pressure are only treating the symptoms and not getting to the root of the problem.

Furthermore, many hypertension medications given to people with high blood pressure are adding to the problem instead of getting to the root cause.

All blood pressure medications are man-made chemicals. They are alien substances in your body.

They attempt to directly address the high blood pressure (which is a symptom) rather than what is causing the high blood pressure.

Some of these medications will do this by slowing your heart beat, others by interfering with nerve impulses to your arteries, and still others by removing water from your body, or blocking biochemical reactions, or preventing calcium from entering the cells that make up the walls of your arteries.

All blood pressure medications have side effects. Some of these side effects are so strong that they negatively impact your quality of life.

Often, two or three of these drugs are prescribed to be used at the same time, which creates even more side effects as a result of the chemical interactions between the drugs.



Michael

Flor Ayag asked:


MARIAN was afraid! Without warning, her nose had begun to bleed profusely. “I thought I was going to die,” she recalls. A doctor informed Marian that her nosebleed had been caused by high blood pressure (arterial hypertension). “But I feel fine,” answered Marian. “Many people do not know that they have high blood pressure because they have no symptoms,” she replied.

What about your blood pressure? Could your current life-style cause high blood pressure in the future? What can you do to keep your blood pressure under control?

Blood pressure is the force blood exerts against blood vessel walls. It can be measured using an inflatable rubber cuff, which is wrapped around the upper arm and connected to an apparatus that records pressure. Two readings are obtained. For example: 120/80. The first number is called systolic blood pressure because it indicates blood pressure during the heartbeat (systole), and the second number is called diastolic blood pressure because it indicates blood pressure while the heart is relaxed (diastole). Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury, and physicians classify patients as hypertensive when their blood pressure is above 140/90.

What makes blood pressure increase? Imagine that you are watering your garden. By opening the faucet or by reducing the caliber, or diameter, of the jet of water, you increase the pressure of the water. The same occurs with blood pressure: Increasing the rate of flow of blood or decreasing the caliber of the blood vessel elevates the blood pressure. How does high blood pressure occur? Many factors are involved.

Factors You Cannot Control

Researchers have discovered that if a person has relatives with high blood pressure, his chances of suffering from the disease are greater. Statistics indicate a higher incidence of hypertension in identical twins than in fraternal twins. One study refers to the “mapping of the genes responsible for arterial hypertension,” all of which would confirm the existence of a hereditary component responsible for high blood pressure. The risk of abnormally high blood pressure is also known to increase with age and to be greater among black males.

Factors You Can Control

Watch your diet! Salt (sodium) can boost blood pressure in some people, especially people with diabetes, those with severe hypertension, older people, and some blacks. Excess fat in the bloodstream can create deposits of cholesterol on the internal walls of blood vessels (atherosclerosis), thus reducing their caliber and increasing blood pressure. People who are more than 30 percent above their ideal body weight are liable to have high blood pressure. Studies suggest that increasing the intake of potassium and calcium may lower blood pressure.

Smoking is related to a greater risk of atherosclerosis, diabetes, heart attack, and stroke. That being so, smoking and high blood pressure are a dangerous combination that can lead to cardiovascular diseases. Although the evidence is contradictory, caffeine—contained in coffee, tea, and cola drinks—and emotional and physical stress may also aggravate high blood pressure. In addition, scientists know that intensive or chronic consumption of alcoholic drinks and lack of physical activity can increase blood pressure.

Healthful Life-Style

It would be a mistake to wait for high blood pressure to develop before taking positive steps. A healthful life-style should be a concern from an early age. Taking care now will result in a better quality of life in the future.

The Third Brazilian Consensus on Arterial Hypertension defined the life-style changes that favor a decrease in arterial blood pressure. They are a helpful guide to people with high or normal blood pressure.

For the obese, researchers recommended a balanced low-calorie diet, avoiding fast and “miracle” diets, while maintaining a program of moderate physical exercise. With regard to salt, they suggested a consumption of no more than six grams or one teaspoon per day. In practice, that means cutting to a minimum the use of salt in food preparation, as well as minimizing canned foods, cold cuts (salami, ham, sausage, and others), and smoked foods. Salt intake can also be reduced by refraining from adding extra salt during the meal and by checking the packaging of processed foods to see how much salt has been added.

The Brazilian Consensus also suggested increasing the intake of potassium because it may have an “antihypertensive effect.” That being so, a healthful diet should include “foods that are low in sodium and rich in potassium,” such as beans, dark green vegetables, bananas, melons, carrots, beets, tomatoes, and oranges. Keeping alcohol intake at a moderate level is also important. Some researchers indicate that hypertensive males should consume no more than one ounce [30 ml] of alcohol per day; and women or those with low body weight no more than one half ounce [15 ml].

The Brazilian Consensus concluded that regular physical exercise decreased blood pressure and thus lowered the risk of developing arterial hypertension. Moderate aerobic exercise, such as walking, cycling, and swimming, for 30 to 45 minutes, three to five times a week is beneficial. Other factors that have been associated with a more healthful life-style include quitting smoking, controlling blood fats (cholesterol and triglycerides) and diabetes, getting an adequate intake of calcium and magnesium, and controlling physical and emotional stress. Some drugs may increase blood pressure, such as nasal decongestants, antacids high in sodium, appetite moderators, and caffeine-containing painkillers for migraines.

Certainly, if you have arterial hypertension, your doctor is in the best position to give you advice on your diet and habits, according to your personal needs. Regardless of your situation, however, adopting a healthful life-style from an early age is always beneficial, not only for hypertensive people but for all the members of the family. Marian, mentioned at the beginning of this article, had to make changes in her life-style. Currently she takes medication and leads a normal life despite her health problem.



Steven