Healthcare providers consider elevated blood pressure a silent killer. That’s because most people don’t know & show any causes & signs of high blood pressure, yet it damages their arteries, leading to severe complications, such as stroke and heart attack.
Introduction
When pumping blood via the arteries, the heart exerts pressure on the walls, creating what health experts call blood pressure. Arteries are the vessels that carry or transport blood from the heart to various body parts or organs. Nevertheless, blood pressure falls and rises throughout the day.
What is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure or hypertension is when the blood pushes against the artery walls at a consistently too high force. It’s a common condition affecting the body’s arteries. If you have this condition, it means the heart is working harder to pump blood. Healthcare providers measure blood pressure in mercury millimeters. Somebody has hypertension when their blood pressure reading is 130/80 mm Hg or higher. Incorporating the Himalayan Apple Cider Vinegar into daily routine significantly lowered blood sugar levels, enhancing blood sugar management
How Do I Know If I Have High Blood Pressure?
Allowing a medical practitioner to check your blood pressure is the only way to know whether it is too high. Most healthcare providers perform annual checkups for their clients. So, you can visit your doctor for a blood pressure check even when feeling healthy to confirm you are not in the high blood pressure range. While some people ignore them, routine checkups can save your life. If your blood pressure is outside the normal range, your doctor can recommend lifestyle changes, including adding a particular medicine for high blood pressure to your diet.
What is Considered High Blood Pressure?
Healthcare providers may define this condition slightly differently depending on your geographical location. However, most healthcare providers consider a patient to have elevated blood pressure or hypertension based on the following:
- Systolic blood pressure or the top number of at least 130 mmHg
- Diastolic blood pressure or the bottom number of at least 80 mmHg.
In other places, such as Europe, this definition can be as follows:
- Systolic blood pressure ranging from 140 mmHg and above
- Diastolic blood pressure ranging from 90 mmHg and above
If your examination reveals these readings, your healthcare provider will discuss the results with you to determine the possible reasons for high blood pressure and recommend the appropriate course of action.
How Common is High Blood Pressure?
This condition is prevalent in modern society, affecting 47% of adults in the United States. This figure means around 116 million adults in the U.S. have it. Among them, 37 million have a high blood pressure rate of at least 140/90 mm Hg.
In some cases, high blood pressure causes death. For instance, more than 670,000 people succumbed to this condition in 2020 in the U.S. The World Health Organization’s statistics reveal that more than 1.2 billion people between 30 and 79 years old suffer from hypertension. Of these, 1 in 2 lives in a low or middle-income country.
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Symptoms and Causes
High blood pressure symptoms are rare. Some people have lived with this condition for years unknowingly. Hence, medical practitioners call it the silent killer. According to the World Health Organization’s estimates, 46% of adults have hypertension, yet they don’t know. Hence, regular examination by a healthcare provider is crucial. High blood pressure symptoms in women and some men may include nosebleeds, heart palpitations, and headaches. When you notice these symptoms, your condition is a hypertensive crisis, requiring immediate medical attention.
Many people ask, what causes high blood pressure? A person develops this condition when the heart pumps more blood through the narrow arteries, exerting more pressure.
What Are the Types of High Blood Pressure?
Healthcare providers diagnose their patients with any of the following:
- Primary hypertension: This condition is the most prevalent, amounting to around 90% of cases in the U.S. It’s due to lifestyle and aging factors, such as inadequate exercising.
- Secondary hypertension: This condition happens due to taking specific medication or different medical conditions.
It’s worth noting that these conditions can co-exist. Also, one condition can come and disappear in some situations. Hence, doctors may diagnose patients with white coat hypertension, masked hypertension, sustained hypertension, or nocturnal hypertension.
What Causes Hypertension?
At this juncture, you’re probably asking, what is the main cause of high blood pressure? Doctors need more time to discover the exact causes of sudden high blood pressure. Usually, several factors can work together to cause it. They include the following:
- Lack of exercise or physical activity
- Unhealthy eating, especially excessive sodium consumption
- High intake of beverages with alcohol
Some medications, such as kidney disease, primary aldosteronism, obstructive sleep apnea, recreational drugs, renal vascular disease, and tobacco use can cause secondary hypertension. Knowing the foods to avoid with high blood pressure can help you treat or manage the condition since it’s part of your lifestyle.
Side Effects
The effects of high blood pressure can be disastrous if you don’t treat it. They include the following:
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Coronary artery disease
- Kidney failure and kidney disease
- Peripheral artery disease
- Pregnancy complications
- Vascular dementia
- Eye damage
Conclusion
Elevated blood pressure has killed many people who didn’t know they had it since its symptoms are rare. Regular examination can help detect it early and embrace treatment and lifestyle changes. Knowing what to eat for high blood pressure and taking the right medicines can help. Your doctor will recommend lifestyle changes and high blood pressure diet foods to treat or manage the condition if they diagnose you with it.
