High Blood Pressure – The Silent Killer!
October 22, 2008
INTRODUCTION: High blood pressure or hypertension means high pressure (tension) in the arteries. It does not mean excessive emotional tension, although emotional tension and stress can temporarily increase blood pressure.
Hypertension usually has no symptoms, but it can cause serious problems such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack and kidney failure.
It causes the heart to work much harder and can harm the arteries, causing them to narrow faster. It can also damage many parts of the body and is a major health problem in the United States affecting one out of every three Americans or 65 million people, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
HYPERTENSION: Frequently referred to as "high blood pressure", HTN or HPN, is a medical condition that is caused by the blood pressure being chronically elevated and is considered to be present when a person’s systolic blood pressure is continously 140 mmHg or greater, and/or their diastolic blood pressure is consistently 90 mmHg or higher.
It can be classified as either essential (primary) or secondary and is one of the most common complex disorders, with genetic implication averaging 30%. Hypertension can be a temporary or lifelong disease, depending on the cause and is dangerous because it causes the heart to work extra hard.
Pre-hypertension is blood pressure between 120 and 139 for the top number, or between 80 and 89 for the bottom number. For example, blood pressure readings of 138/82, 128/89, or 130/86 are all in the pre-hypertension range. If your blood pressure is in the pre-hypertension range, it is more likely that you will end up with high blood pressure unless you take action to prevent it. If you have this kind of hypertension, you may not need to take medication.
HEART: Some people may not find out they have hypertension until there is trouble with their heart, brain, or kidneys. When it is not diagnosed and treated, it can cause the heart to become larger, which might lead to heart failure. With hypertension, the heart works harder than usual, your arteries take a beating, and the possibilities of a stroke, heart attack, and kidney problems are greater.
If you don’t have hypertension by age 55, you have a 90 % chance of developing it at some point during your life, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. If left untreated, it will cause the heart to eventually overwork itself to the point at which serious damage can happen. About 1/2 of people having first-time heart attacks and two-thirds of people having first-time strokes suffer from hypertension.
Are you aware that laughing heartily 100 times per day gives the same cardio results as exercising for 20 minutes?
TREATMENT: Treatment is focused on reducing water retention and lowering blood pressure to normal limits. When you first start treatment, your doctor may want you to come to the office regularly. Your doctor will review the information with you and decide if your treatment program is working or if you need to make changes to it.
Among the 61 percent who are under treatment, only 35 percent have their blood pressure adequately controlled. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
CONCLUSION: High blood pressure is called the silent killer because it often has no symptoms and is a risk factor for heart and kidney disease and stroke. High blood pressure is not evenly spread throughout the population and happens disproportionately more often in minority communities.
High blood pressure rates are also growing among American children, paralleling an epidemic of obesity. Hypertension in grownups will usually be measured on at least two different trips to the doctor before a diagnosis is made. It can be treated by both modifying lifestyles, usually as the first step, and, if necessary, with medications. Diuretics work in the kidney and flush out excess water and sodium from the body.
Nearly 1 in 3 American adults has hypertension. Once It develops, it usually remains for the rest of your lifetime. Fortunately, it can be easily detected, and once you know you have it, you can work with your physician to control it.
By: Richard H Ealom
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
About the author: Richard H. Ealom is an ezinearticles.com writer with more than 50 articles on diseases,causes,cures. For more about Hypertension visit Cure Your High blood Pressure! You have full permission to reprint this article provided this box is kept unchanged
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