About Hypertension

Alien asked:


Hypertension, commonly referred to as “high blood pressure” or HTN, is a medical condition in which the blood pressure is chronically elevated. While it is formally called arterial hypertension, the word “hypertension” without a qualifier usually refers to arterial hypertension. Hypertension can be classified as either essential (primary) or secondary. Essential hypertension indicates that no specific medical cause can be found to explain a patient’s condition.

How is blood pressure measured? How does one know if he or she has hypertension? Actually, most people know the answers to both these questions. But since hypertension - or high blood pressure - is such a “silent” condition (many people don’t even know they have it), people often simply don’t care.

A doctor, in ascertaining the blood pressure of a person, takes two readings. The “high” reading represents the systolic pressure, which is the highest pressure the heart is able to produce as it pumps blood into the arteries. The “low” reading, on the other hand, represents the diastolic pressure - the pressure that remains in the blood vessels prior to the taking place of the next heartbeat. The readings indicate the extent of the elevation of the vertical accumulation of mercury (expressed in millimeters) that this much pressure holds up.

For young adults who are healthy, the normal systolic range should be 90 to 140, while it’s 60 to 90 for the diastolic. The average normal blood pressure for healthy young adults is 120/80, where 120 is the systolic and 80 the diastolic. Therefore, a systolic reading that persistently goes over 140 and a diastolic reading that continues to exceed 90 are not normal. Such excessively high readings unmistakably point to the condition of hypertension.

Hypertension may be caused by any of these factors: heredity, physical and/or emotional stress, and obesity - the last being the most common cause. Smoking, or the use of any tobacco product, is a factor that can worsen the condition.

Despite any unhealthy habit or the presence of any of the factors mentioned above, the symptoms of hypertension may not be apparent prior to reaching the age of 35. At age 50 and over, a reddish complexion and being overweight are two symptoms that may be evident. Aching head, dizziness, or ringing in the ears are also possible.

Several steps or methods have been suggested by health experts to address high blood pressure, all of which focus on the prevention of the hardening of the arteries. For obese people, it is important to pay special attention to diet and to refrain from smoking. Remember that too much sweets, protein foods, or salt can easily elevate blood pressure. Taking sufficient rest is likewise necessary to avoid stress which, as earlier mentioned, is one of the factors that can cause hypertension.

A number of drugs have been touted as being completely efficient in treating hypertension. Most of these drugs, however, have known side effects and may even harm your health in the long term. The strict supervision of a doctor is required in taking these medications. But there is an alternative solution to addressing hypertension should you opt for a natural treatment.

Home Remedies For Hypertension

#For high blood pressure, ask your doctor about drinking 8 glasses of water daily. It is supposed to be of great help in lowering blood pressure. Also, ask about the effects of folate (a B vitamin) on blood pressure. Neither of these remedies has negative side effects, and both have been helpful.

#Eat two cloves of garlic first thing in the morning, every morning.

# Add one teaspoon of cayenne pepper in half a cup Luke warm water and stir. Drink when required.

# Prepare a mixture by adding 1/2 onion juice and 1/2 honey. Take 2 tbls once a day for 1-2 weeks.

# Intake of potassium also helps to maintain the blood pressure.

Lance

Knut Holt asked:


Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a persistent blood pressure above 90 mm Hg between the heart beats (diastolic) or over 140 mm Hg at the beats (systolic). The blood pressure varies naturally in response to stress and physical work load. Therefore the blood pressure shall be measured in a relaxed situation and several times before this diagnosis is certain.

Hypertension does not in itself give dramatic symptoms, but it is dangerous because it causes a highly increased risk for heart infarction, stroke and renal failure.

THE PREVALENCE OF HYPERTENSION

One out of six persons is hypertensive. Most persons suffering from hypertension is over the age of 35. Still 6% of teenagers are hypertensive and also 1% of every child.

THE SYMPTOMS AND CONSEQUENCES OF HYPERTENSION

Hypertension is often without symptoms. By mild hypertension, flushing and headache can occur.
More serious hypertension gives symptoms like: Fatigue, dizziness, palpitations, tachycardia (rapid heart rate) and nosebleeds.

Extreme hypertension gives morning headache, blurred vision, dyspnoea (breathing difficulties) and elevated values of certain components in the blood, like urea and serum creatinine.

Hypertension will in the long run hurt the blood vessels, and serious hypertension can do extensive damage to the blood vessels in a few months or years.

The damaged blood vessels will impair the blood flow. They can also rupture causing a bleeding or be clogged by a blood clot that shuts out the blood flow and causes tissue damage. These things can occur in the brain, causing a stroke, in the heart causing heart infarction or in the kidneys with renal failure as a consequence.

A renal failure will in the next turn cause the hypertension to aggarvate, partly because a damaged kidney will not manage to secrete water and salt well enough, and partly because a kidney that do not get enough blood will start a hormonal mechanism that induces the kidney to actively hold back salt and water.

THE MECHANISMS AND CAUSES OF HYPERTENSION

The direct mechanisms causing hypertension is one or more of these factors:
- An increased tension in the blood vessel walls.
- An increased blood volume caused by elevated levels of salt and lipids in the blood holding back water.
- Hardened and inelastic blood vessels caused by arteriosclerosis.

The primary causes behind these mechanisms are not fully understood, but these factors contribute to causing hypertension:
- A high consume of salt
- A high fat consume.
- Stress at work and in the daily life.
- Smoking.
- Over-weight
- Lack of exercise.
- Kidney failure.

LIFESTYLE MEASURES TO PREVENT AND TREAT HYPERTENSION

Lifestyle measures shall always be a component of the hypertension treatment. Sometimes such measures are enough to cure the condition. Those measures are:
- Reducing salt consume.
- Reduction of the consume of fat, and especially saturated fat.
- Weight reduction.
- Relaxing and stress reduction techiques, for example meditation and autogenic training.
- Regular exercise.

SPECIAL FOOD TYPES THAT REDUCE THE BLOOD PRESSURE

Research projects suggest that the following food types reduce blood pressure.

Fish oil and fat fish. The working substances seem to be the omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The effect from fish oil seems to cease when the fish oil supplements are stopped.
-Olive oil, especially olive oil of the quality extra virgin.

NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS TO HELP AGAINST HYPERTENSION

Natural supplements to treat hypertension exist. These supplements reduce blood pressure by lowering the cholesterol and lipid content in the blood, by preventing oxidation of tissue components by free radicals, and by helping damaged blood vessels to heal. Examples of ingredients having these effects are vitamin B3, inositol, turmenic extract and gum guggul extract.

They may also contain Ingredients giving a direct anti-hypertensive effect, like potassium, magnesium, calcium, vitamin C and fatty acids from marine sources.

MEDICAL TREATMENT OF HYPERTENSION

When lifestyle measures and supplements are not enough to cure the condition, medical treatment must be applied.

Diuretics, or medicines to increase the urine production, are used to decrease the water content in the blood vessels, and thereby reduce the pressure in the vessels. When the water content is lowered, the heart does not need to pump so hard any more, and this will also reduce the pressure.

Beta-adrenergic blockers are another group of medicines to treat hypertension. This group of medicines block the signals that hormones and neurotransmitters give to the vessel walls, and the vessel walls then relax. They also slow down the heart rate to give a lower pressure exerted by the heart upon the blood.

Beatrice

Artemis asked:


It seems that people who have high blood pressure often have high cholesterol as well. Is there any correlation between the two? Do they go hand in hand?

Michelle

Good Health asked:


Hypertension is one of the most common worldwide disease afflicting humans. It is diagnosed when blood pressure readings are higher even after the visit at two doctors. This doesn’t have any symptoms. But it is a serious condition and is a primary cause of stroke or diseases related to heart, kidney and eyes. This has become one of the important public health challenges due to the morbidity and mortality. This has been existing for many decades. Though there have been several extensive research, widespread patient education and many efforts have been led to decrease this hypertension, yet it remained untreated.
The hypertension leads to the modifiable risk factor that leads to the coronary heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, end stage renal disease, and peripheral vascular disease that lead to causes for death. In most cases, hypertension is easily detected and usually controllable with lifestyle modifications—such as diet and exercise—and medication. Therefore, health care professionals must not only identify and treat patients with hypertension but also promote a healthy lifestyle and preventive strategies to decrease the prevalence of hypertension in the general population.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is often referred to as a “silent killer” because there are usually no signs or symptoms. It occurs when the pressure of the blood flowing through your arteries is too high. This increased pressure puts extra stress on vital organs such as the heart, the kidneys, and the blood vessels. This can lead to more serious consequences if it is not treated. It is similar to what happens when water is run through pipes at too high a pressure. Something eventually gives.
The information provided is like supplement information just a medical advice. Your doctor with whom you get the treatment is your main source of information about your condition and how to manage your suffer.
The normal blood pressure is below 120/80; blood pressure between 120/80 and 139/89 is called “pre-hypertension”, and a blood pressure of 140/90 or above is considered high blood pressure. This blood pressure increases the risk of suffering from some of the heart disease, kidney disease, hardening of the arteries, eye damage and brain damage. When this occurs it leads to the result of the long duration of the high blood pressure.
To normalize the blood pressure it is important that there should the regular diagnosis of it and thereby it can be prevented with the complications. This is a major public health problem in the world as it found one among the four adults. This affects the elderly citizens who are more than 50 years of age and if they are affected then represents the greater risk if they are not treated at the early stage.
If you want to have no need to worry then you should have the check of your blood pressure and pulse reading regularly. Have to frequently visit the physician for the check or if you feel like any of the symptoms like the low number of BP, the higher number of BP or if there is irregular pulse rate.
Take the following steps to try to prevent hypertension:
·Losing weight is very important step to take with non-drug treatment that prevents the hypertension.
·Try eating low-fat, high fiber diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables. Salt must be used in moderation but no more than 2300mg per day. Unless otherwise directed by your physician.
·Aerobic exercising is a very important step. It will help lower blood pressure and prevent hypertension.
·Quit smoking. Hypertension and smoking significantly increases your risk of experiencing a stroke.
·Try reducing the stress in your life. When you experience stress in your life, your arteries and veins constrict, which is damaging to your health.
·Knowing your family’s health history is important. If a close relative lives with hypertension you are more likely to suffer from this disease. Be more careful in checking your blood pressure.
·High blood cholesterol can narrow arteries and make you more prone to hypertension. Have a physician check your cholesterol once a year.
·Keep a journal of your cholesterol, blood pressure and pulse. Take this along with you to your physician’s office. This will give him a more accurate view on your blood pressure and pulse rate.
·The ideal blood pressure should be 120/80. Keeping your blood pressure at 120/80 is your goal.
Though the disease has a cure but it is a require to better prevent than to suffer from. For more details please visit http://www.drraomd.com/.

Eugene

Brian M asked:


Hypertension is high blood pressure and what I need is documentation that it can or cannot be a disease on it’s own.

Pauline

rabbit 101 asked:


Is soya milk just a prevention for such diseases or can it help cure those with hypertension and diabetes?

Amy

summation asked:


I understand hypertensive crisis applies to MAOIs and Tricyclics; rebound hypertension applies to ACE inhibitors, but aren’t the effects much the same? Am I missing some info here on the difference besides the drugs that cause these effects?

Bessie

debodun asked:


My primary care physician and cardiologist are scratching their heads over my condition. My pressure is ALWAYS around 160/90. They have tried almost every prescription to treat my high blood pressure. Right now I’m on Hyzaar in conjunction with Norvasc, both at the maximum dose and my pressure hasn’t budged a millibar. I tried looking for info on uncontrolled hypertension on the Web but I only found vague answers. Maybe someone knows someone that had this. What did they do about it?

Patricia

Nick Johnson asked:


Do you have pulmonary hypertension? This medical disorder, which is more serious in some patients than for others, occurs when blood pressure increases in the pulmonary artery to the point where blood flow to the lungs is restricted and the heart becomes overworked.

This, in turn, results in a myriad of unpleasant symptoms ranging from lightheadedness and dizziness to fainting spells and shortness of breath or breathing difficulties, and is marked by a dramatically reduced physical activity and exercise tolerance.

Although there are many different types (venous, hypoxic, arterial, thromboembolic, or primary) as well as specific causes (ranging from pulmonary embolism, heart disorders, and autoimmune disorders to genetics and the use of certain weight-loss pills) of pulmonary hypertension, the condition known as primary pulmonary hypertension, or PPH, refers to pulmonary hypertension with a cause that is unknown or unproven in nature.

However, one specific cause that has often been linked to primary pulmonary hypertension is the use of Fen-Phen, a popular weight-loss and anti-obesity pill until the FDA took it off the market in 1997 after more and more reports surfaced, linking its use to the potential development of primary pulmonary hypertension.

Effective PPH treatment is essential if you have primary pulmonary hypertension, no matter why or how you developed this disorder. Flolan, a vasodilator FDA-approved drug as well as a natural form of prostacyclin produced by Glaxo Wellcome, Inc., is one of the more common choices for PPH treatment for a number of reasons. It works by relaxing the lungs’ blood vessels, slowing down the production of cell growth and scar tissue there, preventing the vessels from narrowing, and increasing oxygen in the blood.

Patients who take this treatment notice an improvement in their level of physical activity and exercise, and it may prolong their lives. This treatment is also considered an alternative to having a lung transplant. Finally, because it is a natural form of PPH treatment, Flolan is often preferred over other types of PPH treatment.

However, it is not taken as an oral tablet to treat primary pulmonary hypertension; it is actually quite a bit more complicated than that. Instead, the body receives it intravenously via a catheter through a vein in the chest leading to the heart.

The drug is then pumped into the patient’s system slowly but continuously through a battery-operated pump generally carried inside a little shoulder pack or worn on the belt. In addition, Flolan is natural and therefore has a short shelf life, meaning it must be mixed daily as well as refrigerated. The fact that it is generally considered to be inconvenient for some to use is one of the drug’s biggest complaints.

However, because it is a natural, biological substance and agent, using this treatment has fewer and less serious side-effects than other types of PPH treatment, such as Tracleer. The most common side-effects associated with Flolan include headaches, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, jaw pain, and flushing. Very rarely do infections occur within the catheter, but when they do occur, hospitalization and replacement may be necessary.

It is often compared to other types of PPH treatment and drugs used for primary pulmonary hypertension, the most common of which are Remodulin and Tracleer. Flolan and Remodulin are quite similar in a number of ways (how they work and side-effects), but while Remodulin lasts longer than Flolan and does not need to be mixed or refrigerated daily, the location of the injection (abdominal area) must be changed often, and significant pain can develop in the injection area.

Tracleer is considered much more convenient to take than Flolan because Tracleer is taken orally as a tablet; however, it does have more and more serious side-effects, particularly related to the liver.

If Flolan treatment sounds like something that would work well for you in your lifestyle and situation and for treating your primary pulmonary hypertension, talk to your doctor about taking it to find out if it’s right for you. Keep in mind that it does require a prescription.

If you have personally used Fen-Phen as a drug to help you lose weight (particularly substantial amounts of weight) in the past and you now suffer from primary pulmonary hypertension and require PPH treatment, there could very well be a link between the two. Did you know that law firms specializing in cases like these can help you? Contact an established law firm that specializes in helping patients who have used Fen-Phen diet pills and now may have primary pulmonary hypertension or other medical condition or complication as a result.

Christina