About Hypertension

Lance Teo asked:


How much do you know about hypertension?

General Knowledge

Hypertension or high blood pressure, , is a condition in which the force of blood against artery walls is too strong. Over time, high blood pressure can damage the arteries, heart, and kidneys and can lead to heart disease and stroke.

Blood pressure readings consist of an upper number and a lower number. The upper number is systolic blood pressure; the lower number is diastolic blood pressure. Blood pressure readings are measured in units called millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).

Normal blood pressure is 119 mm Hg systolic over 79 mm Hg diastolic or below.

A person having hypertension when either or both of the following are present:

i)The top number (systolic) is 140 mm Hg or higher.

ii)The bottom number (diastolic) is 90 mm Hg or higher.

Who at risk

1.Genetic link, family history of high blood pressure.

2.Old Age.

3.High sodium (salt) intake.

4.Heavy Drinker.

5.Being overweight or obese.

6.Lack of exercise or physical activity.

Other risk factors due to prolong exposure:

1.Low intake of potassium, magnesium, and calcium

2.Those having insufficient sleep and sleep disorder

3.Depression and Stress

4.Long term use of certain pain killer

Symptoms

Hypertension in the infant stage usually does not show any symptoms. In most case the discovery is accidental during routine medical examination.

Those who have the develop the following symptom ,

1.Headaches, pulsating headaches behind the eyes that occur early in the morning.

2.Visual disturbances.

3.Nausea and vomiting.

4.Stiffness in the neck area.

Are in the secondary stage of hypertension, over time, untreated high blood pressure can damage organs, such as the heart, kidneys, or eyes. This may lead to:

1.Chest pain , or heart failure.

2.Stroke.

3.Kidney failure.

4.Peripheral arterial disease.

5.Eye damage.

6.Tiredness

7.Constant blackout

Prevention

Hypertension can be prevented. The method was design such a way that it lowers the risk of hypertension.

1. Maintaining a normal weight, with a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 to 24.9.

2.Maintain a healthy weight.

3.Get regular exercise.

4.Avoid using too much sodium.

5.Get enough potassium, calcium, and magnesium in your diet.

6.Add fiber to your diet.

7.Limit alcohol use.

8.Stop smoking.

9.Learn to check your blood pressure at home.

For Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension

Click the link below



Alicia

Leng-leng asked:


What are the risks of being hypertensive for having heart problem?

Jane

Charles Gerdson asked:


Patients require treatment when their blood pressure rises above safe levels. They are usually recommended by their doctor to try lifestyle changes first to combat their high blood pressure. However many doctors ethics are now leaning towards making money in the economic downturn by handing out drug prescriptions and expensive drug therapy management schemes. This can be detrimental to a patients blood pressure if incorrectly prescribed and be negative to their health in some cases. It is up to the patient to informatively question the doctor and ask more about why the treatment they recommend is suitable for them. Bellow are three main reasons to reconsider natural remedies to lower blood pressure before hypertension medicine.



All medicinal drugs made to combat hypertension have side affects. The severity of each side affect cannot be predicted fully, for each patient, until they actually take the drug themselves. Thus there will always be an element of risk in taking hypertension medicine.





The cause of hypertension for each patient will be different. Doctors cannot completely discern 100% of the time what the cause of their patient’s high blood pressure is for each and every diagnosis. They could be prescribing the wrong medication or giving you useless inhibitors that do not work with your system.





The studies for a lot of hypertension medicine are still today underway. Scientists and doctors alike do not fully understand a lot of the drugs they are prescribing, in a lot of cases it is just trial and error with the patient as the guinea pig. You cannot be certain when dealing with hypertension prevention drugs.



So drugs can be useful in some cases in combating hypertension, but they are mainly just a quick fix and do not provide the necessary long term result that are required. Ask about other alternatives next time you visit your doctor. For more information and highly effective tips and techniques on combating hypertension try the link bellow.

For now stay healthy and good luck.

Charles Gerdson



Jackie

Me Wizard asked:


My mom has a heart beat of 63 and mild hypertension. what foods to help this out? what things to do? exercise?

James

Peter rodrick asked:


Blood pressure can be defined as the pressure or force that is applied against the artery walls as blood is carried through the circulatory system. It is recorded as a measurement of this force in relation to the heart’s pumping activity, and is measured in millimeters of mercury. The top number, systolic pressure is the measurement of the pressure that occurs when the heart contracts of beats. The bottom number, or diastolic pressure, is the measurement recorded between beats, while the heart is at rest.

Causes of Primary Hypertension

Lack of physical activity: Most of the causes for primary hypertension are caused by the lifestyle factor. The lack of physical activity could, first of all, increase cholesterol levels. Rising cholesterol levels narrows the blood vessel, thus increasing the pressure of blood flow - hypertension.

Adrenal tumors that are causes of secondary hypertension are pheochromocytoma, primary aldosteronism, and Cushing’s syndrome. The last two types of adrenal tumors require complicated treatment, which unfortunately is not always effective in lowering blood pressure while removal of the pheochromocytoma has a better chance of treating hypertension.

Signs and Symptoms of Hypertension

Hypertension is only determined through a blood pressure measurement equipment and reads the systolic and diastolic of the blood. There is actually no identified sign of hypertension; rather, it varies from one person to another. Some people report to have experienced headaches, fatigue, dizziness, blurring of vision and facial flushing.

Other symptoms such as fatigue, nervousness, palpitations, racing or irregular heartbeats, chest pain suggest hypertension caused by other conditions. Bleeding in the retina, also known as retinal hemorrhage, or from the nose (Epistaxis) may be indicative of high blood pressure. Cramping in the leg while walking, excess perspiration, nausea, vomiting, frequent urination, shortness of breath and restlessness are other possible symptoms of hypertension. In rare cases, the high blood pressure may cause heart attacks, kidney failure or brain swelling, which can lead to drowsiness and coma. Disturbed levels of consciousness such as sleepiness and even seizures in severe cases of hypertension, may occur.

Treatment of Hypertension

Drugs used in the treatment of hypertension include thiazide diuretics, beta blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and calcium channel blockers. The newer ACE inhibitors and calcium channel blockers were promoted as being better for the treatment of hypertension than the older thiazide diuretics and beta blockers, however this was mostly marketing hype since the newer drugs were on patent and made more money for the drug companies. However the studies showed that, at least compared to thiazide diuretics, the newer drugs weren’t as good, even they cost much more.

Thiazide diuretics. These medications act on your kidneys to help your body eliminate sodium and water, reducing blood volume. Thiazide diuretics are often the first — but not the only — choice in high blood pressure medications. Still, diuretics are often not prescribed. If you’re not taking a diuretic and your blood pressure remains high, talk to your doctor about adding one or replacing a drug you currently take with a diuretic.



Valerie

Heather D asked:


I know that hypertension can cause congestive heart failure. However, once a person has congestive heart failure, do they have hypotension or hypertension?

My husband contends hypotension, but I think hypertension. Who’s right?

Jorge

Jan Oliver asked:


Pulmonary hypertension is a progressive disorder concerning the main artery to the lungs, and causes continuous high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries. In other words it is the narrowing of arteries as blood vessels that carry oxygen from the right ventricle in the heart to the small arteries in the lungs. Symptoms of pulmonary hypertension include fainting, shortness of breath, and chest pains. There are no know cures as yet, but many different types of medicine have been made available to ease the suffering and help improve the muscle walls of the arteries.

There are other factors that may increase a persons chance to develop Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH), these include the use of amphetamines or cocaine, HIV infections, liver diseases, and lupus. Researchers have also found that certain gene defects may cause Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH). No precursor is required to develop this condition. Men and women, young children as well as some seniors of all ethnicities, can contract this disease. However, PAH usually occurs in women during their 30’s and men in their 40’s.

Many people who have PAH may not even look sick and as long as they do not over exert themselves, most will not even know they have the disease. Once someone finds out that they have pulmonary hypertension they can live with it, however regular doctor visits should be maintained. You can do exercises to reduce stress and help you relax. Walking is good for you if you are in the early stages of PAH. As the disease advances, PAH sufferers may end up in wheel chairs or even become bedridden. Those in advanced stages of PAH may have to use small oxygen bottles when the go outside the home.

Symptoms of PAH are fatigue, dizziness, racing pulse, chest pains, and swelling of the legs and/or ankles. Some will have a blue tint to their lips or skin which will typically show up in the lips first. One might even have fainting spells. Shortness of breath is one of the most common symptoms.

Although a cure has yet to be discovered, there are many medications that may help pulmonary hypertension. These are mainly Anticoagulants, which help reduce the blood clots in the pulmonary artery. Epoprostenol is considered the most effective medicine for widening the lung arteries, and can now be taken in the form of a nebulizer. Treprostinil relaxes the blood vessel and increases the oxygen supply to the lungs. Bosentan also reduces blood pressure and can now be taken in a pill form.

Pulmonary Hypertension may not be diagnosed right away because the initial symptoms are so incredibly similar to other heart and lung diseases; which first have to be tested and ruled out. These tests could be from echocardiogram, cardiac catheterization, electrocardiogram, and pulmonary function tests. Once the results have been achieved it is very important to seek pulmonologist and/or cardiologist specialists in pulmonary vascular medicine. These specialists will assist you in treating the symptoms of pulmonary hypertension as it progresses.



Pamela

ilovedstny asked:


peripheral resistance to blood flow, worsening his hypertension. This is an example of what type of feedback loop and why? This is an a&p 1 question. I dont understand it.

Melinda

Olivia-Joan asked:


How is sodium negative for your BP? Is potassium a good substitute?

Erik