In fact, most of those who were diagnosed did not visit their doctors to find cure or treatment for high blood pressure, but merely to acquire medical certification for a clean bill of health for insurance or employment purposes.

In some other cases, they may have submitted themselves to treat the symptoms of other disorders like heart attack, kidney failure, or other problems related to high blood pressure.

Essential Hypertension and Secondary hypertension

High blood pressure can be an offshoot of another major problem. If the proper treatment methods of the main disease had been observed, blood pressure could have been prevented as a resulting complication. Based on statistics, less than 10% of diagnosed high blood pressure stem from another disorder and this is known as secondary hypertension.

On the other hand, the common form of hypertension we usually encounter is called essential hypertension. It is often the result of several factors such as heredity, lack of exercises, stress, excessive weight, or poor diet.

Except for heredity, the other causes are diet related wherein the excessive intakes of salt resulting to imbalance between sodium and potassium is the most common contributing factor.

Originally posted 2009-12-18 14:08:34. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Related posts:

1. Hypertension – a Silent Killer Rises Due to Rise in Blood Pressure
2. Hypertension And The Silent Killer
3. Hypertension – Symptoms, Complications of This Silent Killer

Hypertension is a condition in which the blood pressure is persistently higher than normal. It is more common in men than women, especially from middle age onwards.

The pressure of the blood as it flows through the arteries and veins varies naturally. It is lower when the body is at rest and rises during physical exertion. It can also rise temporarily in response to stress. However, if your blood pressure is persistently higher than normal, even when you are resting or relaxed, you are suffering from hypertension.

What causes hypertension and who is at risk?

The arteries harden and become narrower as a result of ageing or a high fat diet. This restricts the circulation of blood through the body making the heart work harder to keep the blood flowing. This increases blood pressure.

A number of factors can increase the risk of hypertension or make the problem worse. These include:

Lack of exercise
Stress
Smoking
Obesity
Excess alcohol consumption

Sometimes, however, there are specific causes. These include:

Kidney problems
Some heart conditions
Complications during pregnancy
Certain hormone imbalances
Side effects of drugs such as steroids or ‘hair-restoring’ creams
What are the common symptoms and complications of hypertension?

Essential hypertension produces few, if any, specific symptoms. It is usually diagnosed by chance when your blood pressure is measured as part of a routine health check or during an examination for another problem or after a stroke or heart attack.

When very severe, hypertension can produce:

Breathlessness
Headaches
Dizziness

Symptoms of complications include:

Kidney problems
Eye problems
Seizures (’fits’)
How do doctors recognise hypertension?

The diagnostic test for high blood pressure is simply measuring blood pressure over a period of time to see if it consistently higher than normal. Other investigations that may be carried out if high blood pressure is thought to be a problem are an ECG (an electrocardiogram) which measures the electrical activity of the heart, a chest X-ray to see if the heart is enlarged, blood tests and possibly investigations of the kidneys.

What is the treatment for hypertension?

Self-care action plan

However, as you reach middle age (especially if you lead a sedentary life). The doctor places an inflatable band or ‘cuff’ around your upper arm about level with your heart and inflates it with a hand-held pump. A gauge indicates how much pressure the cuff is exerting. As it tightens around the upper arm, the cuff restricts the flow of blood. By allowing the cuff to deflate slowly, the doctor can tell at what pressure the blood starts to flow by feeling and listening with a stethoscope for your pulse.

If your blood pressure is only slightly raised or if there is no specific cause for hypertension, treatment usually centres around adopting a more healthy lifestyle. The doctor may advise you to:

Give up smoking
Lose weight
Take more exercise
Improve your diet
Eat less fatty food
Avoid stress
Learn to relax
Complementary therapy

A variety of complementary treatments are available for hypertension. However, there is no conclusive research evidence to prove that any complementary medicines (eg homeopathic medicines and herbal remedies) are beneficial and do not have harmful effects.

Therapies such as the Alexander technique, reflexology, relaxation and visualisation, yoga and tai chi may help promote a sense of well-being and reduce stress which exacerbates high blood pressure.

Originally posted 2010-01-26 13:55:48. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Related posts:

1. Hypertension Treatments, the Basics you Need to Know
2. Getting Your Hypertension Under Control
3. Silent Killer – Understanding Why Hypertension is called the Silent Killer Disease

Approximately 30% of case of essential hypertension are ascribable to the genetic factors. Essential hypertension in common have a particular anomaly of the arteries: an increased resistance (lack of elasticity) in the tiny arteries which are furthest away from the heart. Blood and the food oxygen-containers of offer of small arteries to all fabrics of the body. The small arteries are connected by capillaries in fabrics to the veins (the venous system), which returns blood in the heart and hypertension of lungs. Essential is often confused with the mental tension, effort and concern.

Essential hypertension is usually controllable with the suitable treatment and the perpetual monitoring. There are many classes of the drugs for the essential hypertension of treatment, these of the drugs called the antihypertensifs. the adjusters of Calcium-channel reduce the tension of muscle in the arteries, increasing them and creating more part for the flow of blood. The reduction of weight and the regular aerobic exercise are recommended like first stages in the soft treatment to moderate hypertension. The regular soft exercise improves the flow of blood and assistance to reduce the heart rate at rest and the blood pressure.

Lifestyle changes can help to reduce your blood pressure. This includes the regular exercise, including the loss of weight if you are excessive weight. The therapy of relieving, such as the meditation, which reduces the environmental effort, reducing the high noise levels and the with-top-illumination can be an additional method to improve hypertension. The tobacco of suspension employ and the alcohol consumption was shown with hypotension. Dietetic adjustments to lower grease and to modify sodium in your mode. Salt, MSG, and the bicarbonate of soda all contain sodium.

Originally posted 2010-01-23 13:38:14. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Related posts:

1. Asymptomatic Hypertension Information
2. Pulmonary Hypertension Information
3. Information on Idiopathic Pulmonary Hypertension

The important question is how to find out if a person is suffering from arterial hypertension. The biggest roadblock in diagnosing hypertension is the virtual absence of any solid symptom as it may normally be called a characteristic of high blood pressure. In other words, a person, even if suffering from hypertension, may not show any apparent symptoms. Every thing will look normal and the person may be as cheerful and healthy as a child. It is only when something happens that one might take note of the developments. In some cases unfortunately, things might have gone to the anvil by then.

Of course that does not mean that all types of hypertension are without any symptoms. Severe cases of hypertension may be accompanied with headache, sleeplessness, dizziness, and in a worse case, coma. In such instances, diagnosis will be a lot easier and quick, but again timely treatment is very crucial.

On the basis of the causes leading to hypertension, this medical condition can be classified into primary hypertension – or essential hypertension – and secondary hypertension. The causes for primary hypertension are mostly unknown. And to make matters even more complex, it is such cases that are reported the most. On the other hand, secondary hypertension will have some definite underlying causes, which in most cases may be a medical issue such as alcohol abuse, endocrine tumors, hormonal problems or kidney disorders. Again, if the exact causes are known, hypertension can be treated and contained easily, but it will be more of a gamble in the other cases.

Treatments for Hypertension

The treatments for hypertension mostly include a mix of medication and a disciplined lifestyle. Here it must be noted that none of this will work if taken independently. Someone with hypertension needs to follow the prescriptions punctually meanwhile adopting a health lifestyle marked by a controlled diet and regular workout/physical exercise.

Finally, one must also realize that an existing issue of hypertension could be aggravated by activities like smoking, drinking, and medicines containing steroids. Therefore, take care to avoid such things as well from one’s daily activities.

After all, remember the age old adage that health is wealth!

Originally posted 2010-01-20 06:52:48. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Related posts:

1. Silent Killer – Understanding Why Hypertension is called the Silent Killer Disease
2. Hypertension – Symptoms, Complications of This Silent Killer
3. Hypertension And The Silent Killer

Risk factors may be related to the environment, genetics and family history, smoking, diet, hormones, how much sodium (salt) you have in your diet or even the level of stress in your life.

Hypertension also increases your risk of having a stroke or heart attack, and can lead to other diseases as well as make other health conditions even worse. It is important to your health and your future to learn about the risk factors and by controlling and altering what you have control over you can change you decrease your risks.

? Exposure to environmental pollutants, such as tobacco smoke, vapors around the office, etc.

? Obesity – being over weight is a factor in hypertension, especially as one ages. Proper diet and weight loss may aid in reversing the associated problems.

? Lack of exercise – Daily ‘aerobic’ exercise (walking, swimming, running, cycling, etc.) can be very beneficial in decreasing blood pressure, as well as helping with your weight .

? Stress – we could all benefit from a little less of this. Exercise also helps with reducing your stress.

? Lower Alcohol Consumption – Drinking excessively doubles your chances of suffering high blood pressure or a stroke.

? Medicines and prescriptions (Ritalin, hormones, steroids, anti-rejection medications), your doctor and pharmacist should be intimately aware of what you are taking. Illegal drugs can also cause you problems (amphetamines, cocaine, ecstasy).

? Diet – a diet high in sodium puts strain on the blood vessels by increasing the fluid volume in the body (salt attracts water)

These risks can be helped or even controlled with the help of a doctor

? Pregnancy – the extra volume of blood, plus toxemia from high dietary salt intake can put a great strain on the vascular system.

? Kidney failure – the body is unable to remove fluids from the body causing an increase in fluid volume and blood pressure.

? Right-sided Heart Failure – decreases the hearts ability to pump high volumes of fluid through the heart causing a back-up into the blood vessels

Risk Factors over which you have no control

? Family history of hypertension especially onset before the age of 50.

? Age -your increases your chances of getting hypertension

? Gender (male or female)

? Race (Afro-American)

? Nervous System disorders

Secondary Hypertension

While the single cause of Primary hypertension is not known, the cause(s) of Secondary hypertension is and it is usually caused by another condition or disease. Conditions such as arteriosclerosis, diabetes, kidney disease, or even from medications and pregnancy (Gestational hypertension and is one of the reasons your doctor wants to see you more frequently near the end).

Hypertension can be caused either by taking medications or by stopping medications too quickly. Medications such as corticosteroids, birth control pills and other hormones, migraine medications, and medications used for chronic anemia (erythropoieten). Also a number of over-the-counter medications such as cough/cold medications and medications for asthma can cause hypertension.

Medications for hypertension can also cause a rebound hypertension if they are not weaned off of slowly.

Street drugs that can cause hypertension include: alcohol, amphetamines, ecstasy (MDMA and derivatives), and cocaine.

A small number of people experience malignant hypertension. This is an extremely high blood pressure that causes swelling of the optic nerve (the nerve that control vision). This is considered a medical emergency. Many of your vital organs are in serious risk of injury including your brain, your eyes, blood vessels, heart, and kidneys.

Originally posted 2009-11-05 12:21:18. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Related posts:

1. Hypertension Causes
2. Primary Pulmonary Hypertension Treatment Choices: Risks and Benefits
3. Hypertension – causes, prevention and treatment