High Blood Pressure

Your doctor calls it Hypertension.

High blood pressure is a common condition.

Blood pressure is determined both by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.

You can have high blood pressure (hypertension) for years without any symptoms.

Even without symptoms, damage to blood vessels and your heart continues and can be detected.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases your risk of serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke.

High blood pressure generally develops over many years, and it affects nearly everyone eventually.

Fortunately, high blood pressure can be easily detected.

And once you know you have high blood pressure, you can work with your doctor to control it.

Symptoms

Most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms, even if blood pressure readings reach dangerously high levels.

A few people with high blood pressure may have headaches, shortness of breath or nosebleeds, but these signs and symptoms aren't specific and usually don't occur until high blood pressure has reached a severe or life-threatening stage.

Causes

There are two types of high blood pressure.

Primary (essential) hypertension

For most adults, there's no identifiable cause of high blood pressure.

This type of high blood pressure, called primary (essential) hypertension, tends to develop gradually over many years.

Secondary hypertension

Some people have high blood pressure caused by an underlying condition.

This type of high blood pressure, called secondary hypertension, tends to appear suddenly and cause higher blood pressure than does primary hypertension.

Various conditions and medications can lead to secondary hypertension, including:

Obstructive sleep apnea
Kidney problems
Adrenal gland tumors
Thyroid problems
Certain defects in blood vessels you're born with (congenital)
Certain medications, such as birth control pills, cold remedies, decongestants, over-the-counter pain relievers and some prescription drugs
Illegal drugs, such as cocaine and amphetamines
Alcohol abuse or chronic alcohol use

Risk factors

High blood pressure has many risk factors, including:

1, Age.

The risk of high blood pressure increases as you age.

Through early middle age, or about age 45, high blood pressure is more common in men.

Women are more likely to develop high blood pressure after age 65.

2. Race.

High blood pressure is particularly common among blacks, often developing at an earlier age than it does in whites.

Serious complications, such as stroke, heart attack and kidney failure, also are more common in blacks.

3. Family history.

High blood pressure tends to run in families.

4. Being overweight or obese.

The more you weigh the more blood you need to supply oxygen and nutrients to your tissues.

As the volume of blood circulated through your blood vessels increases, so does the pressure on your artery walls.

5. Not being physically active.

People who are inactive tend to have higher heart rates.

The higher your heart rate, the harder your heart must work with each contraction and the stronger the force on your arteries.

Lack of physical activity also increases the risk of being overweight.

6. Using tobacco.

Not only does smoking or chewing tobacco immediately raise your blood pressure temporarily, but the chemicals in tobacco can damage the lining of your artery walls.

This can cause your arteries to narrow, increasing your blood pressure.

Secondhand smoke also can increase your blood pressure.

7. Too much salt (sodium) in your diet.

Too much sodium in your diet can cause your body to retain fluid, which increases blood pressure.

8. Too little potassium in your diet.

Potassium helps balance the amount of sodium in your cells.

If you don't get enough potassium in your diet or retain enough potassium, you may accumulate too much sodium in your blood.

9. Too little vitamin D in your diet.

It's uncertain if having too little vitamin D in your diet can lead to high blood pressure. Vitamin D may affect an enzyme produced by your kidneys that affects your blood pressure.

10.Drinking too much alcohol.

Over time, heavy drinking can damage your heart.

Having more than two drinks a day for men and more than one drink a day for women may affect your blood pressure.

If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation.

For healthy adults, that means up to one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than age 65, and up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger. One drink equals 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.

11. Stress.

High levels of stress can lead to a temporary increase in blood pressure.

If you try to relax by eating more, using tobacco or drinking alcohol, you may only increase problems with high blood pressure.

12. Certain chronic conditions.

Certain chronic conditions also may increase your risk of high blood pressure, such as kidney disease, diabetes and sleep apnea.

Sometimes pregnancy contributes to high blood pressure, as well.

Although high blood pressure is most common in adults, children may be at risk, too.

For some children, high blood pressure is caused by problems with the kidneys or heart.

But for a growing number of kids, poor lifestyle habits, such as an unhealthy diet, obesity and lack of exercise, contribute to high blood pressure.

Complications

The excessive pressure on your artery walls caused by high blood pressure can damage your blood vessels, as well as organs in your body.

The higher your blood pressure and the longer it goes uncontrolled, the greater the damage.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to:

1. Heart attack or stroke.

High blood pressure can cause hardening and thickening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), which can lead to a heart attack, stroke or other complications.

2. Aneurysm.

Increased blood pressure can cause your blood vessels to weaken and bulge, forming an aneurysm.

If an aneurysm ruptures, it can be life-threatening.

3.Heart failure.

To pump blood against the higher pressure in your vessels, your heart muscle thickens.

Eventually, the thickened muscle may have a hard time pumping enough blood to meet your body's needs, which can lead to heart failure.

4. Weakened and narrowed blood vessels.

Weakened and narrowed blood vessels.in your kidneys, this can prevent these organs from functioning normally.

Thickened, narrowed or torn blood vessels in the eyes. This can result in vision loss.

6. Metabolic syndrome.

This syndrome is a cluster of disorders of your body's metabolism, including ;

increased waist circumference;

high triglycerides;

low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol;

high blood pressure;

and high insulin levels.

These conditions make you more likely to develop diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

7. Trouble with memory or understanding. Uncontrolled high blood pressure may also affect your ability to think, remember and learn. Trouble with memory or understanding concepts is more common in people with high blood pressure.

Diagnosis

To measure your blood pressure, your doctor or a specialist will usually place an inflatable arm cuff around your arm and measure your blood pressure using a pressure-measuring gauge.
A blood pressure reading, given in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), has two numbers. The first, or upper, number measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats (systolic pressure). The second, or lower, number measures the pressure in your arteries between beats (diastolic pressure).

Blood pressure measurements fall into four general categories:

Normal blood pressure. Your blood pressure is normal if it's below 120/80 mm Hg.
Elevated blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure is a systolic pressure ranging from 120 to 129 mm Hg and a diastolic pressure below 80 mm Hg. Elevated blood pressure tends to get worse over time unless steps are taken to control blood pressure.
Stage 1 hypertension. Stage 1 hypertension is a systolic pressure ranging from 130 to 139 mm Hg or a diastolic pressure ranging from 80 to 89 mm Hg.
Stage 2 hypertension. More severe hypertension, stage 2 hypertension is a systolic pressure of 140 mm Hg or higher or a diastolic pressure of 90 mm Hg or higher.

Both numbers in a blood pressure reading are important. But after age 60, the systolic reading is even more significant.

Lifestyle and home remedies

Lifestyle changes can help you control and prevent high blood pressure, even if you're taking blood pressure medication.

Here's what you can do:

1. Eat healthy foods. Eat a healthy diet.

Try the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, poultry, fish and low-fat dairy foods.

-Get plenty of potassium, which ca help prevent and control high blood pressure.

-Eat less saturated fat and trans fat.

-Decrease the salt in your diet.

2. Maintain a healthy weight.

Keeping a healthy weight, or losing weight if you're overweight or obese, can help you control your high blood pressure and lower your risk of related health problems.

If you're overweight, losing even 5 pounds (2.3 kilograms) can lower your blood pressure.

3. Increase physical activity.

Regular physical activity can help lower your blood pressure, manage stress, reduce your risk of several health problems and keep your weight under control.

For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends that you get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination or moderate and vigorous activity.

Aim to do muscle-strengthening exercises at least two days a week.

4. Limit alcohol.

Even if you're healthy, alcohol can raise your blood pressure.

If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation.

For healthy adults, that means up to one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than age 65, and up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger.

5. Don't smoke or Quit Smoking

Tobacco injures blood vessel walls and speeds up the process of hardening of the arteries. If you smoke, ask your doctor to help you quit.

6. Manage stress.

Reduce stress as much as possible.

Practice healthy coping techniques, such as muscle relaxation, deep breathing or meditation. Getting regular physical activity and plenty of sleep can help, too. Read more in Stress management page.

Monitor your blood pressure at home. Home blood pressure monitoring can help you keep closer tabs on your blood pressure, show if medication is working, and even alert you and your doctor to potential complications. Home blood pressure monitoring isn't a substitute for visits to your doctor, and home blood pressure monitors may have some limitations. Even if you get normal readings, don't stop or change your medications or alter your diet without talking to your doctor first.

If your blood pressure is under control, you may be able to make fewer visits to your doctor if you monitor your blood pressure at home.

Practice relaxation or slow, deep breathing. Practice taking deep, slow breaths to help relax. There are some devices available that promote slow, deep breathing. However, it's questionable whether these devices have a significant effect on lowering your blood pressure.

Control blood pressure during pregnancy. If you're a woman with high blood pressure, discuss with your doctor how to control your blood pressure during pregnancy.

Alternative medicine

Although diet and exercise are the most appropriate tactics to lower your blood pressure, some supplements also may help lower it. However, more research is needed to determine the potential benefits. These include:
Fiber, such as blond psyllium and wheat bran
Minerals, such as magnesium, calcium and potassium
Folic acid
Supplements or products that increase nitric oxide or widen blood vessels (vasodilators), such as cocoa, coenzyme Q10, L-arginine or garlic
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish, fish oil supplements or flaxsee