What Is Hypertension and How Does it Effect You
One of the most common diseases today is hypertension. Having high blood pressure is not just about numbers. It involves a lot of risks and consequences, which you might regret someday. That’s why it’s important to know basic information on what is hypertension and what can it do to your body and health.
Defining Hypertension
Hypertension is the condition of repeatedly having a high blood pressure reading. If your systolic pressure is most of the time above 140, and your diastolic reading usually above 90, then you are probably a candidate for having this disease.
Symptoms
Hypertension is something that a lot of people don’t even know that they already have. Nonetheless it usually has a large number of symptoms that you just aren’t giving attention to. Most of these seem related to other issues, vague and deceptively not pointing to the real reason.
Headaches
A lot of people with hypertension experience lots of headaches, which are felt in the neck and at the back of the head. But sometimes, they can also be felt behind the eyes and in front of the head.
Fatigue
Fatigue is a common symptom that tells you something is wrong with your system. There are lots of causes for it and most who experience with it, often go through it quietly. You may not go to the doctor and you may not care why you are fatigued. What is important to know is that, it can be a sign of hypertension, plus a sign of a lot of other diseases and conditions.
Nose Bleeds
If you are having nose bleeds almost regularly, then it is vital to seek a doctor’s opinion. This can also be a sign telling you that your blood pressure is already high.
Some other symptoms of hypertension are dizziness, and severe neck pains. If you are experiencing most of these symptoms, then it is advised that you go consult a doctor.
There are also Sites in the Web that you can check out, which provide sufficient information on medical conditions. One Site is WebMD, where you can pinpoint parts of your body that you are experiencing symptoms to, to be able to tell if it is hypertension or other conditions.
Risk Factors In Developing Hypertension
There are a lot of risk factors for you to develop high blood pressure. Some of these risk factors can be controlled, while some can’t be.
Age
One uncontrollable risk factor is age. You have an increased risk of having hypertension, as you grow older. Men are more susceptible to hypertension during early middle age, while women are more prone to high blood pressure after having menopause.
Family history
Hypertension has a tendency to run in families. Children with parents that have known history of high blood pressure are likely to develop the same condition afterward in their life.
Excess weight
The bigger your body mass is, the more volume of blood you need to be able to supply nutrients and oxygen to your tissues. As the amount of blood that circulates in your blood vessels increase, so does the pressure given to the walls of your arteries. Thus, you have higher blood pressure.
Sodium intake
Too much salt in your diet can lead to fluid retention. Then it leads to increased blood volume, which in effect leads to high blood pressure.
Some other risk factors for hypertension are alcohol intake, asthma, depression, work stress, unbalanced diet, drug use, cancer, kidney problems, pregnancy and heart problems.
Exercise, healthy living, and taking blood pressure lowering supplements can help you maintain a healthy level of BP. All you need is a little physical endurance and self-control, and you’re off your way to a hypertension-free life.