Friday, March 6, 2009

How to Manage High Blood Pressure

By Katie A Price

In the moment that you learned you have hypertension; you were probably worried and full of regrets. Hypertension is a medical term for high blood pressure. With hypertension, your blood pressure is elevated for a long period. The normal blood pressure is within 110/70 to 130/90. If your blood pressure is above this range for over a period of time, then it is said that you have high blood pressure or hypertension. A lot of factors are known to cause hypertension.

When reading blood pressure through a sphygmomanometer, you will record two numbers. The first number on the top is called the systole while the second is called the diastole. A blood pressure reading is said to be elevated if it reaches 140/100, or if 40 is added to your usual reading. There are many causes and risk factors for hypertension and all of which involve lifestyle.

Hypertension can run in the family. It is genetic in nature and therefore can be passed through to the next generation. The genetic composition is usually the one to blame in hereditary diseases. If you know that your family has a history of hypertension, then brace yourself because youre also at risk for developing it sometime in the future and you might not avoid it.

One risk factor for hypertension is a sedentary lifestyle. If you have less physical activities or if you are used to just watching television without doing other activities, then you are at great risk for developing hypertension. Make an early start by changing your lifestyle from sedentary to active. Instead of just watching television all day, try to start by doing simple household chores and gradually increase your physical activities.

Exercise always brings good things to your body. With exercise, you are able to improve your bodys overall circulation. Exercise also strengthens your lungs and heart muscles. During exercise, you require more oxygen for your muscles therefore your lung muscles are doing extra work. Your heart muscles are also pumping more blood to be distributed in your system. Exercise also burns off unwanted fat.

Hypertensions greatest causative factor might be high cholesterol foods. If you are fond of eating foods rich in fat, then you should start lowering down your consumption to avoid developing high blood pressure. A high fat diet will build up fat within your arteries causing the pathway of your blood to be narrowed. Narrowed blood vessels will cause an increase in blood pressure.

Aside from fatty foods, foods that are rich in sodium are also known to have caused hypertension. Limit your sodium intake by lowering your consumption of chips and avoid eating in fast food chains. Potato chips are very rich in sodium, same as foods offered in fast food restaurants. Therefore, in order to avoid having a high blood pressure, you should limit and control yourself from eating these types of foods.

All of the ways to prevent hypertension involve lifestyle changes. Hypertension is not an easy illness to manage because a lot of changes will occur in a persons body with hypertension. Having hypertension will make you at risk for different kinds of diseases. Usually, maintenance drugs and lifestyle changes are the management for hypertension. - 15437

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