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You Can Control it: High Blood PressureAnudha Mittal, Republished from SafetyIssues.com Issue 32 |
Volume 4 Issue 43June 2005 |
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Most of us have heard the alarming term "high blood pressure and we know it is controllable. The basic treatment for high blood pressure is to get exercise, eat healthy and consume less fatty food. If high blood pressure persists or we persist on ignoring the doctor’s order, unfortunately medication will need to be prescribed. |
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| Twenty five percent of American adults have high blood pressure. It is the most common cause of stroke and heart disease, both of which rank as leading causes of death in America. So why is such a treatable disease allowed to grow at this rate? One reason is that most people who have high blood pressure are unaware of it. There are no signs to indicate the beginning stages. The symptoms come only at the advanced stages. | |
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In this article we want to discuss new FYI-type information that will raise curiosity in your mind and make you more aware of what high blood pressure really means. High Blood pressure (HBP) is increased pressure on the walls of arteries over a continuing duration. Several factors control blood pressure. The heart is a muscle (cardiac muscle) that pumps blood into the arteries. The amount of pressure of with which it pumps is the pressure of blood on the arterial walls. |
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Two characteristics of the arteries affect blood
pressure. One is their elasticity, if elasticity is low, the arteries
cannot expand and the pressure felt when blood rushes through is greater.
The second factor is their width. Fat stores as plaque on the inside
surface of the arterial walls. This condition is known as atherosclerosis
and it causes the arteries to become narrow. For the same amount of blood
to flow through a narrower passage, the speed has to be greater. This
increases the fluid pressure against the arterial walls. The kidneys also play a major part in blood pressure. They control the amount of sodium and water circulation in the body. A large quantity of sodium in the blood requires more water to level concentration. More water in the blood means more fluid in the arteries and this increases pressure. A balance in the level of sodium is necessary to keep blood pressure in a healthy range because too low sodium causes constriction of arteries. Along with the organs, hormones and other chemicals also control blood pressure. The release of these chemicals are triggered by the brain at the command of baroreceptors, node-like structures in the heart and arteries. One of the major hormones affecting blood pressure is epinephrine, commonly knows as adrenaline. It is released during a stressful or tense situation. The result is faster and stronger cardiac muscle contractions and narrowed arteries. Consequently, blood pressure increases. Being in high stress situations can often lead to continued high blood pressure. A sudden rise of adrenaline can be very dangerous for an HBP patient, causing a stroke or a heart attack. Here is a brief introduction to some of the ultimate consequences of untreated HBP: stroke, left ventricular hypotrophy, heart failure, and coronary artery disease.There are two types of strokes, ischemic and hemorrhagic. The more common ischemic stroke occurs when there is blood clot in an artery that feeds blood to the brain. An accumulation of plaque causes blood to clot around the accumulation. Such accumulations are most often found in the carotid, the main artery going through the neck to the brain. Taking medication within a few hours of the stroke will bust much of the clot and decrease functional disability in the body that would otherwise result from a stroke. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when an artery to the brain ruptures. Blood leaks to the surrounding cells drowning them. The overabundance of blood harms these cells while the lack of blood somewhere else destroys more cells. The heart pumps blood out of the left ventricle. The left ventricle is made of the strongest part of the cardiac muscle. Like other muscles, the size of this muscular portion increases with work out. High blood pressure forces the heart to pump with more pressure and the left ventricle eventually gets bigger. This condition is called the left ventricular hypertrophy. More blood is required for bigger muscle, but in the already existent condition of high blood pressure, it becomes impossible to provide more blood to the cardiac muscle. This results in a heart attack. |
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A healthy blood pressure is 120/80. For the essential purpose of safety, it is important
to remember that high blood pressure can be easily controlled by making
healthy changes in lifestyle: Increase whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods in your diet. Decrease alcohol and salt. Watch your weight. Exercise regularly. Keep track of your blood pressure using your personal BP monitor. Take your medicines as prescribed. Always talk to your doctor if you have questions. We hope this information has increased your understanding of blood pressure and more importantly, heightened your curiosity and raised more questions. |
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