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Blood pressure
Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of the body in arteries, elastic
tubes that run throughout the body. Blood pressure is the force of the blood
pushing against the walls of these arteries, due to the heart beating.
Every time the heart beats it pumps out blood into the arteries so that blood
pressure is at its highest when the heart beats and is lowest when the heart
is at rest. The blood pressure when the heart beats is referred to as systolic
pressure. When the heart is at rest blood pressure is referred to as diastolic
pressure. Blood pressure is always given as these two numbers (the systolic
and diastolic pressures) written one above or before the other.
Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg. The top number is the systolic
and the bottom the diastolic. And pronounced ‘120 over 80’.
Blood pressure changes during the day. It is lowest as you sleep and rises
when you get up. It also can rise when you are excited, nervous, or active due
to the effect of adrenalin.
For most people blood pressure stays pretty much the same when you are sitting
or standing still (just below 120/80). If the blood level is higher and stays
high, then a person has high blood pressure.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is generally defined as a reading of 140
over 90, or higher. About one in five adult has high blood pressure with more
than 40 percent of them are not even aware that they have it, and less than
20 % of the people who know they have high blood pressure keep it under control.
High blood pressure can have serious consequences, such as heart disease, stroke,
kidney disease and damage to the retina of the eye.
High blood pressure can be caused by conditions such as:
- Kidney disease
- Thyroid problems.
- Hormonal imbalance.
- Use of some medications
- Use of illegal drugs, such as cocaine
- Pregnancy
- Heredity
- Race
- Gender
- Age
- Diet
- Lack of exercise and obesity
- Smoking
- Excess alcohol consumption.
- Stress
- Caffeine
- Having related health conditions
In most cases, there are no symptoms of high blood pressure. Most people do
not even know they have high blood pressure making the condition very dangerous.
Symptoms that may occur as a result of severe or long-lasting high blood pressure
(but may also be caused by many other conditions) include:
- Headaches
- Visual problems
- Dizziness or shortness of breath
- Nausea and vomiting
- Extreme fatigue
- Nosebleeds
There is no cure for high blood pressure and treatment is aimed at managing
high blood pressure by bringing down the systolic pressure to less than 140
and the diastolic pressure to less than 90. Treatment is also aimed at reducing
other risk factors for heart disease, and preventing further damage that may
be caused by high blood pressure.
Lifestyle changes and medications are the standard treatments. Lifestyle changes
can include Exercise, healthy weight, healthy diet, no smoking, limiting alcohol
and caffeine and stress management.
Other treatments include medication such as diuretics, beta-blockers and
ACEs.
Naturopaths also treat high blood pressure by lifestyle changes, such as losing
weight, dietary changes, exercise, and stress reduction. Natural treatment of
l hypertension can bring blood pressure values into the normal range; however,
if lifestyle changes are not maintained, hypertension will probably return.
Nutritional changes that may reduce high blood pressure include; eating whole,
fresh, unrefined, and unprocessed foods; lowering sodium-high potassium diet;
Avoiding salt, sugar, dairy products, refined foods, junk foods, and caffeine;
Drinking ½ of your body weight in ounces of water daily (e.g., if you weigh
150 lbs, drink 75 oz of water daily).
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