Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Treatment for High Blood Pressure

The treatment of high blood pressure is one of the most important areas of modern medicine. Good quality care and blood pressure treatment can reduce the risk of death, the risk of stroke and the risk of heart attack or coronary disease. The British Hypertension Society produced guidelines in 2004. This is what they recommend.

Blood Pressure Measurement

All adults should have a blood pressure measurement at least once every five years up to the age of 80 - and more often thereafter.

If their blood pressure reading is borderline or high then the frequency of checking should be increased to at least once a year.

Nobody should be labelled as having high blood pressure unless at least four seperate seated readings confirm the problem. Some people with suspected high blood pressure will need a twenty four hour ambulatory blood pressure monitor check.

High Blood Pressure Treatment

Lifestyle measures should form the initial mainstay of high blood pressure treatment.

Weight loss will reduce blood pressure levels in almost everyone.

A high alcohol intake has long been linked to high blood pressure readings.

Diet should be altered to reduce salt intake, reduce saturated fat intake, to increase oily fish or fish oil capsules and to increase the intake of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Exercise - walking is best - for thirty minutes three times a week can significantly lower high blood pressure levels.

High Blood Pressure medication is best chosen by a physician with full access to your medical records and with consideration of any other medical problems you may have. Most high blood pressure sufferers need more than one type of medication to achieve good blood pressure control. The target blood pressure level should be below 140/85 or below 130/80 if you suffer from diabetes as well as blood pressure. In reality the lower your reading is the better your long term health will be.

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High Blood Pressure Treatment

Friday, November 7, 2008

Normal Blood Pressure

The phrase “blood pressure” means the force that the blood exerts against the walls of the arteries. Everyone has blood pressure. It is the indicator of how hard the hard is working to push blood throughout the circulatory system.

Although blood pressure alters during the course of the day based on physical activity, a reading of 120/80 of systolic and diastolic readings are considered to be a normal blood pressure. This is the standard reading that is considered the norm for checking the blood pressure increase or decrease.

It is very important to keep blood pressure under control as high blood pressure, or hypertension as it is commonly known, may lead to heart attack or stroke. According to medical research, every 20-point increase in the systolic reading or a 10-point increase in the diastolic reading nearly doubles the risk of heart attack or stroke.

Since there is no cure for high blood pressure, it’s important to keep readings within the normal range. High blood pressure can be controlled by maintaining a proper diet; good sleep habits, avoiding stress and regular medication. Hyperactivity may induce a faster heartbeat, resulting in increased blood pressure. Exercise, within limits, is another way to keep blood pressure in check.

A reading above the normal range of 120/80 is considered high and requires a physician’s attention. Be aware that if anyone in your immediate or secondary family has high or low blood pressure, you too are genetically predisposed to a blood pressure condition. If their blood pressure is normal, yours probably is too. But there are always exceptions.

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Normal blood pressure

Low Blood Pressure and Hypotension

Low blood pressure, the medical term hypotension is generally defined as that which is below normal and relative to the individual with things taken into account such as age and activity levels.

Many conditions can cause low blood pressure, with the most common being illness, taking drugs with side effects that lower the blood pressure, although this is very rare and nearly the only drugs that can cause this are alpha blockers which may give you postural hypotension – this is were you may feel dizzy or even faint when standing up. If you suffer from this, see your doctor immediately! He may prescribe high blood pressure pills to gradually raise your blood pressure.

As people get older the chance of developing a problem with their blood pressure rises. This is true for high and low blood pressure. You could begin suffering from low blood pressure as your arteries stiffen and become less supple which could cause your blood pressure to fall when standing up.

Low blood pressure in itself isn't really a bad thing – in fact, those with low blood pressure will out live most, but if the symptoms arise were it's effecting you when standing this is when you should seek a doctor.

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High Blood Pressure Symptoms

Systolic blood pressure reading greater or equal to 140 or a diastolic blood pressure reading greater or equal to 90 indicates high blood pressure.

Research indicates high blood pressure cannot be detected, as it usually does not have any symptoms. Even if some do exist, these symptoms are usually mild and imprecise. People who have high blood pressure typically would not know it until their blood pressure is measured. That’s why high blood pressure is often labeled "the silent killer."

Symptoms for high blood pressure are noticeable in very few people. Symptoms include headache, dizziness, blurred vision, and nausea, which also indicate chronic fatigue, making a high blood pressure diagnosis that much more difficult.

High blood pressure can go undetected for years, since in most cases there are no external symptoms, resulting in progressive damage to major organs like the heart, kidney, liver and blood vessels. It is possible to associate high blood pressure symptoms with the secondary causes of high blood pressure or hypertension such as oral contraceptives and other ailments that could result in hypertension or high blood pressure.

Since high blood pressure cannot be detected unless readings are taken, it is possible that organ damaged might be the first sign. Other ailments such as mini stroke, kidney, and liver failure can occur as well as heart disease. The eyes, our most sensitive organ, can also be affected by high blood pressure.

High blood pressure requires immediate medical attention. It can be controlled even if not completely cured. It’s a smart idea to have blood pressure monitored regularly for any variations in the readings.

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Blood Pressure - The Basic Facts

What is Blood Pressure?

Blood Pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. Blood Pressure is recorded as two numbers. For example 120/80.The larger number indicates the pressure in the arteries as the heart squeezes out blood during each beat. It is called the Systolic Blood Pressure. The lower number indicates the pressure as the heart relaxes before the next beat. It is called the Diastolic Blood Pressure. Blood does not circulate in an even stream around the body, but travels in a constant series of spurts. Therefore the pressure peaks in the blood vessels just after a heart beat and then ebbs until the next one. This is a continuous process.

What is Normal Blood Pressure?

There are no hard and fast figures which represent a normal Blood Pressure range. However, it is usually agreed that somewhere between 110/70 and 125/80 is considered to be an average Blood Pressure for a grown person. Though someone with naturally low may be closer to a range of 100/60. A Blood Pressure of 140/90 is considered to be high, although as a person gets older, this falls into the normal range for people.

What Does High Blood Pressure Do To the Body?

High Blood Pressure causes the heart to work harder, putting a person at increased risk for heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney and eye problems. A Blood Pressure above 140/90 may be considered to be on the high side for a young adult, but a Blood Pressure higher than 180/110 is too high and dangerous. There are no symptoms to identify High Blood Pressure and therefore many people are unaware that they have it. High Blood Pressure usually does not give warning signs.

Having learnt a basic facts on Blood Pressure and what high Blood Pressure does to our body,i guess you would also want to know what can be done to prevent this fatal malady. Preventing high blood pressure educates on the simple things to do to maintain a healthy Blood Pressure