What does it mean to have high blood pressure?

Are you experiencing dizziness, headaches or nosebleeds? Do you feel breathless when climbing stairs or doing any physical activity? Well my friend, there’s a good chance that you might have high blood pressure. But don’t worry! You’re not alone in this condition (1). According to WHO, around 1.13 billion people worldwide suffer from hypertension and it contributes significantly towards heart diseases and stroke.

So let’s dive deep into the concept of high blood pressure and see what it actually means.

The Basics: Understanding High Blood Pressure

Let me ask you a question – do you know what doctors mean when they talk about systolic and diastolic readings on a blood pressure machine? If so, great job! You can skip ahead (2). For others who are still unaware of these fancy terminologies, don’t fret!

When your doctor measures your blood pressure with their stethoscope and an inflatable cuff (sphygmomanometer), they get readings like “120/80mmHg”.

Systolic represents the top number i.e., the highest level of arterial pressure reached during each heartbeat cycle.

Diastolic is the bottom number which represents minimum arterial pressure between beats when your heart rests.

Good news for those who hate numbers- if either one (or both) of these numbers persistently stay above average levels (3); then congratulations! You’ve got yourself some high blood pressure issues!

In other words,high blood pressure (hypertension) refers to having an excessive amount of force pushing against your arteries’ inner walls as your heart pumps out fresh oxygenated blood through them.

Not convinced yet? Imagine blowing up a balloon beyond its capacity – boom! That’s exactly what happens when our arteries experience constant strain due to elevated levels of documented blood pressure (4).

The Symptoms: How to tell if you have high BP?

Okay, so now that we know the basics of hypertension let’s move on to the symptoms. ‘But I don’t feel anything’, you say? Well then my friend, there’s a good chance that you might not notice these symptoms until it’s too late (5).

However, if elevated blood pressure is significant enough or persists for long periods some common signs include:

  • Headaches
  • Nosebleeds
  • Dizziness (or vertigo)
  • Shortness of breath and fatigue
  • Blurred vision

If your blood vessels undergo serious damage because of constant strain (from excessive blood pressure);you are bound to experience these issues. Moreover,blood circulation towards certain body parts may get disturbed leading to further complications in organs like kidneys and heart (6).

It’s worth noting that everyone experiences different levels of highblood-pressure hence taking regular tests with a doctor remains importantto keep track of any changes indicating early onset!

The Causes: Why do people get High Blood Pressure?

Is it just bad luck? Or impossible genetics handed down from unlucky ancestors? Unfortunately no! Hypertension typically arises due to one or more reasons explained below:

1.Lifestyle Choices

This causes about 80% cases globally – Meaning our daily life habits can lead us into this health condition.

Here are some pointers:

A.Higher than usual salt intake

Sodium actively increases water retention within our cells which eventually over-burdens arteries with extra fluid volume resulting in dangerous rises in BP. However, normal/average daily intake recommended by WHO ranges around 2g per day.

B.Poor Diet/Nutrition Habits

A diet resemblinga lotof deep-fried crispyfast-food itemsand carbonated beverages without proper greens adds higher levels of cholesterol aka “bad fats” and causes plaque accumulation build-up, ultimately choking arteries. Not good!

C.Inadequate Exercise or Physical Activity

People who don’t exercise regularly (or not at all) face a higher risk of hypertension; therefore incorporating physical activity -such as walking or jogging-into daily routines lowers the likelihood of developing health problems (7).

2. Genetic Factors

If one’s parents/grandparents have previously suffered from hypertension then there is a chance they may inherit this condition too.These cases are harder to prevent as genetics play an important role in determining blood pressure levels.

3. Medical Conditions

Some diseases result in damage to arterial walls which increases stress on those vessels’ carrying blood and oxygen leading towards raised BP numbers.Examples include: sleep apnea,thyroid disorders,lupus, congenital adrenal hyperplasia(CAH).

Diagnosis: How to check if you have High Blood Pressure?

Alright so now that we’ve covered quite a bit about high blood pressure let’s learn how you can get yourself tested (8).

You only need to follow these simple steps:

1.)Book an appointment with your doctor

Consulting your trusted medical professional is crucial when it comes maintaining good cardiovascular health.Never rely solely on random tools found online for diagnosing such critical conditions!

2)Time Your Testing Accurately

Placing utmost importance over WHENone measures theirbloodpressuregives clearresultsso be attentive enough while booking appointments.Nomatterwhat positionyou’reinwhile taking tests timings should coincide!

3.)Record Your Blood Pressure Levels Regularly

With new technologies emerging,you canmake this job easier.From utilizing smartwatchestogadgetsrecordthese readingsregularly.Alongside dietandlifestyle changes,it will provide a better understandingofyour overallcardiovascular trends (9).

## Treatment: What options do I have if diagnosed with Hypertension?

Don’t worry if you do have high blood pressure – all is not lost. Medication and lifestyle changes are both effective ways to manage hypertension.

1.Medication

Your doctor may prescribe medicine, such as ACE inhibitors or beta-blockers-which treat hyper-tensionthroughvariousmechanismsof action. However,different drugsact differentially depending upon personalmedical histories (10).

2.Lifestyle Changes

As we had previously discussed causes of hypertension being linked to general habits-this also means that effectivelychangingthesehabitscan greatlyimprovehealth.Intervene incopingwithincreasingbloodpressureby:

A. Making balanced Diet Plans

(Mostly including lean protein,chopped veggies,salads,jump-starting day everydaywith wholesome breakfasts).

B.Start Regular Exercise

Having proper time-tabled excercise significantly helps as it reduces stress while helping in the normal working of heart/other body functions.

C.Quit Unhealthy Habits

This includes addictionsto smoking,and drinking alcohol-especially important for those diagnosed withHypertensiveepisodes.Futureguidelines(recommend) totalcessation (11)

Conclusion: Don’t Let High Blood Pressure Weigh You Down!

High Blood Pressure is a complicated condition experienced by a large numberof people worldwide.Adopt changesin yourLife-stylepicking healthyeating exercisesandstartmanagingyourstress levelsfor an enhanced life experience!

Remember:Hypertensionat its mostadvanced stagesleads towardsfatalhealthcomplicationsincludingheartfailureorkidney damage; never hesitatewhen reaching outto consulting professionaladvice onhowto incorporateameasurableamountoffitness activitiestoavoid anyseriousphysicaldamage.Finally,it’s vitaltopracticepatience-don’t expectmiracles overnight!

Let’s make some healthy choices today so our tomorrow remains bright and shiny like sunshine itself!

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