BLOOD
PRESSURE:Sometimes
what you don''t know can hurt you. Such is the case with
high blood
pressure, or
hypertension. Although one in four adults has high blood
pressure, according to the American
Heart Association (AHA), almost a
third of them don''t know they have it. That''s because high
blood pressure often has no
symptoms. It''s not as if you feel the
pressure of your blood coursing through your circulatory system. When
the heart beats, it pumps blood to the arteries, creating pressure
within them. That pressure can be normal or it can be excessive. High
blood pressure is defined as a persistently elevated pressure of blood
within the arteries. Over
time, the excessive force exerted against the arteries damages and
scars them. It can also damage organs, such as the heart, kidneys, and
brain. High blood pressure can lead to strokes, blindness, kidney
failure, and heart failure.In 90 to 95 percent of all
cases,
the cause of high blood pressure isn''t known. In such cases, when there
is no underlying cause, the disease is known as primary, or essential,
hypertension. Sometimes the high blood pressure is caused by another
disease, such as an endocrine disorder. In such cases the disease is
called secondary hypertension.Who''s at
Risk?While
no one knows the exact cause of hypertension, there are specific
factors that put you at risk of developing it. These include:Age. The older you are, the greater the likelihood of developing hypertension.Weight. The heavier you are, the greater your risk of hypertension. Race. African Americans are more prone to high blood pressure than Caucasians.Heredity. If high blood pressure runs in your family, you have an increased chance of developing it. Cigarette smoking. Smoking causes hypertension as well as heart disease and cancer.Alcohol use. Heavy drinking increases blood pressure. Sodium consumption. Too much salt in your diet will do you in if you''re sodium sensitive. A sedentary lifestyle. Couch potatoes are at an increased risk for hypertension.Pregnancy. Some expectant mothers experience elevated blood pressure. Oral contraceptives. Some women who take birth control pills develop hypertension, especially if other risk factors are also present.What to Look ForHypertension
is known as "the silent killer" because it has no or few obvious
symptoms. The symptoms that it does present are shared by other
diseases and conditions. But if you have any of these symptoms, be sure
to have your blood pressure checked to rule out high blood pressure: Frequent or severe headachesUnexplained fatigueDizzinessFlushing of the faceRinging in the earsThumping in the chestFrequent nosebleeds
More abstracts about the Home Remedies for High Blood Pressure