High blood pressure: "The Silent Killer!"

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Friends, high blood pressure is one of the most deadly issues that hundreds of millions of people face across the world. The condition has left nobody and irrespective of race, religion and gender, high blood pressure can attack anyone, anytime. My wife suffers from this. Though it is not a disease and just a symptom, its presence can make worry both; the patient and the health care provider. It is because high blood pressure can make many things adverse and in some worse cases, it can even damage any of vital organs in the body such as brain, heart and kidney. I received the following information, am sharing here for benefit of all. High Blood Pressure Symptoms: High blood pressure usually causes no symptoms. Even if high blood pressure does cause symptoms, the symptoms are usually mild and nonspecific vague or suggesting many different disorders). Thus, high blood pressure often is labeled: "The Silent Killer!" People who have high blood pressure typically don't know it until their blood pressure is measured. Sometimes people with high blood pressure have the following symptoms: Headache Dizziness Blurred vision Nausea People often do not seek medical care until they have symptoms arising from the organ damage caused by chronic (ongoing, long-term) high blood pressure. The following types of organ damage are commonly seen in chronic high blood pressure: Heart attack Heart failure Stroke or "mini stroke" (transient ischemic attack) Kidney failure and eye damage with loss of vision. Peripheral arterial disease Out-pouching of the aorta, called aneurysms About 1% of people with high blood pressure do not seek medical care until the high blood pressure is very severe, a condition known as malignant hypertension. In malignant hypertension, the diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) often exceeds 140 mm Hg. Malignant hypertension may be associated with headache, light-headedness, or nausea. This degree of high blood pressure requires emergency hospitalization and lowering of blood pressure to prevent brain hemorrhage or stroke It is of utmost importance to realize that high blood pressure can be unrecognized for years, causing no symptoms but causing progressive damage to the heart, other organs, and blood vessels High Blood Pressure Causes: In about 10% of people, high blood pressure is caused by another disease (this is called secondary hypertension). In such cases, when the root cause is treated, blood pressure usually returns to normal. These causes of secondary hypertension include the following conditions: Chronic kidney disease Tumors or other diseases of the adrenal gland Coarctation of the aorta - A narrowing of the aorta that you are born with that can cause high blood pressure in your arms Pregnancy Use of birth control pills Alcohol addiction Thyroid dysfunction In the other 90% of cases, the cause of high blood pressure is not known (referred to as primary hypertension). Although the specific cause is unknown, certain factors are recognized as contributing to high blood pressure. Age: The older you get, the greater the likelihood that you will develop high blood pressure, especially systolic, as your arteries get stiffer. This is largely due to arteriosclerosis, or "hardening of the arteries." Race: African Americans have high blood pressure more often than whites. They develop high blood pressure at a younger age and develop more severe complications sooner. Family history (heredity): The tendency to have high blood pressure appears to run in families. Gender: Generally men have a greater likelihood of developing high blood pressure than women. This likelihood varies according to age and among various ethnic groups. Women tend to have higher blood pressure after menopause. Overweight (obesity): Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m2. It is very closely related to high blood pressure. Medical professionals strongly recommend that all obese people with high blood pressure lose weight until they are within 15% of their healthy body weight. Your health care provider can help you calculate your BMI and healthy range of body weight. Sodium (salt) sensitivity: Some people have high sensitivity to sodium (salt), and their blood pressure goes up if they use salt. Reducing sodium intake tends to lower their blood pressure. Americans consume 10-15 times more sodium than they need. Fast foods and processed foods contain particularly high amounts of sodium. Many over-the-counter medicines, such as painkillers, also contain large amounts of sodium. Read labels to find out how much sodium is contained in food items. Avoid those with high sodium levels. Alcohol use: Drinking alcohol tends to raise blood pressure. Drugs: Certain drugs, such as amphetamines (stimulants) , diet pills, and some pills used for cold and allergy symptoms, tend to raise blood pressure. Birth control pills (oral contraceptive use): Some women who take birth control pills develop high blood pressure. Lack of exercise (physical inactivity): A sedentary lifestyle contributes to the development of obesity and high blood pressure. As body weight increases, the blood pressure rises. Obese people are two to six times more likely to develop high blood pressure than people whose weight is within a healthy range. Not only the degree of obesity is important, but also the manner in which the body accumulates extra fat. Some people gain weight around their belly (central obesity or "apple-shaped" people), while others store fat around their hips and thighs ("pear-shaped" people). "Apple-shaped" people tend to have greater health risks than "pear-shaped" people. Smoking: People who smoke are more also likely to develop hypertension and heart disease. About 30% of all deaths from heart disease in the U.S. are directly related to cigarette smoking. That's because smoking is a major cause of coronary artery disease especially in younger people! Stress: Reducing stress can help lower high blood pressure. Stress is a normal part of life. But too much stress can lead to emotional, psychological, and even physical problems -- including heart disease, high blood pressure, chest pains, or irregular heartbeats. Let us look at foods to lower high blood pressure: Foods to lower high blood pressure would include edible items those are high in calcium, omega -3 fatty acids, ascorbic acid, potassium, magnesium, etc. Calcium is found to have a great blood pressure-reducing effect. Foods those are high in calcium include dairy product such as milk, fresh cheese, yogurt, broccoli and cabbage, dry beans, fish like salmon, soybeans and tofu etc. Potassium can help bringing down the high blood pressure level. Clinical trials have indicated that when you consume foods high in potassium helps lower blood pressure. Vegetables rich in potassium include tomatoes, potato, cantaloupe, banana, beetroot, Brussels sprouts, avocado, and orange. Magnesium is proven to have dilating effects on the blood vessels and hence allows the blood to move easier. Foods rich in magnesium include avocado, spinach, almond, sunflower seeds, and barley. Ascorbic acid is also one of the foods to lower high blood pressure. It expands blood vessels and narrowed arteries, accordingly helps to lower blood pressure. Red cabbage, red bell pepper, citrus fruit (such as mandarin, orange, etc), kiwi, strawberry and potato all are rich in vitamin C. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, particularly in trout, salmon and tuna fish and trout are now discovered to help the blood circulation. The presence of these substances prevents the blood to clump and form clots that might bring heart attacks. Flaxseed oils are also believed to be inhibiting the inflammation that forms artery plaques and poor circulation, therefore helps against high blood pressure. Foods to lower high blood pressure also include garlic since it is proved by several clinical studies!!! When should I check my blood pressure? Follow your doctor's instructions for when and how often to check your blood pressure. Keep in mind that certain factors can cause blood pressure to temporarily raise. Blood pressure normally rises as a result of: Stress, Smoking, Cold temperatures, Exercise, A full stomach, Full bladder, Caffeine, Certain medicines Avoid any of these factors you can when taking your blood pressure. Also try measuring your blood pressure at about the same time each day. Before taking your blood pressure: Find a quiet place. You will need to listen for your heartbeat. Roll up the sleeve on your left arm or remove any tight-sleeved clothing, if needed. (It's best to take your blood pressure from your left arm, if possible.) Rest in a chair next to a table for 5 to 10 minutes. (Your left arm should rest comfortably at heart level.) Sit up straight with your back against the chair, legs uncrossed. Rest your forearm on the table with the palm of your hand facing up. [i][b]Do you or any member in your family have high BP; Do you get it checked every day or week? Do you like this information useful?[/b][/i]Professor