High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the force in the arteries when the heart beats (systolic pressure) and when the heart is at rest (diastolic pressure). It's measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Indeed, blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. Your blood pressure normally varies during the day. In fact, it is lower when you sleep and rises when you get up. It also can rise when you are excited, nervous, or active. Hypertension usually has nothing to do with being "hyper", nervous or anxious.

High blood pressure is a blood pressure reading of 140/90 mmHg or higher. Nearly 1 in 3 American adults has high blood pressure. Once high blood pressure develops, it usually lasts a lifetime. High blood pressure (hypertension) is often called a silent killer because there are usually no symptoms and you can have it for years without knowing it. Also, some people may not find out they have it until they have trouble with their heart, brain, or kidneys.

A blood pressure reading below 120/80 mmHg is considered normal. Doctors classify blood pressures under 140/90 mmHg as either normal or prehypertension. Prehypertension is blood pressure between 120 and 139 for the top number, or between 80 and 89 for the bottom number. If your blood pressure is in the prehypertension range, it is more likely that you will end up with high blood pressure unless you take action to prevent it. More importantly, high blood pressure directly increases the risk of coronary heart disease (which leads to heart attack) and stroke.

Ultimately, hypertension is more common among people over the age of 35. It's particularly prevalent in African Americans, middle-aged and elderly people, obese people, smokers, heavy drinkers and women who are taking birth control pills. It may run in families, but many people with a strong family history of high blood pressure never have it. People with diabetes mellitus, gout or kidney disease are more likely to have high blood pressure, as well.

You can find out if you have high blood pressure by having your blood pressure checked regularly. Most doctors will diagnose a person with high blood pressure on the basis of two or more readings, taken on several occasions. Some people experience high blood pressure only when they visit the doctor's office. This condition is called "white-coat hypertension." If your doctor suspects this, you may be asked to monitor your blood pressure at home.

Many people may not view high blood pressure as life-threatening, but uncontrolled high blood pressure can increase your risk of serious health problems. Furthermore, there are many treatment options available to control high blood pressure.

There are a few lifestyle changes that one can undergo in order to lower their blood pressure without having to use medications. A key to healthy eating is choosing foods lower in salt and sodium. Most Americans consume more salt than they need. The current recommendation is to consume less than 2.4 grams (2,400 milligrams ) of sodium a day. That equals 6 grams (about 1 teaspoon) of table salt a day. In addition, lower-sodium diets can keep blood pressure from rising and help blood pressure medicines work better. Being overweight increases your risk of developing high blood pressure. Therefore, blood pressure rises as body weight increases.

If medication is absolutely necessary, these are some of the medications that can be prescribed to treat high blood pressure. Diuretics are sometimes called "water pills" because they work in the kidney to flush excess water and sodium from the body. Beta-blockers reduce nerve impulses to the heart and blood vessels. This makes the heart beat slower and with less force. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors prevent the formation of a hormone called angiotensin II, which normally causes blood vessels to narrow. The ACE inhibitors cause the vessels to relax and blood pressure goes down. Angiotensin antagonists shield blood vessels from angiotensin II. As a result, the vessels become wider and blood pressure goes down. Lastly, Calcium Channel Blockers keep calcium from entering the muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels. This causes the blood vessels to relax and pressure goes down. Sometimes, two or more drugs can work better than just one. Most importantly, modern drugs for hypertension have few or no side effects!