What Is High Blood Pressure?
Author: John Bradstreet

Over 65 million people in this country are affected by high
blood pressure, or hypertension as it is medically termed.
It is sometimes referred to as the "silent killer" because
a lot of people that have it are unaware of their
condition. According to the American Heart Association
(AHA), blood pressure is the pressure of the blood against
the walls of the arteries. When you have your blood
pressure tested it is reported as two numbers, systolic and
diastolic. One is created when the heart pumps blood into
the circulatory system and the other is the force of the
arteries as they resist blood flow.

The systolic pressure is always reported first. For
example, a reading of 120/80 (120 over 80) means that 120
is your systolic number and 80 is the diastolic. This
reading of 120/80 is considered to be the optimal level for
adults. When systolic pressure reaches 120 to 139 mmHg or
the diastolic pressure is 80 to 89 this is considered to be
"prehypertension" and needs to be monitored. When your
numbers exceed 140 or 90 this is considered high blood
pressure.

Because the medical term for high blood pressure is
"hypertension" some people may find this confusing. It does
not mean that one is nervous or tense or hyperactive. You
can be a very calm and relaxed individual and have high
blood pressure. If you receive a single high reading this
does not mean you have high blood pressure. There are many
factors that can contribute to a high reading. What is does
mean is that you want to monitor it. Your doctor will be
able to let you know how often it should be checked.

It is known that some diseases, such as kidney disease can
cause high blood pressure. The fact is that in 90 to 95
percent of cases the exact cause is unknown. The only way
to determine if you do have high blood pressure is to have
it checked by your doctor or other medical professional. It
is recommended that you have it checked every two years
unless something is found that necessitates for frequent
testing. With respect to cardiovascular disease the optimal
reading would be less that 120/80. However, unusually low
readings should be evaluated because this could be a result
of an underlying medical problem.

One of the most concerning aspects of high blood pressure
is that there are no symptoms so people do not usually feel
anything. This is why almost one third of people that have
hypertension don't know it. The only way to know is to be
tested regularly. This is especially true if someone in
your family has hypertension as it is known to travel in
families. If your blood pressure is extremely high there
are certain symptoms to be on the lookout for. Some of
these may be:

* Severe headaches

* Fatigue or confusion

* Problems with vision

* Chest pain

* Difficulty breathing

* Irregular heartbeat

* Blood in urine

* Pounding in ones chest, neck or ears

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms you need to
contact your primary health care professional immediately.
If this condition is left untreated this could lead to
heart attack, stroke, kidney failure or vision problems.

Your blood pressure reading may fluctuate. Some things that
can affect one reading to another are age, heart condition,
emotions, activity and medications you may be taking. It is
usually necessary to test your readings at different times
after resting for 5 minutes or so to come up with a typical
value.

At least three elevated readings are usually required to
make a diagnosis of hypertension. Your doctor will also
want to review your medical history. Such things as heart
problems and family history will need to be evaluated. He
or she will also take into account your specific risk
factors such as smoking, a history of high cholesterol,
diabetes, etc. A physical exam will be done and your doctor
will use a stethoscope to listen for any abnormal sounds in
your heart or a whooshing and swishing sound in your
arteries would indicate some degree of blockage. They will
also take your pulse in your arm and ankles to determine if
it is weak or even absent. If you are diagnosed with
hypertension your doctor will want to do other tests to
determine the most appropriate treatment plan.

In conclusion, because high blood pressure can go
undetected due to lack of symptoms it is a good idea to
have it checked every couple of years. While it can lead to
severe medical problems, once identified it can be very
successfully treated and such problems avoided.


About the Author:

John Bradstreet is an experienced Biochemist with extensive
knowledge in nutritional supplementation. He is committed
to a healthy lifestyle through natural means. To learn more
about High Blood Pressure you can visit ?
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