HYPERTENSION - High blood pressure

WHAT IS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?

“Hypertension” is the medical term for high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the measurement of the force by which blood is pushed against the walls of the arteries. Arteries are the blood vessels which carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The pressure is highest, when the heart contracts to pump out blood. This measurement is called the systolic pressure. After pumping, the heart relaxes and the pressure drops to its lowest point before a new beat. This measurement is called the diastolic pressure. The measurement of an individual’s blood pressure is always expressed as systolic pressure over diastolic pressure. For example, normal blood pressure for adults is considered to be 120/80 millimeters of mercury. For adults, blood pressure above 140/90 is considered to be high and below 90/60 is considered to be low.

High blood pressure is associated with a variety of significant health risks, including increased risks of heart disease.

The cause of about 90 to 95 percent cases of high blood pressure is unknown. However, the condition is easily detected and usually controllable.

DOES TENSION LEAD TO HYPERTENSION?

Does everyone at work have a say in how your job is done-except you? Does getting stuck in traffic makes you boil over, along with your radiator? Do you regularly get hot under the collar over things that other people just shrug off? If so, you’re a candidate for one of the latest medical discoveries: stress-induced hypertension.

The Stress Reaction                       

When you’re under stress, your body starts an ancient reaction designed to help you get out of danger. It shoots your blood up with adrenaline, which raises your blood pressure, blood sugar and heart rate. It even increases your muscle tone which is what you need to fight off a wild animal. Thus you save your life and work off the tension created by the adrenaline. But in the case of everyday stress, there’s nothing to fight or run away from. The adrenaline rush leaves you all revved up with no place to go. Blood pressure drops slowly, until the next aggravation comes along. Too much of this and the body gives up and boosts its baseline blood pressure to a permanently higher levels.

Stress and High Blood Pressure

People who experience chronic stress are more likely to have chronically high blood pressure. How do you know if you suffer from chronic stress? It’s simple: if you feel stressed out, you are . In fact, people vary widely in their reaction to stress. That’s why, those who get upset easily are more likely to have stress-induced hypertension.

The Power of Adrenaline

It’s happened to everyone. It begins when you are startled, frightened or angry. Your heart pounds, your breath is shallow and you sweat profusely. Your intestines shut down. You feel tense, apprehensive and ready to respond to danger. The substance responsible for all these changes is adrenaline, hormone, which your body secretes to give you the strength and alertness to fight off or escape danger. It’s the classic “fight or flight” response and it worked great when most of the dangers humans face were physical. By fighting or running away, people both resolved the problem nd worked off the tension that adrenaline produces.

Adrenaline also causes jitters when you are under stress, whether that stress directly threatens your safety or not. These stressful events could be being stuck in traffic, having a deadline to meet or conflict with family members. Even positive stresses, like a promotion or getting married, can affect you. Unfortunately, you can’t respond to most stresses by running away or fighting them.

What You Can Do              

                                                                      

A feeling of helplessness is one of the most common stressors in our society. But you don’t have to be a helpless victim of stress-induced hypertension. Stress management programs that exist can help you learn the fine art of relaxation. Techniques like deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation. Regular exercise can also help you let off your steam safely.

Get your blood pressure checked. If its high, or if you feel too much under stress, ask your doctor where you can get into a stress-reduction program. Or maybe your workplace has a program. Start right now by taking a deep breath.

IS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE DANGEROUS?

According to the data gathered from the Framingham Heart Study, 50 percent o people who have a first heart attack and two thirds of those who have a first stroke have blood pressures higher than 160/95 mm of Hg.

Inaccess to medical care also contributes to under treatment of hypertension. Thus, the incidence of hypertension among people in lower socioeconomic groups is underestimated because of the inadequate access to medical care.

Left untreated, high blood pressure continues to rise gradually over the years, causing the heart to overwork itself to the point where serious damage can occur. Untreated hypertension also places other systems and organs (e.g. the kidneys) at greater risks of damage leading to dysfunction or failure.

Hypertension has often been called the “silent killer”, because mild to moderate levels usually go unnoticed by patients until serious damage has already been done. To clarify the risk factors, high blood pressure measurements for adults have been ranked according to risk categories of increasing severity, ranging from normal to stage 4.” An important exception, to the information listed above is noted among patients with diabetes and/or kidney disease. These patients require treatment, if their blood pressure rises above 130/80 mm of Hg.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?

The majority of people with mild to moderate hypertension cannot tell when their blood pressure is too high. In fact, about one-third of hypertensive people are not aware of their condition. Patients may experience chest pain (angina), shortness of breath or other symptoms related to heart disease.

SYMPTOMS    

                                                  

• ·         Fatigue
• ·         Confusion
• ·         Nausea or upset stomach
• ·         Vision changes or problems
• ·         Excessive sweating
• ·         Paleness or redness of skin
• ·         Nose bleeding
• ·         Anxiety or nervousness
• ·         Palpitations (Strong, fast or obviously irregular heartbeat)
• ·         Ringing or buzzing in ears
• ·         Impotence
• ·         Headache
• ·         Dizziness

HOW IS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE TREATED?

Do I need to change my life style?

Lifestyle changes play a key role in the control of hypertension. For some, this might be all that is need to control blood pressure. But for others, medication might be advised along with lifestyle changes. Such changes includes :-

1.       Diet

·         Restriction of salts

·         Restriction of calories

·         Restriction of fats

·         High fiber diet

·         Diet high in antioxidants

·         Patient is advised to restrict intake of salt to a maximum of 5 gm per day.

·       

  Your doctor would even advise you to take a diet of some fixed amount of calories depending upon your job, daily activities and body weight, which should be strictly followed.

2.       Exercise

·         Regular exercise will control extra weight and at the same time help to lower the blood pressure. Hypertensive patients should avoid strenuous exercises but should go in for brisk morning walks.

3.       Smoking

·         Smoking causes hypertension which may lead to angina and finally heart attack.

4.       Alcohol

·         It has been observed that people who consume alcohol regularly, invariably suffer from high blood pressure. One should avoid regular consumption of alcohol.

5.       Stress

·         Tension and stress should be avoided. Changes in life style help to bring down high blood pressure. Relaxation measures along with certain yoga exercises can also bring down high blood pressure.

6.       Meditation

      The constant chanting of a silently repeated word like mantra helps to achieve relaxation by avoiding external thoughts.

7.       Reduction in Body Weight

·         Increased body weight can lead to hypertension, increased blood sugar and coronary blockages. Hence maintaining one’s body weight is very important.

Hope you liked this article.

This article is written by Dr. Bimal Chajjer (Delhi's best heart doctor)