Everything you need to know about High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Changed lifestyle and part of today’s busy life is giving us something else or not but many lifestyle diseases are definitely being given. And one of them may be a very dangerous disease which is additionally referred to as Hypertension or High Blood Pressure. This disease is additionally called Silent Killer because most people don't know that they have high BP.

Before talking about this disease intimately, let me tell you that in 2017, National Family Health Survey was done by the Union Health Ministry in hundred districts of India, during which a shocking fact was revealed that “one in every eight Indians suffer from high BP”.

So, it may be better if you also check your blood pressure from time to time and avoid this disease.

Definition of High Blood Pressure or Hypertension :

Before knowing this, understand what this "blood pressure" thing is and why it's needed.

The mechanism of our body is such oxygenated blood is required for the tissues and organs to function. Our cardiovascular system does the work of delivering this blood. The heart plays a vital role in this process. The heartbeat makes a pressure that drives blood into our blood vessels which include arteries, veins, and cells. This pressure is named Blood Pressure.

And when this blood pressure rises more than expectation, we called it High Blood Pressure or Hypertension.

Blood Pressure Reading :

After checking BP, two numbers are spoken to you, then it's told that BP is normal, increased or decreased. For example, the doctor says-

"Your BP is 120/80… is normal", or

"Your BP is 140/90… increased", or

"Your BP is 90/60…. is less"

In medical terms, 120/80 BP readings are read as "120 over 80 Millimeters of Mercury" or "120/80 mmHg".

Systolic Blood Pressure: The primary or upper number indicates the Systolic Blood Pressure, which suggests that the blood is applying pressure on the artery walls when the heart is beating.

Diastolic Blood Pressure: The second or lower number indicates Diastolic Blood Pressure, which suggests that the blood is applying pressure on the artery walls when the heart rests between two beats.

Now, from the figure 120/80 mmHg we can say that your Systolic blood pressure is 120 and Diastolic blood pressure is 80.

Numbers matters more :

Usually upper number i.e. Systolic blood pressure matters more because it provides the simplest idea of the danger of attack or stroke.

If the value of blood pressure is increasing, then we keep it within the category of hypertension.

To understand this, see this chart :

Top number (Systolic BP) and/or Bottom number (Diastolic BP)	Your category
Below 120                        and                       Below 80	Normal Blood Pressure
120-129                              and                       Below 80	Elevated Blood Pressure
130-139                              or                            80-89	Stage-1 High Blood Pressure
140 or higher                or                            90 or higher	Stage-2 High Blood Pressure

Note: If the value of blood pressure falls below 90/60 mmHg, then it's called Low Blood Pressure or Hypotension.

Causes of High Blood Pressure or Hypertension :

The reason for hypertension is unknown in more than 90% of cases, but there are many risk factors which will cause high BP disease -

1) Old age: With increasing age, the danger of getting high BP also increases. However, now this disease is additionally found among the youth.

2) Family History: If someone in your family has high BP then chances of getting this disease also increase.

3) Temperature: In many cases, it's been found that BP remains low when the temperature is high and BP becomes high when the temperature is low. So if you reside in cold places then your BP could also be higher. However, it's more common to occur after the age of 65 years.

4) Ethnic background: Just in case of hypertension, your ethnic background is additionally important. It's been found that individuals of African and South Asian ancestry have a better risk of getting high BP. South Asians, including Indians, also are at greater risk of the disease.

5) Obesity: Obesity itself may be a problem and it brings with it many other diseases, one of them is that the disease of high blood pressure. Overweight or obese people have a better risk of hypertension than people with normal weight.

6) Gender(Male / Female): Generally men are more likely to complain of high BP than women. But after the age of 60, the danger of getting hypertension is equal in both.

7) Physical inactivity: If you are not physically active, do not exercise, do not walk at all or works throughout the day sitting in one place, your chances of developing high blood pressure will increase.

8) Smoking: Smoking increases the prospect of getting cancer, but at an equivalent time your blood vessels shrink due to which blood pressure increases. Thanks to smoking, the quantity of oxygen within the blood also decreases, so to compensate it, the heart has got to pump faster, which increases BP.

9) Alcohol: Some studies have found that people who regularly drink alcohol have a systolic blood pressure of about 7 mmHg higher than those who do not drink.

10) Excess salt intake: Individuals who eat more salt have higher blood pressure than the individuals who eat less salt. That's why doctors also recommend reducing salt intake when a BP disease is diagnosed.

11) High-fat diet: Many health professionals believe that eating high-fat food also can cause high blood pressure disease. Especially Saturated and trans fats can increase the danger.

12) Stress: It's been clear from many studies that in those individuals who are frequently under stress, the probability of getting high blood pressure problem increases significantly.

13) Diabetes: The probability of getting hypertension increases even in patients with diabetes. However, if you control your sugar in the right way, then the danger is reduced.

14) Psoriasis: This is a sort of skin ailment where red rashes happen in numerous spots on the body. A 14-year study found that people with psoriasis may have hypertension.

15) Pregnancy: It is common for pregnant women to possess high BP during pregnancy, which becomes normal after delivery.

Symptoms of High Blood Pressure or Hypertension :

The most dangerous thing about hypertension is that you simply don't even know that you have this disease. About one-third of individuals aren't conscious of hypertension and most people can know about this disease long after it has occurred. Especially in our country where only a few people do regular health checkups, this disease remains hidden.

You will not see any special symptoms when blood pressure increases slightly. But if it increases more then you'll get to ascertain a number of these symptoms -

•          Terrible headache

•          Fatigue or confusion

•          To be very nervous or anxious

•          Vision problems

•          Pain in chest

•          Shortness of breath

•          Irregular heartbeat

•          Nose bleeding

•          Blood in urine

If you're quite 40 years old, then regularly you should check your blood pressure. Especially when someone in your close relation has high BP problem. You'll buy a Sphygmomanometer, also referred to as a blood pressure meter, to see your BP by yourself. It will be found in the market around Rs.2000.

Harmful effects of High Blood Pressure or Hypertension :

Increased blood pressure can cause many problems and may damage many parts of your body. The basic explanation for these problems is due to the issue emerging in arteries, blood isn't ready to flow properly in several parts of the body. So let's see-

Arteries :

It starts with the arteries. Usually, vessels that carry blood from the heart to other parts of the body have a smooth inner lining and that they are quite flexible and powerful.

But the additional force caused by the high BP can damage the inner walls of arteries, causing the blood to not flow smoothly and fatty bits in these places, called Plaques; are collected. Plaque deposits can block the arteries and make blood flow difficult.

This damage can cause artery walls to spread and swell like balloons. This bump is named Aneurysm. Sometimes it can cause bleeding as a result of the rupture.

Heart :

Your heart is like a muscle and it always needs blood. But when the arteries are blocked, it cannot reach the proper amount of blood, then you'll need to face these problems-

•          Irregular heartbeat (Arrhythmia)

•          Chest pain (Angina)

•          Heart attack

Actually, the heart needs to strive to make the blood stream from clogged arteries, which may also increase its size. When this happens, the walls of the heart muscle lose their power and can't pump properly. This will cause Heart Attacks or Heart related diseases.

Brain :

High blood pressure is the significant reason for stroke. When the artery within the brain becomes blocked due to high BP, then the blood doesn't reach the brain cells.

Different parts of the brain control our different functions. And therefore the part where the flow is interrupted by blood, the function of that part gets affected like -

Speaking, walking, looking, etc. in such cases, if the blood flow isn't corrected soon, the cells may die and cause permanent damage.

Poor blood supply also can impede your ability to think and memory. It may cause Vascular Dementia.

Kidneys :

One in every five people affected by high blood pressure also has the renal disorder. Kidney relies on blood vessels to filter oxygen and nutrient supply and waste. But when these vessels get clogged, the kidneys cannot do their work properly. A healthy kidney keeps your BP in control, but when it gets harmed, at that point your BP can be high, which makes the kidney worse, and in such a situation, renal failure can occur.

Eyes :

If high BP isn't controlled for an extended time, it can damage the tiny blood vessels present within the eyes and collect fluid under the retina. Due to which the patient may even see blurred or distorted images or his vision can also be lost. Apart from this, your eyes may lose sight if the optic nerve does not get enough blood.

Genitals :

Not reaching the proper amount of blood to the sexual organs can cause Erectile Dysfunction in men and a desire to not have sex may arise in women.

Legs and Hips :

When the leg artery blocks because of high blood pressure, then there are often pain and cramps in your feet and hips. This condition is additionally called Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD).

Bones :

High BP can force you to excrete more calcium than you need through urination. If the body takes this extra calcium from your bones, then you'll have Osteoporosis. During which bones become absolutely weak and therefore their risk of breakdown greatly increases. Older women have higher chances of this to happen.

Sleep Apnea :

Sleep Apnea is a severe disorder during which the patient stops breathing several times while sleeping, and breathes intermittently. More than half of people suffering from hypertension have this complaint. This becomes more dangerous because High BP raises it and on the other hand, it raises High BP.

Some solutions to avoid High Blood Pressure or Hypertension :

Keeping your weight right :

Chances of hypertension increase by 2-6 once you are overweight. Slight weight loss also can prevent you from high BP disease or could also be helpful in treatment.

By exercising regularly :

Active people have a 20-50% lower risk of hypertension than inactive people. Don’t need to go to the gym for this, you can also be physically active by doing morning walk, yoga, or household work.

Reducing salt intake :

Salt helps to take care of water in our body. But the additional water that's stored within the body by eating more salt, increases the blood pressure. Therefore, if you're taking less salt in food, then you're less likely to possess a BP problem.

Avoid an excessive amount of smoking or drinking :

Drinking too much alcohol can increase your BP. It might be better if you do not drink alcohol but if you do, do not drink more than 1-2 glasses throughout the day. Similarly, if you'll quit smoking cigarette then it'll also help in controlling your BP.

By being happy :

Being happy automatically cures many diseases. On the opposite hand, being concerned or taking stress increases blood pressure alongside other diseases.

Take these things :

Potassium: For this, you'll eat banana, orange, kiwi, potato, rajma, spinach, milk, curd, fish, etc.

Calcium: You'll get calcium by consuming milk, curd, cheese, beans, lentils, green leafy vegetables, almonds, salmon fish, etc.

Magnesium: A low magnesium diet can also raise your blood pressure. But this doesn't mean that taking more magnesium will reduce your BP. Usually, if you're taking a healthy diet then you get enough magnesium in it. It's found in grains, green leafy vegetables, dried peas, cabbage, and beans. Even in sea-food, it's present in sufficient quantity.

Garlic: Some studies have found that eating garlic also reduces blood pressure. Aside from this, it's also helpful in reducing some sorts of cancer and cholesterol.

Fish Oils: "Omega-3 fatty acids" are found in fish like mackerel and salmon and its consumption are often helpful in reducing high BP.

Auxiliary drugs in High Blood Pressure :

The following medicines are utilized in the treatment of Hypertension -

•          Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors

•          Angiotensin-II Receptor Blocker (ARB)

•          Diuretics

•          Beta-blockers

•          Calcium channel blockers

•          Alpha-blockers

•          Alpha-agonist and so on.

Friends, this was information related to High Blood Pressure. I hope that this information will be beneficial for the people suffering from the problem of high blood pressure and also help other people to avoid it.