High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is often referred to as the 'silent killer' because it is a potentially fatal condition which can develop slowly over a period of years with often few if any high blood pressure symptoms at all.
This lack of any high blood pressure signs and symptoms means that the condition often goes undiagnosed and untreated and it is not easy to gauge the size of the problem. In the early 1990s it was estimated that about 50 million adults suffered from high blood pressure in the United States and this figure has been rising steadily. By the start of this century the figure was approaching 65 million and today it is estimated that it has topped 72 million. This figure means that about one in every three adults in the United States is now suffering from hypertension.
Studies have also revealed that:
- 30% of those people with high blood pressure are not aware that they have the condition and are thus receiving no treatment for it.
- 15% are aware that they have the condition but are either not receiving
high blood pressure treatment or are not following the treatment recommended.
- 25% are aware of the condition and are receiving treatment for it but do not yet have their blood pressure under control.
That means that only 30% of sufferers are currently receiving treatment and have their blood pressure under control.
Although it is often said that it is not possible to detect the symptoms of high blood pressure, there are some signs which may point to the possible presence of the condition. These normally mild physical symptoms of high blood pressure might include:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Blurred Vision
- Nausea
High blood pressure is a major cause of death in the United States today, not in itself but because it significantly raises your risk of developing a number of life threatening conditions including such things as cardiovascular disease, heart attack, heart failure and kidney failure.
But this is only part of the story because, in addition to the 72 million Americans currently suffering from hypertension, it is estimated that there are another 50 million people who are suffering pre-hypertension. In other words there is a large pool of people who do not yet have high blood pressure but who, unless they take preventative measures, will almost certainly develop it in the future.
In many cases high blood pressure is a lifelong condition but
treating high blood pressure is often not too difficult and it can normally be very effectively controlled. The secret however lies in first establishing whether or not you have the condition and then either taking steps to prevent it from developing or seeking
high treatment for it.
Since, however, it often presents without any symptoms the first step must be to have your blood pressure checked and then to monitor it regularly.
In order to deal effectively with this widespread and growing problem it is first necessary to understand the causes of high blood pressure as you will see that, in very many cases, this is an entirely preventable condition.
It will also be seen that lifestyle plays an important part in both preventing the condition and also in providing the basis of natural remedies for high blood pressure. Here considering such things as the link between high blood pressure and exercise and following a high blood pressure diet amongst other things mean that for many people lowering high blood pressure simply entails adjusting their lifestyle.
In many cases adjusting your lifestyle by looking at such things as diet and exercise is all that is required for lowering blood pressure naturally. However, where high blood pressure drug medication is required then this is one area in which we are fortunate to have a range of different drugs available which are tried and tested and, on the whole, extremely effective.
Cardiac catheterization: A procedure during which a catheter is inserted into an artery and guided to the arteries in the heart to determine pressure and blood flow in the heart.
Diuretics: One form of medication used in the treatment of hypertension. Diuretics act on the kidneys to remove excess salt from the blood which increases the flow of urine and the need to urinate. This, in turn, reduces the amount of water in the body and helps to lower blood pressure.
TIA (transient ischemic attack): A "mini-stroke" or a warning of an impending stroke. A TIA takes place when blood flow to part of the brain is interrupted briefly.
High blood pressure is an all too common and serious condition which is easy to detect and normally also easy to treat. The secret to combating this condition however is to be aware of its danger and to make sure that you have regular blood pressure checks
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