High Blood Pressure

• What is high blood pressure?
• What do the numbers on the reading mean?
• What are the alarming signs of high blood pressure or low blood pressure?
• What are the causes of high blood pressure?
• How is high blood pressure related to your kidneys?

What is high blood pressure?

When the heart pumps the blood around the body for oxygen supply, it flows against the blood vessels in the body. This pushing or flowing of the blood in the vessels is blood pressure. If the blood flows forcefully than usual, it is known to be high blood pressure. This puts an extra strain on the arteries, thereby increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

What do the numbers on the reading mean?

Blood pressure test results in two numbers. The top number is called the systolic pressure, representing the pressure as the blood pushes through the blood vessels. The other number, which is called the bottom number, is called the diastolic pressure, briefing the pressure in between the time when blood vessels relax.

Systolic pressure should be no more than 139 and less than 120 and diastolic pressure between 80 and 89.

Normal blood pressure in a healthy adult is measured to be around 120/80. Sometimes, blood pressure rises or drops with changes in our mental and physical health. If anytime, the blood pressure goes beyond 140/90 for like three continuous times, the healthcare provider may diagnose you with high blood pressure or hypertension.

As you age, reading of 150/90 is considered high by the doctors while those with 180/120needs an immediate treatment.

What are the alarming signs of high blood pressure or low blood pressure?

One of the tricky aspects of hypertension is that you may not figure out a difference between high blood pressure or low pressure until measured through some machine.

Learn these signs of high blood or low pressure to know a subtle difference:

• Severe headache
• Fatigue or confusion
• Vision problems
• Chest pain
• Difficulty breathing
• Irregular heartbeat
• Blood in the urine
• Pounding in your chest, neck, or ears

Low blood pressure or hypotension

• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Fainting (syncope)
• Blurred vision
• Nausea
• Lack of concentration

Untreated hypotension and hypertension can increase the risk of various serious diseases, including heart stroke, kidney failure, and eye problems.

What are the causes of high blood pressure?

There are two types of hypertension and the causes of both these types vary. These may include:

1. 1. Primary hypertension

Primary hypertension develops over time with no predominant reason though the causes may include:

Genes: Sometimes, people get hypertension as an innate condition. This may be from gene alterations or abnormalities passed on from forefathers to fathers.

Environment: Our environment, lifestyle choices, occupation, and lack of physical activity also play a vital role in our healthy and unhealthy state of being.

Health conditions: Some health conditions in the body can indirectly affect your blood pressure level. For instance, when the kidney function is low, you are more likely to experience variations in your blood pressure rate.

2. Secondary hypertension

Severe hypertension occurs promptly and appears to be more severe than primary hypertension. The causes of secondary hypertension may include:

• Congenital heart defects
• Thyroid-related conditions
• Side effects of some medications
• Use of illegal drugs
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Alcohol abuse or chronic use
• Adrenal gland problems
• Certain endocrine tumors

How is high blood pressure related to your kidneys?

High blood pressure is known to be the second risk factor affecting your kidneys. Hypertension can influence the vessels in the kidneys. Since the kidneys need proper blood flow for performing blood filtration, high blood pressure can reduce the kidney’s ability to do so.

When the blood flow is too high, the vessels stretch to make the blood flow easier, resulting in inflammation of the vessels. Thus, the bloodstreams of the entire body, including that of the kidneys get impaired.

Extra fluid retention because of low kidney function may further result in high blood pressure, creating a vicious cycle that ends with kidney failure or heart failure.

Tips for reducing high blood pressure

Through some graceful ways through which you can maintain the increasing blood pressure level. These may include:

1. Make physical activity a part of your life

Thirty minutes of daily exercise is essential for staying physically active. It can help boost your mood and lower blood pressure. It also helps regulate blood sugar levels if you have diabetes. Start out slowly and gradually increase the frequency of your exercise session.

2. Reduce your sodium intake

If you want to work on lowering blood pressure, the first thing that comes with dietary changes is to reduce the consumption of sodium. Overeating it allows the body to retain more fluid resulting in a spike in your blood pressure. For a healthy person, sodium inclusion should not be more than 2300 gm and less than 1500 gm.

3. Limit alcohol

Excess drinking or binge drinking can lead to umpteen sets of health issues-high blood pressure being the one. Even if you are taking blood pressure regulation medications, this is not going to do any effect on you if you still drink.

One single drink means:

• 12 ounces of beer
• 5 ounces of wine
• 5 ounces of 80-proof liquor

4. Keep a check on your nicotine addiction

Cigarette smoking can temporarily raise your blood pressure level when you finish. People who do smoke are at a higher risk of developing high blood pressure, kidney disease, and a heart stroke. Even passive smoking can put your heart at risk of heart disease.

5. Think less

Overthinking or stress because of overthinking can increase your blood pressure. High blood pressure or hypertension can damage the heart and your other organs.

Overthinking can come from our continuous stress-taking habit and affects our job and relationships. So, it is critical to reducing stress by way of yoga and meditation.

6. Follow a DASH diet

Dietary recommendations for reducing blood pressure include cutting excess intake of sodium, fat, and alcohol. Being regular on a DASH diet can help reduce systolic blood pressure.

Some of the minerals servings (per day) are as follow:

Foods which are healthy for hypertension patients

• Red beets
• Berries
• Seeds
• Oatmeal
• Garlic
• Herbs
• Dark chocolate
• Pistachios
• Olive oil
• Pomegranates

Contact us for more information about the conditions occurring because of kidney disease.

Source:
https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/understand-your-risks-to-prevent-a-heart-attack
https://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/qa/what-do-the-numbers-mean-in-high-blood-pressure
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159283.php