Understanding High Blood Pressure: Causes and Prevention

Per available data, high blood pressure can be termed, a ‘silent killer,’ because most people who have it show no symptoms. It is also called hypertension, a common disease which occurs when pressure in the arteries (blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body) is higher than normal.

 Ordinarily, blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood throughout the body. But once blood flows through the arteries at a higher rate, it becomes concerning. If it is left untreated it can lead to other health complications notably stroke, kidney failure, heart attack, vision loss and heart disease.

Types of Hypertensions

 According to cardiologists (medical persons who specialize in heart and blood vessel diseases) there exist two types of high blood pressure namely primary and secondary hypertension.

 Primary hypertension can also be called essential hypertension because there is no known cause for the patient’s high blood pressure, and this is the most common type. Not fitting one definitive cause, a patient’s lifestyle, environment, and ageing process can play a vital role in being diagnosed of high blood pressure. Primary hypertension takes a long time or many years to develop.

 Secondary hypertension is when a known health problem or medication is the underlying cause for the high blood pressure. These can be:

• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Adrenal gland tumors
• Thyroid problems
• Alcohol abuse or chronic alcohol use
• Kidney problems
• Illegal drugs, including cocaine and amphetamine
• Blood vessel defects

Causes of high blood pressure

 High blood pressure, can be caused by a combination of various factors, including:

1. Genetics: A family history of high blood pressure can increase your risk of developing hypertension as the condition tends to run through the family.

1. Lifestyle factors: Unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking and an unhealthy diet that is high in salt, saturated, and trans fats, and low in fruits and vegetables can contribute to high blood pressure.

1. Stress: Chronic stress can cause an increase in blood pressure. Being under immense pressure leads to temporary rise but when the patient tries to cope with the condition by overeating, smoking and intake of alcohol, it results in high blood pressure.

1. Obesity or overweight: Being overweight or obese increases your chances of high blood pressure as the heart must work harder to pump blood through the body. The more you weigh, the more blood, oxygen, and nutrients you need to supply to your tissues. When the volume of your blood spouting through your blood vessel increases, the pressure on artery walls also rises.

1. Gender: By default, men are at a higher risk of developing high blood pressure than women. According to the American Heart Association, men are more likely to be diagnosed with the condition than women up until the age of 64 when it begins to increase in the case for women.

1. Race: Another natural cause is that black or people of African descent are more predisposed to being diagnosed of high blood pressure compared with other racial groupings.

1. Age: Blood pressure tends to increase with age as the arteries become less elastic and the walls of the blood vessels thicken. The risk increases as you naturally age; the older you are, the more likely you are to develop high blood pressure. The blood vessels gradually lose their elasticity over time, which can contribute to high blood pressure, per the findings of the American Heart Association. Nonetheless, there seem to be an increase in young people too in recent years. There are cases among children and teens, possibly because of the rise in obesity in these populations.

1. Lack of physical activity: Health is wealth but when individuals are not physically active, they tend to have a higher heart rate in higher blood pressure than those who are physically active.

1. Tobacco Use: Whether through smoking or chewing, tobacco can cause a temporary increase in blood pressure due to the presence of nicotine. Additionally, the harmful chemicals found in tobacco can lead to damage of the lining in the walls of your arteries, resulting in the narrowing of the arteries and a subsequent increase in blood pressure. It is important to note that even exposure to secondhand smoke can also elevate blood pressure levels.

 Diagnosing high blood pressure

With the help of blood pressure monitor, medical professionals can detect issues of high blood pressure. The meter provides the nurse with two numbers where the top number is your systolic reading (the peak blood pressure when your heart is squeezing blood out) and the bottom number is your diastolic reading (the pressure when your heart is filling with blood).

A normal reading of blood pressure is when the readings are less than 120 and 80.

Prehypertension levels are between 120-139 and 80-89.

The high blood pressure stage 1 is 140-159 and 90-99.

And high blood pressure stage 2 is 160 or higher and 100 or more.

How to avoid issues of High Blood Pressure

Most medical professionals will honestly tell you that the best way to prevent high blood pressure is by leading a healthy lifestyle:

1. Quit smoking
2. Eat a healthy diet daily
3. Maintain a healthy weight
4. Reduce stress
5. Exercise regularly
6. Limit alcohol intake
7. Lower your salt intake
8. Learn relaxation methods

But where it is too late to prevent it, antihypertensive medicines are prescribed by doctors. The goal of these treatments is simply to reduce blood pressure to normal levels and in most of these cases, you are likely to live on these drugs for the rest of your life.

 It is important to get regular blood pressure checks and consult with a healthcare professional (HCP) if you have concerns about your blood pressure or if you have any risk factors for developing high blood pressure.