Friday, December 16, 2005
Health Awareness
Live a healthy and happy lifeKnow the Hypertension
[1] General
Live a healthy and happy lifeKnow the Hypertension
[1] General
Many people do not even think about their blood pressure. Well, maybe youdo, when someone makes you mad or you get really upset about something.Aggravating events tend to cause a temporary rise in blood pressure.
What we are talking about here is something more serious: "Hypertension,"or high blood pressure that remains elevated over longer time. This condition canbe a symptom of something else going on in your body or, uncontrolled, it cansignal problems to come. Keeping your blood pressure under control istremendously important to your overall health. High blood pressure isone of several factors associated with cardiovascular disease, which is thenumber one killer of Americans...both men and women. Cardiovascular diseaseclaims more lives annually than all cancers combined, killing approximately onemillion people in the U.S. each year. It disables countless others.
[2] Lack of Symptoms
High blood pressure is often silent -- or without symptoms -- until amajor problem develops. That's why it's essential to see your primary carephysician for checkups on a regular basis. Such checkups can literallysave your life. Your doctor can help you prevent high blood pressure or, atminimum, treat it at an earlier stage when it's easier to manage.
The lowdown on high blood pressure Blood pressure is the force of the flowing blood against the walls of the arteries.
It's measured in two numbers ...for example, '140/90.'
The first number (140) is systolic pressure, the pressure when the heart contracts and pumps the blood through the body.
The lower number (90) is diastolic pressure, the pressure between pumps, when the heart is resting.
120/80 is considered normal. You have high blood pressure (hypertension)if your blood- pressure reading is equal to or greater than 140/90 forextended periods of time. Elevated blood pressure means your heart is workingharder than normal, putting both your heart and arteries under a greaterstrain.
And the fact is as many as 50 million Americans either have high blood pressure orare taking high blood pressure medication.
[3] What causes high blood pressure?
What we are talking about here is something more serious: "Hypertension,"or high blood pressure that remains elevated over longer time. This condition canbe a symptom of something else going on in your body or, uncontrolled, it cansignal problems to come. Keeping your blood pressure under control istremendously important to your overall health. High blood pressure isone of several factors associated with cardiovascular disease, which is thenumber one killer of Americans...both men and women. Cardiovascular diseaseclaims more lives annually than all cancers combined, killing approximately onemillion people in the U.S. each year. It disables countless others.
[2] Lack of Symptoms
High blood pressure is often silent -- or without symptoms -- until amajor problem develops. That's why it's essential to see your primary carephysician for checkups on a regular basis. Such checkups can literallysave your life. Your doctor can help you prevent high blood pressure or, atminimum, treat it at an earlier stage when it's easier to manage.
The lowdown on high blood pressure Blood pressure is the force of the flowing blood against the walls of the arteries.
It's measured in two numbers ...for example, '140/90.'
The first number (140) is systolic pressure, the pressure when the heart contracts and pumps the blood through the body.
The lower number (90) is diastolic pressure, the pressure between pumps, when the heart is resting.
120/80 is considered normal. You have high blood pressure (hypertension)if your blood- pressure reading is equal to or greater than 140/90 forextended periods of time. Elevated blood pressure means your heart is workingharder than normal, putting both your heart and arteries under a greaterstrain.
And the fact is as many as 50 million Americans either have high blood pressure orare taking high blood pressure medication.
[3] What causes high blood pressure?
The cause of high blood pressure is unknown in 90% of cases. This iscalled "essential hypertension." In secondary hypertension, a disease or otherphysical problem is behind the disease. Common causes are kidney orthyroid disease.
Many factors are associated with high blood pressure, including
Many factors are associated with high blood pressure, including
1. Genetics
2. Age
3. Race
4. Stress
5. Obesity
6. Smoking
7. A high- salt diet
8. Excessive consumption of alcohol, and
9. A sedentary lifestyle.
[4] What are the symptoms?
2. Age
3. Race
4. Stress
5. Obesity
6. Smoking
7. A high- salt diet
8. Excessive consumption of alcohol, and
9. A sedentary lifestyle.
[4] What are the symptoms?
High blood pressure can develop over many years with no noticeablesymptoms.
That's why regular blood pressure checks are so important. Only whenhigh blood pressure is severe do symptoms appear. Warning signs can include: Nosebleeds, Racing or irregular heartbeat, Headaches, and Dizziness
It's a mistake to conclude that you don t have high blood pressure because youdon't have any symptoms. Or when you have symptoms try to blame it on other bodily things,
e.g. wrong eating, gas, etc.
[5] Males are affected earlierMen are more likely to develop high blood pressure than women in youngadulthood and early middle age; thereafter, the incidence of high bloodpressure is higher among women. In general, our blood pressure tends torise as we get older -- that's true for both men and women.
High blood pressure is serious business. Allowed to run unchecked, itcan cause many health problems, including:1. Heart attack, 2. Stroke, 3. Kidney damage, and 4. Blindness.
On average, people with uncontrolled high blood pressure are: 1. Seven times more likely to have a stroke.2. Six times more likely to develop congestive heart failure.3. Three times more likely to have a heart attack.
[6] How to keep high blood pressure under control
If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, it's extremely importantthat you follow your doctor's treatment guidelines to the letter. Theseguidelines include keeping your diet low in Fat, Reducing your salt intake, Quitting smoking, and Limiting your alcohol consumption.
In addition, you should exercise regularly, keep your weight withinnormal bounds, and learn to manage stress (instead of letting it manage you).Some recent research suggests that constant stress and pressure maypredispose some men to continually elevated blood pressure later in life.
Controlling the blood pressure to normal by doctor prescribed medicines is far healthier and desirable than uncontrolled high blood pressure.
[7] What harm does salt do?
Excessive salt can make high blood pressure worse. It causes waterretention, which makes your heart work harder than it has to. TheNational High Blood Pressure Education Program recommends no more than 2,400 mg per day (the amount in about 1-teaspoon of table salt). On average,Americans consume 4,000 to 6,000 milligrams of sodium daily.
CHECKLIST for blood pressure control
1. Have your blood pressure checked regularly. Your primary carephysician can tell you how often.2. Stop smoking.3. Avoid excessive Salt (sodium) intake.4. Eat more fresh fruits, vegetables, and foods high in fiber...and less fat.5. Reduce stress on and off the job; master relaxation techniques.6. Be moderate in your drinking.7. Exercise regularly, and keep your weight within normal limits.8. If your doctor prescribes medication to lower your blood pressure, be sure to follow his or her directions exactly.
[8] Get a primary care physician The right first step... If you currently don’t have a primary care physician, get one.
If you have a physician but haven't had a physical exam -- including a blood pressure check -- in some time, make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible. Learn how to measure blood pressure and keep one such reliable measuring device at home and check blood pressure regularly and be conscious of it.
That's why regular blood pressure checks are so important. Only whenhigh blood pressure is severe do symptoms appear. Warning signs can include: Nosebleeds, Racing or irregular heartbeat, Headaches, and Dizziness
It's a mistake to conclude that you don t have high blood pressure because youdon't have any symptoms. Or when you have symptoms try to blame it on other bodily things,
e.g. wrong eating, gas, etc.
[5] Males are affected earlierMen are more likely to develop high blood pressure than women in youngadulthood and early middle age; thereafter, the incidence of high bloodpressure is higher among women. In general, our blood pressure tends torise as we get older -- that's true for both men and women.
High blood pressure is serious business. Allowed to run unchecked, itcan cause many health problems, including:1. Heart attack, 2. Stroke, 3. Kidney damage, and 4. Blindness.
On average, people with uncontrolled high blood pressure are: 1. Seven times more likely to have a stroke.2. Six times more likely to develop congestive heart failure.3. Three times more likely to have a heart attack.
[6] How to keep high blood pressure under control
If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, it's extremely importantthat you follow your doctor's treatment guidelines to the letter. Theseguidelines include keeping your diet low in Fat, Reducing your salt intake, Quitting smoking, and Limiting your alcohol consumption.
In addition, you should exercise regularly, keep your weight withinnormal bounds, and learn to manage stress (instead of letting it manage you).Some recent research suggests that constant stress and pressure maypredispose some men to continually elevated blood pressure later in life.
Controlling the blood pressure to normal by doctor prescribed medicines is far healthier and desirable than uncontrolled high blood pressure.
[7] What harm does salt do?
Excessive salt can make high blood pressure worse. It causes waterretention, which makes your heart work harder than it has to. TheNational High Blood Pressure Education Program recommends no more than 2,400 mg per day (the amount in about 1-teaspoon of table salt). On average,Americans consume 4,000 to 6,000 milligrams of sodium daily.
CHECKLIST for blood pressure control
1. Have your blood pressure checked regularly. Your primary carephysician can tell you how often.2. Stop smoking.3. Avoid excessive Salt (sodium) intake.4. Eat more fresh fruits, vegetables, and foods high in fiber...and less fat.5. Reduce stress on and off the job; master relaxation techniques.6. Be moderate in your drinking.7. Exercise regularly, and keep your weight within normal limits.8. If your doctor prescribes medication to lower your blood pressure, be sure to follow his or her directions exactly.
[8] Get a primary care physician The right first step... If you currently don’t have a primary care physician, get one.
If you have a physician but haven't had a physical exam -- including a blood pressure check -- in some time, make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible. Learn how to measure blood pressure and keep one such reliable measuring device at home and check blood pressure regularly and be conscious of it.
posted by JEI @ JEIZONE at 01:37 | 
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