Reducing High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a condition that afflicts much of the older generation. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to avoid high blood pressure and to reduce it if you already have a problem.

Your blood pressure should be under 140/90 mm Hg. However, if your blood pressure is over this number you may have a serious problem.

It is best to visit with your doctor to discuss what can be done to resolve it. This condition can lead to a variety of negative side effects that could affect your health for the worst.

For example, this condition may result in high risk for a stroke or heart attack. It could also result in other serious heart conditions that may lead to death.

If your doctor says that you are at risk for these things, he or she will probably give you a prescription medicine which will help you reduce your blood pressure. Be sure to take this medicine as prescribed.

Sometimes some medicines can make you experience some of the negative side effects. If this is the case you will need to visit your doctor again to see if there is an alternative to the medicine he or she first gave you.

Your doctor should also be able to answer any other questions that you may have at this point. Another thing that can negatively affect blood pressure is your weight.

Obese people are at a much higher risk for problematic blood pressure and the other serious heart conditions. In addition, these conditions can be much more difficult to treat when you are overweight.

Your body mass index number will be able to tell you whether or not you need to lose weight. If your body mass index number is 25 or greater you could probably stand to lose several pounds.

Another indicator of whether you should lose weight or not is your waist size. Women should generally have a waist size smaller than 35 inches and men should usually have a waist size smaller than 40 inches.

Your doctor will also be able to tell you whether or not you need to lose weight. One of the best ways to lose weight and to keep it under control is to exercise for at least 30 minutes every day.

Running can help you lose the most calories, but it also has other negative side effects. The key to exercising to lose weight is to find an activity you enjoy and feel motivated enough to do on a consistent basis.

In addition, you do not have to exercise for 30 minutes straight. Instead you can work out for shorter segments that add up to 30 minutes.

Even if you do not need to lose weight, exercise can help you keep your blood pressure normal. Likewise, it offers hundreds of other benefits that you can enjoy.

What you eat will also obviously affect your weight and your blood pressure. Foods that are high in salt or sodium are generally bad for you and will make your condition much worst.

The general rule is that Americans should not eat any more than 2.4 grams of sodium in a given day. This is about six grams or one teaspoon of salt a day.

If you are already suffering from high blood pressure you probably will want to eat even less salt than this during a day. As always it is also a good idea to stay away from high cholesterol foods and to focus on fruits and vegetables.

It can help you to make wise decisions if you read the nutrition labels on the foods you eat. When you go shopping be sure to examine the labels and pick the variety of food that has the least sodium and fat and the most nutrient.

As you practice reading these labels you will be able to know about how much sodium you are eating every meals quite easily. Keeping track of your sodium intake is important if you are going to reduce how much salt you eat.

You may even want to write down how much sodium you ate every day. This will help you review how much salt you ate and which foods contribute the most to your problem.

You will then be able to reduce the problem foods and increase the foods you like that help alleviate your problem. If you miss the flavor, try to replace the salt with other seasonings whenever possible and you may find that removing salt from your diet is not such a huge problem.

Find More How Do You Treat High Blood Pressure Articles

Diet and Foods for High Blood Pressure, Hypertension

High blood pressure is a silent killer and one should try to maintain blood pressure below 140/90 mm Hg to prevent the risk of heart diseases which is caused due to high blood pressure. In America an average diet contains good amount of fat, salt, cholesterol and calories, and the lifestyle of people is very sedentary, that raises the risk of heart diseases.

Around 50% of the people who suffer from high blood pressure are not aware of their condition but certain groups of people are at a higher risk such as

1. People who smoke (active or passive)
2. Suffering from diabetes
3. Family history of high blood pressure.
4. Obesity or overweight
5. Leading a sedentary lifestyle or being physically inactive.
6. Men above the age of 45 years and women above 55 years.
7. People who have a high cholesterol level
8.

Women taking oral contraceptives
9. People who belong to African American group
10. Taking excess quantities of alcohol or other beverages.

What to avoid in the diet to prevent the condition?

Sodium: Reduce intake of high sodium diet. Butter milk, pickles, cured meats, sausages, canned fish such as salmon and tuna should be avoided. Processed meats, packaged food items such as frozen dinners, pizzas and pot pies are high in sodium and it should be avoided. One should not take more than 2,300 mg of sodium in diet.

A simple method of testing high sodium content in food is – if you can taste salt in the food then it contains a good amount of it. Even salt substitutes may not be safe. One should be cautious and avoid any substitute without the approval of a medical practitioner.

Bad cholesterol: Reduce intake of food items containing bad cholesterol. Certain cooking oils can have bad cholesterol. A person requires not more than 150 mg of cholesterol each day.

Reduce intake of fat: Reduce intake of food which is high in fat. Canned soups and packaged soups contain preservatives and chemicals should be avoided. 27% of the calories should come from fat and 18% of the calories in a day should come from proteins. Cheese products are also high in fat.

Drugs and medicines: One should not take drugs such as aspirin which have anti clotting properties. Such drugs raise the risk of heart attacks.

Nicotine: Reduce intake of nicotine. The chemicals in cigarette constrict the blood vessels and it can narrow the veins to increase blood pressure.

What to include in the diet?

1. One should include good amount of fresh fruits and vegetables in diet to reduce fat intake.

2. Take low fat milk and milk products.

3. Include wholegrain products in diet.

4. Fish and poultry can be included.

5. Include fiber in diet, up to 30 mg of fiber should be included each day in diet. One can get fibers from whole wheat, cereals, oatmeal, popcorn etc.

6. Broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, peas and beans can be included in the diet as it contains good amount of magnesium and potassium.

7. Apples, mangoes, apricots, bananas and grapefruits are also high in potassium and magnesium.

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High Blood Pressure Effects

Generally, people with high blood pressure don’t realize that it is high. It’s the long-term high blood pressure effects that cause the problems. High blood pressure (HBP) causes problems over many years. Left untreated and HBP will cause long term medical conditions. It affects the whole body. HBP side effects can lead to serious medical conditions, disability and even death.

HBP affects the small blood vessels in the body’s organs. The organs and tracts of the body that long-term HBP, also known as chronic high blood pressure, affects most include:

Blood vessels and arteries
Heart
Brain
Kidneys
Eyes

Chronic High Blood Pressure Effects on the Arteries

Healthy arteries should be very flexible with a lot of elasticity. Also, the inner lining of a blood vessel should be smooth for blood to flow unobstructed on its way to supply tissue and organs with oxygen and other nutrients.

If there is HBP in the arteries, it can cause many problems. Chronic HBP makes the arteries throughout the body become hard especially those in the heart, brain, and kidneys. This, in turn, causes these organs to work harder. Other high BP effects on the arteries include:
Thicker and stiffer arteries
Weaker arteries
Narrowing of the arteries

Chronic High Blood Pressure Effects on the Heart

The heart pumps blood that contains oxygen and other nutrients throughout the whole body. Chronic HBP can damage the heart in a number of ways. One is by causing the inside of the blood vessels to get smaller and harder therefore causing the pressure inside to increase.

This makes the heart work harder to get blood through the blood vessels. The heart is a muscle. Like any other muscle in the body making it work harder makes the heart grow bigger. A bigger heart is not as good as it sounds. The heart gets stretched out from growing larger. With the heart working harder to pump, small amounts of blood can remain within the heart. This causes the heart to weaken because it cannot continue to pump any harder against the pressure in the blood vessels. When the heart can no longer pump all the blood out, heart failure occurs. This is known as congestive heart failure.

Chronic High Blood Pressure Effects on the Brain

Chronic HBP can damage the brain through a stroke. A stroke is characterized by a blockage preventing blood from flowing and providing oxygen to the brain or by an artery leaking blood into the brain.

Chronic High Blood Pressure Effects on the Kidneys

The kidneys are essential organs that can be seriously hurt by the long term effects of HBP. If the arteries supplying blood to the kidneys are narrowed, the kidneys will not get the blood it needs to function and the kidneys will steadily lose its capability to function.

Chronic High Blood Pressure Effects on the Eyes

HBP can also cause changes within the eyes. Chronic HBP threatens the blood vessels in the eyes at by:

Making them narrow
Causing them to rupture
Bleeding

The by-product of these is impaired vision which can lead to blindness. With HBP blood vessels in the eyes may burst or bleed. As a result eyesight may become cloudy or impaired.

Chronic HBP affects the blood vessels, heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes. This is why someone with chronic HBP is at serious risk for heart attack, stroke, blindness, and kidney failure.

Hypertension Natural Remedies – Control High Blood Pressure Naturally

Our heart pumps oxygenated blood in to blood vessels called arteries which carry the pure blood to all parts of our body. When blood pushes against the arterial walls while traveling, a pressure is generated, called blood pressure. High BP may be classified in to primary hypertension and secondary hypertension. Primary hypertension occurs due to no specific cause. Secondary hypertension occurs due to some underlying disease.

Causes of High BP

1. Overweight
2. Aging
3. Genetic grounds
4. Alcohol abuse
5. Sodium or salt sensitivity
6. Smoking
7. Caffeine intake
8. Emotional stress
9. Medications like contraceptive pills, diet pills, steroids etc.
10. Kidney disease
11. Adrenal gland disease 12. Narrowing of arteries.

Symptoms of High BP

1. Headaches
2.

Dizziness
3. Nose bleeding
4. Fatigue
5. Blurred vision
6. Sleepiness
7. Shortness of breath
8. Restlessness
9. Flushed face
10. Impaired memory

Remedies for Controlling High BP Naturally

1. One should stop smoking completely. Smoking damages blood vessels and hardens the arteries. A person who smokes is more prone to cardiovascular diseases and arteriosclerosis. In other words, high blood pressure worsens with smoking.

2. One should try to reduce weight. Most obese people have high blood pressure. Obesity can be controlled by cutting down on daily calorie consumption, avoiding chocolates and fatty junk food, doing calorie burning free hand exercises daily.

3. Reduction in salt intake can reduce blood pressure. One has to carefully read food labels and select food products with low sodium content. It is advisable not to consume more than 2000 milligrams of salt or one teaspoon salt per day.

4. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be included in diet. Meat consumption is to be reduced. Food rich in cholesterol and saturated fats should be strictly avoided. Cholesterol also leads to arteriosclerosis. Often high BP patients are asked to take potassium-rich food items, for potassium regulates pressure effectively. Food items like watermelons, bananas, oranges, potato, spinach etc contain high amounts of potassium.

5. Caffeine causes rise in BP, and thus it has to be checked. Coffee, tea, sodas that are rich in caffeine should be taken only in modest amounts.

6. Lowering stress can lower blood pressure. Practicing yoga, breathing exercises, extra-curricular activities, listening to music can reduce stress and allow one to be happy in life.

7. Exercises are essential for those with high blood pressure. 30 minutes of work-out daily is very necessary. Aerobic exercises, brisk walks and jogging can be done

8. Alcohol consumption should strictly be cut down.

9. Drinking plenty of water improves blood circulation to a large extent. One should drink good quantity of water to allow smooth flow of blood through blood vessels. This lowers BP.

10. Herbal supplement Stresx capsule is also very beneficial in lowering high BP and maintaining healthy blood pressure.

Diabetes and Blood Pressure

Article by John Ngijseh

Did you know that controlling your blood pressure may be more important then controlling your blood sugar? This is because persistently high blood pressure could increase your chances of heart attack and stroke. To make matters worse, diabetics already have a greater risk of heart disease or stroke just because they are diabetic. So any diabetic with high blood pressure is in the high risk bracket. Controlling your blood pressure is one of major ways to help reduce this risk especially if you are diabetic.

What should my blood pressure be?

There have been a lot of studies and research into the ideal blood pressure for diabetics and in truth there isn’t one ideal answer. The experts, National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), recommend that BP for Type 2 diabetics should be under 140/80 mmHg, and for Type 1 diabetics should be under 135/85. Your physician may well have a lower or different target for you and aim to follow what your physician recommends.

What to use to measure blood pressure (BP)?

The most convenient way to check BP would be to use an automatic “arm” blood pressure monitor. The other type of blood pressure monitors are wrist monitors. However, blood pressure readings from arm monitors tend to be more reliable then wrist. We would recommend you use a BHS (British Hypertension Society) validated blood pressure monitor. These monitors have an official stamp of approval which meet the BHS’s stringent validation requirements. Like most products be careful of “cheap” monitors which may not be reliable and can brake down very easily. From our own experience we have found the Omron brand to be a very reliable.

How can I lower my blood pressure?

There are steps that you can take to help reduce your blood pressure. These include

* Reduce dietary salt intake to less than 6g of salt per day (the less the better).

* Avoid too much coffee (>5 cups)

* Avoid stress (this is easier said then done but stress can play a major role in high bp)

* Try relaxation therapies (e.g. stress management, meditation, etc.) can reduce BP

* If you smoke, stop. This will make a huge benefit to your heart disease risk

* Exercise, ideally aerobic exercise for 30-60 minutes, three to five times each week. (Check with your doctor that you can do this)

* Limit alcohol consumption

If your blood pressure is still high after making these lifestyle changes then your doctor may decide to prescribe you antihypertensive medicines which lower blood pressure.

It is important to monitor your blood pressure and know what your blood pressure is. If it is persistently above the target ranges described then get it checked by your doctor. Knowing your blood pressure allows you to take control and take action.

We hope you have found this article useful. In this article we have talked about dietary changes that can help your blood pressure. In the diabetes and food article we discuss the role of food in controlling diabetes. Have a read of this article to learn more.

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Hypertension Natural Treatment- High Blood Pressure Herbal Treatments

Article by Joe Barton

Here’s the best advice you’ll hear today, “Throw away your high blood pressure medications and begin a hypertension natural treatment that has been proven just as effective has diuretics.” In fact, you can actually avoid all side effects and lower your high blood pressure points by 20% in less than 2 weeks.

And if you are a skeptic, you should realize that your idea about medicine was molded by western medicine. But the truth about most healing treatments is that you don’t need synthetic medicines to be cured of an ailment. If that was so, the human race would have never made it to the 21st century.

Why Consider a High Blood Pressure Holistic Treatment

Though eastern medicine is often taboo, you might be surprised that modern research is now proving the validity of many natural treatments. If fact, some remedies that have been used for thousands of years are just as effective as some medications prescribed by pharmacists.

But the one thing natural treatments don’t offer you are expensive bills that costs you one-quarter of your paycheck and side-effects. In fact, if you use a hypertension natural treatment, you won’t have to deal with any HBP medication side effects which include: draining the body of nutrients, causing low cholesterol, speeding up your heart rate, headaches, nausea, and any weight gain!

And speaking of weight gain, many of our customers have lost up to 30-50 pounds because of our hypertension natural treatment.

5 High Blood Pressure Herbal and Holistic Treatment Tips

1. Folic Acid- Folic acid, found in green leafy vegetables and many enriched food products, reduces homocysteine levels in the blood. Homocysteine is a risk factor for heart disease and higher levels leave you at higher risk for heart problems. By consuming 400 micrograms a day, you can reduce your chance of high blood pressure by 40%.

2. Vitamin C- A 500-milligram supplement of vitamin C was found to reduce blood pressure by about nine percent. That’s much higher than the recommended daily amount of 60 milligrams a day, but it is safe to take vitamin C in high doses.

3. Vitamin E- This vitamin will help break down blood clots, improve circulation, strengthen the heartbeat and lower high blood pressure. The RDA is 10 milligrams per day, but it is safe to take more. Nuts, wheat, apples and dark greens are good sources of vitamin E. A good pill supplement should contain d-alpha-tocopherol.

4. Fish oil- Obviously, the Chinese were on to something with having a diet high in fish. Research shows that fish oil, also known as omega 3 fatty acid, is very helpful to protect the heart and lower high blood pressure. In most cases, diets rich in fish oil are usually promoting healthy blood pressure. Find a quality fish oil supplement at a health food market.

5. Vinegar- Vinegar has been around since Jesus walked the Earth and there is a reason why it is so popular. Apple cider vinegar includes vitamins C, A, E, B1, B2 and B6, in addition to potassium, magnesium, copper and many other helpful nutrients. Most of these vitamins and minerals have been shown to reduce hypertension.

We suggest mixing two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 8 ounces of water and a bit of honey to make up for the taste!

Start Your Natural Remedy Treatment Today!

And this is just the tip of the iceberg for treating the ‘silent killer’ naturally…

Our company has a combined 22 years of natural health experience and we know everything you can about natural treatments and high blood pressure. If you are interested in normalizing your high blood pressure in days, please visit our Hypertension Natural Treatment Website today. We offer the only guaranteed, natural health doctor-approved Hypertension Remedy Report on the market and would love to help you be hypertension free and side-effect free. And we might even help you shed a few pounds in the process!

With 22 years of natural health experience, Joe Barton and Barton Publishing are revolutionizing how doctors view high blood pressure disease. Discover a the only guaranteed Hypertension Natural Treatment

Hypercet Blood Pressure Formula – High Blood Pressure Supplements

Article by Dr Easton Patrick

The cardio vascular system is the most complex system of our body constituting heart and different blood vessels. The cardiac muscles tirelessly maintain the flow of oxygenated blood throughout the body to carry out various functions. Maintenance of a steady BP within the blood vessels is very essential for the healthy functioning of the body. High blood pressure exerts more pressure on the heart affecting the functioning of the cardiac muscles. Hypercet high blood pressure supplement has been a boon to millions of hypertension patients that has helped them to maintain the normal BP.

Hypercet Blood Pressure Formula is composed of herbal ingredients, whose efficacy in lowering high BP has been proven since ages. Proper selection of the herbal ingredients has led Hypercet BP Formula as one of the best high BP supplements. High BP or hypertension has been affecting millions across the globe due to stressful life devoid of any physical workouts. People being fed up of other complex medications has been resorting to natural high BP supplements for treating hypertension; Hypercet Blood pressure formula turned out to be the best easing out the tensions of the sufferers.

Most of the natural high BP supplements available in market lack the potential ingredients producing lesser effective results. Utmost care is taken in selecting the best quality natural ingredients in producing Hypercet Blood Pressure Formula. Tireless efforts from a number of dedicated professionals have led to this unique formulation of Hypercet BP Formula mixing the right ingredients in right proportions.

The key ingredients of this natural high BP supplement include calcium, magnesium, citric acid, malic acid and glycine essential for the healthy blood circulation supplying adequate blood to the heart. Calcium promotes the functioning of the nerves maintaining normal pressure in the arteries. Magnesium, Citric acid and Malic acid are responsible for healthy body conditions improving blood circulation and reducing muscular stress. Glycine plays an important role in producing amino acids and hemoglobin essential for healthy blood circulation. All these ingredients contribute together in maintaining normal BP and healthy functioning of the coronary artery.

This natural high blood pressure supplement is devoid of any chemicals and does not show any adverse side effects. The effectuality of Hypercet High BP Formula has been widely acclaimed by the users, and doctors also approve this as one of the best high BP supplement. It is always recommended to seek professional advice before taking any high blood pressure supplements.

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I Have High Blood Pressure! How Do I Get Rid Of It?

Article by Jack Mack

High Blood pressure is a common ailment experienced by many people in the UK. There are a number of factors which can cause this such as poor lifestyle, lack of exercise, genetic disorders (basically if one of your parents had it you have a higher chance of getting it), stress, eating unhealthily and old age. When you have high blood pressure (or hypertension) it can be very hard for doctors to diagnose exactly what has caused your particular condition but they do know it is probably one of the causes listed above. Some common symptoms of hypertension include: nausea, vomiting, headache, fatigue, difficulty breathing and a lack of energy. While these are all quite common in general, when experienced in conjunction with a family history it is worth getting tested. Anyway…how to get rid of it?DrugsThere are of course a range of antihypertensive drugs which lower your blood pressure artificially. These are called beta blockers or alpha blockers. Reducing your blood pressure this way can reduce your risk of stroke by a good percentage. PsychologicalSome people find that lowering their stress levels can be very difficult. This is often due to the way people’s lives have gone so far which has left them with bad habits and hard to break lifestyles. By talking to a friend, colleague or therapist you can shed your body of the stress caused by the trials and tribulations of everyday life. NaturallyWhile drugs can help in the short term, if for your individual condition you can find out how to lower blood pressure naturally using non pharmaceutical techniques the effect will be more lasting and will help your all round health at the same time. You can do this by getting more regular exercise (30 minutes moderate exercise 4 times a week should do it), eating healthier (lots of fruit and vegetables, carbohydrates and protein, while avoiding fatty foods and excess salt and sugar) and avoiding things like smoking, drinking and taking drugs. As part of your health kick you might consider trying some other natural health supplements to get your body fully fit and healthy fast. CoQ10 100mg is a supplement which occurs naturally in your body and when supplemented can help to maintain a healthy heart. Similarly Coq10 100mg is another supplement which contains all natural products to help boost the health of your heart and learn how to lower blood pressure naturally. One, two or all of these solutions should help you lower your blood pressure. Good luck!

Introduction – Trends in the treatment of hypertension in diabetic patients

Article by Vladimir

Hypertension and diabetes are two major risk factors that exist in many patients simultaneously and act synergistically. The fact that hypertension is accompanied by diabetes, is associated with the progression of both atherosclerotic cardiovascular and microvascular complications in the presence (especially nephropathy and retinopathy).Although the detection, treatment and control of hypertension over the past two decades, significant progress, and despite the publication of numerous national and international destinations, many patients hypertension uncontrollable, and not only among the general population, but also among persons with diabetes with a high degree of of risk.The purpose of this review was to compare different recently published recommendations for the treatment of hypertension in diabetes mellitus and lighting some of the difficulties in the interpretation of these recommendations in daily practice.Clinical areas are defined as systematically developed postulates that help clinicians and patients make decisions about the most appropriate treatment in specific situations. While we all welcome the fact that the permanent international efforts to improve health care based on the best scientific achievements, one should always remember that there is a huge difference between the scientific research work and the “realities of the daily routine clinical practice” (7, 8).Directions are usually based on data from tests conducted in connection with which the authors should mention an impressive series of tests on blood pressure, to publish its results for the past three decades (9, 10). At the same time, clinicians rely heavily on the interpretation of these results, a group of experts that summarize the findings and formulate recommendations.In general, the results of clinical studies have made it possible to conclude that drug treatment of moderate to severe hypertension. At the same time, the basic weakest link in the current trends of traditional treatment recommendations are mild uncomplicated hypertension (6). Although research on drug therapy of hypertension showed a clear advantage of this approach in the prevention of cardiovascular complications, the absolute risk reduction as a result of treatment largely depends on the degree of risk in untreated cases (10, 11).This emphasizes the need to clearly predict the degree of cardiovascular risk in untreated patients to achieve more rational and individualized treatment. It is worth noting that for patients with vascular disease, target organ damage and diabetes medication recommended by any degree of hypertension, as it greatly exacerbates the risk of complications.It is well known that high blood pressure is almost the most important of several risk factors for complications kardiososudistyh, so it should be evaluated not in isolation but reflect the overall risk.

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Understanding High Blood Pressure

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a condition of the heart that can cause many problems. Some people believe that hypertension is caused by people who are hyperactive, stressed or nervous. However, anyone can get high blood pressure. In order to deal with high blood pressure both for yourself and your loved ones, you need to understand more about this serious medical condition.

High blood pressure can work within your body for years, causing damage to your heart and symptoms that may seem hard to understand. Healthy arteries are strong flexible and elastic. With their smooth inner lining, they allow blood to flow freely so organs and tissues can receive the needed nutrients and oxygen.

The term high blood pressure is when the amount of pressure on the blood that flows is too high. Atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis can both be results of this increase in blood pressure.

The inner lining of the walls of the arteries become damaged, resulting in the condition called arteriosclerosis. Too much fat in the diet can then pass through these damaged arteries and begin collecting, which causes arteriosclerosis. Blood flow can now get blocked causing damage to the kidneys, heart, arms, legs and brain. In time, this can cause serious problems such as a stroke, heart failure, kidney failure, heart attack or an aneurysm.

When a weakened artery becomes enlarged and forms a bulge, an aneurysm occurs. Should the pressure continue, the aneurysm or bulge can then erupt which can result in internal bleeding that can be life-threatening. Aneurysms usually occur in the aorta, the largest artery in the body.

Besides these life threatening illnesses, the heart can be severely damaged if high blood pressure is present for very long. For example, when atherosclerosis occurs and the blood flow becomes blocked in the arteries, it is very possible to experience chest pain, irregular heart rhythms or even a heart attack. When people with high blood pressure have a heart attack, they are more likely to die because their blood pressure is not high enough after the attack.

Due to the hard work that is required of the heart, hypertension can cause damage to the left ventricle. The ventricle’s ability to pump blood into the body will then be limited. Heart attack, sudden cardiac death or heart failure can then result. The stress from high blood pressure over time begins to strain the heart. Slowly, the heart will begin to weaken and not function properly. Eventually, the heart will simply wear out and no longer be able to work as it should, even stopping, resulting in cardiac death. This will happen even sooner if the heart is damaged.

Other parts of the body, including the brain, can be damaged by hypertension. Because the brain depends on the heart for a nourishing blood supply, when the supply is diminished, the brain will suffer. This can result in many conditions. A transient ischemic attack (TIA) or ministroke is one such problem that can result. This can occur when there is not a proper blood supply to the brain. This is often caused by either atherosclerosis or a blood clot, both of which can be caused by hypertension. A TIA is often a warning that a regular stroke is imminent.

Another condition that can occur due to hypertension is a stroke, which is a direct result of the brain being deprived of oxygen and nutrients, causing brain cells to die. Strokes can occur when blood clots form in the arteries leading to the brain. An aneurysm in the brain may occur when a bulge in a blood vessel wall, resulting in bleeding in the brain, which can be life-threatening.

Hypertension can also cause dementia and mild cognitive impairment. Reasoning, memory, vision, thinking, and movement are all handled by the brain. All of these things can be affected if they do not receive the proper supply of blood. Even Alzheimer’s disease can occur because of the affect on memory and understanding.

Besides these important conditions, damage can occur in the kidneys due to the decreasing flow of blood to the kidneys. This can result in kidney failure, kidney scarring or kidney artery aneurysm. The blood vessels to the eyes can be affected, resulting in impaired vision. Sexual dysfunction, bone loss and insomnia are other areas that can be directly linked to high blood pressure.

There are things that can be done to both prevents and stop hypertension. A healthy diet, exercise and a low salt diet can help. Blood pressure medications such as carvedilol and hydrochlorothiazide have been helpful as well.

Most importantly, get the hypertension under control as soon as possible. Do whatever you must to get the blood pressure down to a healthy level. Changing your lifestyle, following your doctor’s orders and taking your medication will soon eliminate hypertension and put you on the track to a long successful life.

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