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Blood Pressure
High blood pressure causes hypertension-a danger factor for heart attack and stroke. Blood pressure relates to the force of blood pumping through the arteries. Every occasion the heart beats, pressure is shaped inside the arteries. Blood pressure is greatest when blood is stirring out of the heart into the arteries. As the heart relaxes connecting beats (and blood isn't moving from the heart), the pressure falls.
Blood pressure will become a health concern when it gets too high. Hypertension openly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Usually, hypertension has no signs or symptoms, so it's important to have it checked on a regular basis by a health care supplier.
Measuring Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is frequently measured by means of a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope through a nurse or other health provider. Two numbers are recorded when measuring blood pressure. The upper number, or systolic pressure, refers back to the pressure within the artery while the heart contracts and pumps blood in the course of the body. The bottom number, or diastolic pressure, refers to the pressure inside the artery when the heart is at rest and is filling with blood. In cooperation the systolic and diastolic pressures are recorded as mm Hg (millimeters of mercury). This recording represents how elevated the mercury column is raised by the pressure from the blood.
What You Should Know About Hypertension
You might have high blood pressure for years and never feel it. There are no signs or conditions. But blood pressure is simple to check. Doctors and nurses use a blood pressure clout plus a stethoscope to calculate it.
Levels of Hypertension
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has specified two levels of hypertension for adults. Stage 1: 140 mm Hg to 159 mm Hg systolic pressure over 90 mm Hg to 99 mm Hg diastolic pressure. Stage 2: 160 mm Hg or higher systolic pressure over 100 mm Hg or higher diastolic pressure.
The NHLBI defines prehypertension as 120 mm Hg to 139 mm Hg systolic pressure over 80 mm Hg to 89 mm Hg diastolic pressure. The NHLBI suggestions define normal blood pressure as less than 120 mm Hg systolic pressure over less than 80 mm Hg diastolic pressure. A single elevated blood pressure measurement will not necessarily denote a problem. A doctor should see multiple blood pressure dimensions over several days or weeks before diagnosing hypertension and opening treatment.
Who Hypertension Is Common In?
- Natives with diabetic issues mellitus, gout, or kidney disease
- African-Americans (particularly people who live in the southeastern United States)
- People of their initial to middle adult years; men in this age group have higher blood pressure more frequently than women in this age group
- People of their intermediate to later adult years; ladies in such a era group have higher blood pressure more often than men in such a age group (more women have hypertension after menopause than men of a similar age)
- Middle-aged and elderly people--more than half of all Americans age 60 and elder have hypertension
- Citizens whose mother and father or grandparents have/had hypertension
- Overweight people
- Heavy drinkers of alcohol
- Ladies who are taking oral contraceptives
- Lifestyle Changes to Lessen Hypertension
Some straightforward lifestyle changes can help lower blood pressure--choosing foods that are low in sodium (salt), low in calories and fat, and high in starch and fiber; keeping a healthy weight, or losing weight if overweight; limiting portion sizes; increasing physical activity; and reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption.
A lot of people might want to take daily medicine to control hypertension. In addition, it is vital for people with hypertension to have their blood pressure checked frequently and have close contact with their doctor.
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