High blood pressure is a very common condition. There are certain factors that can increase the risk of high blood pressure. These factors include elevated blood pressure, diabetes, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, obesity, too much alcohol use, tobacco use, genetics and family history, age, sex, race or ethnicity.
High Blood Pressure
Blood flows through your arteries at a certain pressure. Arteries carry blood from the heart to other parts of the body. This flow of blood puts pressure on the artery walls. This certain pressure is called blood pressure.
High blood pressure occurs when this pressure is higher than normal. There can be different causes of high blood pressure. Too high blood pressure or when blood pressure stays high is not good for your health. It is important to monitor and control blood pressure as it can lead to a higher risk of kidney failure, heart attack, heart disease and stroke. Use a digital blood pressure monitor to keep track of your blood pressure.
Types of High Blood Pressure
Primary Hypertension
Secondary hypertension
Primary Hypertension
Essentially called hypertension, primary hypertension is the blood pressure that occurs without any known cause. Primary hypertension is more common than secondary hypertension. It takes years to develop primary hypertension. However, the risk of primary hypertension depends on the environment, lifestyle and changes in your body due to age.
Secondary Hypertension
secondary hypertension occurs due to certain health problems. Sometimes, certain medicines also cause secondary high blood pressure. The following are the causes of secondary hypertension:
- Thyroid or adrenal gland problems
- Sleep apnea
- Kidney problems
- Some medicines
Circulatory System and Blood Pressure
Organs and tissues require oxygenated blood to survive and function. The circulatory system is responsible for carrying oxygenated blood to tissues and organs. The circulatory system is a network of tube-shaped veins, arteries and capillaries. There are two forces leading to blood pressure.
- Systolic Pressure
- Diastolic Pressure
Systolic pressure occurs when your heart pumps blood out into the arteries.
Diastolic Pressure occurs between heart beats.
High blood pressure and arteries and heart damage
High blood pressure makes blood vessels and the heart work harder. This reduces the efficiency of the heart and blood vessels. High blood pressure increases the force and friction inside the arteries. This can cause damage to delicate tissues. Bad cholesterol/LDL leads to plaque formation along tiny tears in the walls of arteries. This is the beginning of atherosclerosis. Increasing plaque formation causes more damage. Arteries become narrower from inside. This further raises blood pressure and begins a cycle that keeps on damaging your heart arteries and the rest of the body. This can cause other problems such as arrhythmia, stroke and heart attack.
High Blood Pressure – Silent Killer
High blood pressure can be a silent killer as you may not even feel that something is wrong with your body. High blood pressure silently causes damage to your body. It can be a serious threat to your health. The best thing you can do is monitor the numbers and make diet and lifestyle changes that can prevent high blood pressure. It is important to use a digital blood pressure monitor to manage blood pressure.
You can prevent high blood pressure. Here are some tips for you:
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Be physically active.
- Avoid smoking.
- Limit alcohol.
- Get enough sleep.
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