High blood pressure is called the silent killer because it often has no signs or symptoms.
To find out if you have a pressure problem, your pressure needs to be checked regularly.
A doctor will make the diagnosis based on two or more readings taken on several occasions.
If the reading is consistently 140/90 mmHg or higher, then the individual is diagnosed with high blood pressure, or the medical term "hypertension".
The cause of hypertension is something that may not be known since there are a variety of factors that could cause an individual's pressure to be high (140/90) said "140 over 90".
Some of these factors include narrowing of the arteries, a volume of blood that is greater than normal, or maybe the heart is beating more forcefully or faster than it does normally.
Any of these factors will cause increased pressure against the artery walls.
The increase in pressure can even be caused by a medical problem that is unknown or a medical problem that has not been identified by the physician.
Remember, if a physician tells you that a health problem you have could cause high blood pressure, than take this warning very seriously and check your pressure often.
Hypertension, once identified, cannot be cured; however, in most cases it can be controlled and it can be prevented if caught early enough.
Statistics show that as many as 1 in 3 American adults have hypertension.
It doesn't matter how old you are, it doesn't make a difference if you are male or female or your race.
African Americans are more susceptible to developing high blood pressure earlier in life and more often than whites.
When it does begin earlier, it generally is more severe.
African Americans also have a higher death rate from kidney disease and stokes than whites.
The good news is that hypertension can be prevented and controlled with healthy lifestyle changes.
For instance, losing weight (losing even 10 lbs.
can lower blood pressure by several points).
Adding 30 minutes of walking per day can help lower the pressure and, of course, eating more fruits and vegetables, low fat dairy foods, using less salt and buying low sodium foods.
If you are a person who likes to drink alcohol, drink in moderation.
Generally, 2 drinks per day for men and 1 drink a day for women is considered moderation but if you are really serious about your blood pressure, cut back or cut out the alcohol.
Many Americans as they begin the aging process seem to accept the fact that having hypertension is a part of getting older, but that's not true.
There is a "healthy aging" process that does not include developing hypertension.
That's why it is so important for older individuals to develop a healthy lifestyle as they age.
About 90% of middle-age Americans have a chance of developing hypertension over their lifetime.
The others who are at risk include individuals who are overweight, have a family history of blood pressure problems and those with prehypertension (120-139/80-89 mmHg).
What this means is that this group must keep track of their blood pressure on a regular basis.
For everyone, it all boils down to this: Prevent or control your high blood pressure doing activities that you don't want to do such as changing to a healthy eating plan, doing daily exercise, losing weight, and incorporating stress management techniques into your lifestyle.
If you think these activities are too hard, taking too much of your time, boring, then you need to consider the alternative.
The alternative is a higher risk of heart disease and/or kidney disease or having a stroke.
If you ask the individuals who are living with these diseases today if they would do things differently if they had another chance, you can probably count on 100% saying "yes".
If you are reading this article, you have some interest in hypertension and its dangers either for yourself or someone you care about.
Don't wait another minute to make the healthy changes in your life.
Don't allow yourself to be in the group that wishes they had a second chance to do things differently.
To find out if you have a pressure problem, your pressure needs to be checked regularly.
A doctor will make the diagnosis based on two or more readings taken on several occasions.
If the reading is consistently 140/90 mmHg or higher, then the individual is diagnosed with high blood pressure, or the medical term "hypertension".
The cause of hypertension is something that may not be known since there are a variety of factors that could cause an individual's pressure to be high (140/90) said "140 over 90".
Some of these factors include narrowing of the arteries, a volume of blood that is greater than normal, or maybe the heart is beating more forcefully or faster than it does normally.
Any of these factors will cause increased pressure against the artery walls.
The increase in pressure can even be caused by a medical problem that is unknown or a medical problem that has not been identified by the physician.
Remember, if a physician tells you that a health problem you have could cause high blood pressure, than take this warning very seriously and check your pressure often.
Hypertension, once identified, cannot be cured; however, in most cases it can be controlled and it can be prevented if caught early enough.
Statistics show that as many as 1 in 3 American adults have hypertension.
It doesn't matter how old you are, it doesn't make a difference if you are male or female or your race.
African Americans are more susceptible to developing high blood pressure earlier in life and more often than whites.
When it does begin earlier, it generally is more severe.
African Americans also have a higher death rate from kidney disease and stokes than whites.
The good news is that hypertension can be prevented and controlled with healthy lifestyle changes.
For instance, losing weight (losing even 10 lbs.
can lower blood pressure by several points).
Adding 30 minutes of walking per day can help lower the pressure and, of course, eating more fruits and vegetables, low fat dairy foods, using less salt and buying low sodium foods.
If you are a person who likes to drink alcohol, drink in moderation.
Generally, 2 drinks per day for men and 1 drink a day for women is considered moderation but if you are really serious about your blood pressure, cut back or cut out the alcohol.
Many Americans as they begin the aging process seem to accept the fact that having hypertension is a part of getting older, but that's not true.
There is a "healthy aging" process that does not include developing hypertension.
That's why it is so important for older individuals to develop a healthy lifestyle as they age.
About 90% of middle-age Americans have a chance of developing hypertension over their lifetime.
The others who are at risk include individuals who are overweight, have a family history of blood pressure problems and those with prehypertension (120-139/80-89 mmHg).
What this means is that this group must keep track of their blood pressure on a regular basis.
For everyone, it all boils down to this: Prevent or control your high blood pressure doing activities that you don't want to do such as changing to a healthy eating plan, doing daily exercise, losing weight, and incorporating stress management techniques into your lifestyle.
If you think these activities are too hard, taking too much of your time, boring, then you need to consider the alternative.
The alternative is a higher risk of heart disease and/or kidney disease or having a stroke.
If you ask the individuals who are living with these diseases today if they would do things differently if they had another chance, you can probably count on 100% saying "yes".
If you are reading this article, you have some interest in hypertension and its dangers either for yourself or someone you care about.
Don't wait another minute to make the healthy changes in your life.
Don't allow yourself to be in the group that wishes they had a second chance to do things differently.
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