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Horrendous Hypertension

You can lose your organs :-(

Image credit:cdc.gov

What is Hypertension?

Medically, Hypertension is high blood pressure. Blood pressure (BP) is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the body's tissues. In other words if the arteries are relaxed or dilated the BP is lesser. When the heart muscle contracts the BP is highest (systolic) and when the heart relaxes the BP is lowest (diastolic)

Who is Hypertensive?

One who has a sustained elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg -- a systolic pressure above 140 with a diastolic pressure above 90 is hypertensive. Normal BP should be less than 120/80 mmHg.

How BP is measured?

BP is measured with a blood pressure cuff (Sphygmomanometer). (Sphygmo is Greek for pulse, and a manometer measures pressure.)

What to know about Hypertension?

1. Most of the times hypertension is symptom-free and often identified during a general screening or an eye examination. There may be some morning headaches that subside during the day.

2. Primary or essential or idiopathic hypertension results from no particular cause while secondary hypertension results from some other disease condition of the body (kidney disease or disorders of thyroid or adrenal glands).

3. Hypertension is considered as a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and kidney disease.

4. According to statistics, under age 45, men are more affected than women. However, at ages 65 and above, women are more affected than men.

5. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) can cause shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting etc., which is because of increased BP in the pulmonary artery, pulmonary vein, or pulmonary capillaries, which form the lung vasculature.

6. Sedentary lifestyle, smoking, alcohol consumption of more than 1 to 2 drinks per day, increased salt intake, family history, age, obesity, stress, chronic kidney disease, adrenal or thyroid dysfunctions are the conditions that help in the development of hypertension.

7. High blood pressure in children and adolescents is often overlooked by physicians and is a growing health problem that is often related to renal issues or obesity. Normal blood pressure values for children and adolescents are based on age, sex, and height, and are to be checked with standard values available.

8. Gestational hypertension is also termed as pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). It is a condition of high blood pressure during pregnancy that can lead to a serious condition called pre-eclampsia (toxemia).

9. Lifestyle changes, reducing weight, limiting alcohol, smoking cessation, taking a low-salt, low-fat diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and a suitable drug therapy can keep hypertension under control.

10. Drug therapy includes diuretics, ACE inhibitors, ARBs, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, alpha-blockers, alpha-agonists, renin inhibitors or a combination of the above drugs are tried to suit individually.

What body organs are affected by Hypertension?

Know it from our informational video “Effects of High Blood Pressure”.


Watch the Video: What body organs are affected by Hypertension?



One way to get high blood pressure is ...


One way to get high blood pressure is
to go mountain climbing over molehills.

~ Earl Wilson


Disclaimer: The above content is provided for information and awareness purpose only. It is not prescriptive or suggestive or meant to replaces your qualified physician's advice or consultation.