Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

High blood pressure (HBP) or hypertension is a situation in which the force of blood against the artery walls becomes high.


Blood pressure is the amount of force that the blood places on the walls of the veins and arteries as it moves through the body.

When the blood pressure becomes too high, it can put stress on the arteries and eventually harm the arteries.


A normal blood pressure for adult is described as a systolic pressure or top number of less than 120 and a diastolic pressure or base number of less than 80.


The systolic blood pressure is the pressure caused by contraction of the heart and pushing out blood.


The diastolic blood pressure is the pressure when  the heart relaxes and fills with blood.



If blood pressure becomes higher than normal, there could possibly be risk of complications after a while.


However, a single high reading does not necessarily indicate that you have high blood pressure, your blood pressure could be affected by many factors through the day, so it is important your physician take a number of blood pressure readings to be sure that it remains high after a while.


High blood pressure do not commonly show signs or symptoms and this is why it is known as "the silent killer". You can have high blood pressure and still feel comfortable. It is common in older people.



Failure to control high blood pressure can lead to complications like heart disease, kidney failure, stroke, eye problems e.t.c. High blood pressure can cause shortness of breath during little exercise or physical activity.


According to current updates to guidelines from American heart college of cardiology, the description of high blood pressure/hypertension is now ;

Hypertension stage 1 - 130/80
Hypertension stage 2 - 140/90.

Instead of the former general 140/90.

So, if your blood pressure reads 130/80 that might implies that you have hypertension stage 1. Previously, the general hypertension reading used to be 140/90.


Some individuals may have high blood pressure that is connected to other medical condition, such as kidney problems, if this kind of medical condition is treated, the high blood pressure/hypertension may reduce back to normal.


Therefore, there are many vital factors to put into consideration before starting treatment for high blood pressure.


Isolated systolic hypertension : 

This is a condition where the systolic blood pressure is 130 or higher but the diastolic is 80 or lower. This is usually due to age-related stiffening of the main arteries, it is common among older people and can result to health problems like heart disease, eye problem, stroke and kidney failure. This condition can be controlled by using the same management methods of the regular hypertension, it may however need more than one type of blood pressure medication.


Hypotension : 

You might have probably heard of "hypotension" before now. It is a situation where the blood pressure is lower than 90/60. It is also known as low blood pressure. This can result from some medical conditions or using too much medications. The treatment usually depends on the cause.


Factors contributing to high blood pressure : 

• Age : You have higher chances of having high blood pressure as you get older

• Race : Study has shown that, Africans, African Americans and people from South Asian communities are at higher risk of having high blood pressure.

• Gender : Men have higher chances of developing high blood pressure before age 55 and women can possibly develop it after menopause.

• Family history : You may be at greater risk if some of your family members have or had it.

Other factors include stress, too much salt in the diet, being overweight or obese.


Sometimes, pregnancy may contribute to high blood pressure as well.



Management of high blood pressure

The vascular system changes as we get older, arteries becomes stiffer and this may lead to high blood pressure. Even when you have heart-healthy habit, this can still occur.

- Lifestyle changes can help control high blood pressure :

• Weight management

• Regular exercise

• Quit smoking, if you smoke

• Reduction in alcohol intake

• Stress management ; find better and easy ways of dealing with problems, it is also important to relax when necessary.

• Healthy diet ; DASH diet (dietary
approach to stop hypertension),  which is a  diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and low-fat dietary products may help reduce blood pressure. It is also very important to cut down "salt" intake.

• Sleep well at night



Your doctor may recommend medicine if lifestyle changes alone do not reduce the blood pressure to a desired level. It is important to know that at present, majority of the available medicines for high blood pressure can not cure it, they can only control it,  you may need to continue taking medicine for the remaining lifetime.


So, while taking medication, ensure you continue leading a healthy lifestyle, as lifestyle changes may reduce the doses of your medications. You also need to consult your physician regularly for proper monitoring.




For a natural and safe medicine that may cure high blood pressure/hypertension with "proper lifestyle", you can check here




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