Blood pressure is the force behind the blood circulating through the body. When you need more pressure than normal, it is called high blood pressure. It is important to understand how it works and what are the consequences, as many times we suffer from it and we do not give it due importance until it’s too late.
We can compare it with the water traveling through the pipes of a building, which requires some pressure to get water to all the apartments. Now, what happens when there is too much water pressure in the pipe? Say the water pressure required is 90, and suddenly this increases to 150, what happens when we turn on the shower? The pressure of the water is such, that we cannot stand under it, but what is happening inside the pipes? The high water pressure begins to destroy the seals and cause leakage through the old pipes until they burst. The water will seek to escape where it can and if the pressure continues to rise, it will create a disaster that will cause the collapse of the entire system that carries water through the building.
Well, this is roughly what happens when we do not treat our high blood pressure, which can cause damage to some of our organs, such as eyes, kidneys, liver. Everything starts to fail, which is why we have to go to a specialist and be treated in time before a fatal collapse occurs.
What is the appropriate blood pressure level? That number consists of two forces; the one the heart uses to pump blood inside of it and the other, that it pumps out. The normal rate is 120/80 mmHg. A person is considered to have high blood pressure when the blood pressure measures from 140 /90 to 159/99 mmHg.
Causes
There are two main causes of high pressure:
- Family history
- Growing older
Other factors: The type of food we eat, alcohol consumption, smoking, some medications, oral contraceptives, stress and lack of exercise.
Symptoms
High blood pressure rarely displays symptoms, and that is one of its greatest dangers. This is why most of the times, it is detected when the person goes to the doctor for a routine check-up.
Treatments
There is no miracle cure for high blood pressure or hypertension, but you can control it and live a normal life. Apart from the treatment your doctor recommends, you can help yourself by following these tips:
- Losing weightH Reducing salt intake
- Exercising, especially walking or aerobics
- Consuming natural foods
- Consuming less alcoholH Not smoking
- Drinking just one cup of coffee a day
- Eating fruits, vegetables and foods rich in potassium
- Reducing the consumption of fatty foods
Remember to visit your primary care physician on schedule, your doctor will decide whether to reduce or change your treatment. Be careful about adding food or alternative treatments to your plan without talking to your doctor first, because sometimes two separate treatments that work separately will not work well together, and have a completely opposite effect.
