High blood pressure/Hypertension

 

What is high blood pressure…?

·        In the modern world it’s become a very usual thing to hear that more and more people are being a victim of high blood pressure or hypertension.

·        Blood pressure is the force exerted by the blood against the walls of the blood vessels.

·        How great the pressure is depends on the work being done by the heart and the resistance of the blood vessels.

·        High blood pressure is a common condition in which the long-term force of the blood against your artery walls is high enough that it may eventually cause health problems, such as heart disease.

·        Medical guidelines define hypertension as a blood pressure higher than 140 over 90 milli meters of mercury (mmHg).

·        The systolic reading of 140 mmHg refers to the pressure as the heart pumps blood around the body. The diastolic reading of 90 mmHg refers to the pressure as the heart relaxes and refills with blood.

·        Blood pressure varies throughout the day. It is lower during sleep and higher on awakening.

·        Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases the risk of serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke.

 

What are the Causes…?

·        Acute stress and intense exercise, for example, can briefly elevate blood pressure in a healthy person is a normal physiological response to many such situations only for a short time.

·        Age: More common in people aged over 60 years as with age, blood pressure can increase steadily as the arteries become stiffer and narrower due to plaque build-up.

·        Weight: Being overweight or obese is a key risk factor.

·        Sex: Men are more prone to hypertension at a younger age, while rates tend to be higher rate in women at older ages.

·        Existing health conditions: Cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and high cholesterol levels are predictors for hypertension, especially as people get older.

·        Pregnancy: Gestational hypertension may be single or associated with conditions such as pre-eclampsia,obesity, being inactive, smoking and alcohol, family history of kidney problems or hypertension, IVF and other pregnancy-related assistance, being over 40 years of age, carrying more than one child (e.g., twins), first-time pregnancy, etc.

Other contributing factors include:

·        Physical inactivity

·        A salt-rich diet associated with processed and fatty foods

·        Low potassium in the diet

·        Alcohol and tobacco use

·        Certain diseases and medications

·        A family history of high blood pressure and poorly managed stress also contribute.

 

What is Primary and secondary hypertension…?

 

·        High blood pressure that is not caused by another condition or disease is called primary, or essential, hypertension.

·        If it occurs as a result of another condition, it is called secondary hypertension.

 

·        Primary hypertension can result from multiple factors, including blood plasma volume and activity of the hormones that regulate of blood volume and pressure. It is also influenced by environmental factors, such as stress and lack of exercise.

 

·        Secondary hypertension has specific causes and is a complication of another problem such as:

·        Diabetes, due to both kidney problems and nerve damage

·        Kidney disease

·        Pheochromocytoma, a rare cancer of an adrenal gland

·        Cushing syndrome, which can be caused by corticosteroid drugs

·        Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, disorder of the cortisol-secreting adrenal glands

·        Hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid gland

·        Hyperparathyroidism, which affects calcium and phosphorous levels

·        pregnancy

·        Sleep apnoea

·        Obesity

·        Chronic kidney disease (CKD)

·        CKD is a common cause of high blood pressure, because the kidneys do not filter out fluid. This fluid overload leads to hypertension.

 

 

What are the Symptoms…?

·        Hypertension is also known as a silent killer as it goes undetected for a long time during which it can cause damage to the cardiovascular system and internal organs, such as the kidneys.

A few people with high blood pressure may have:

·        dull to severe headaches

·        dizzy spells

·        frequent nosebleeds

·        severe anxiety

·        shortness of breath

 

·        Long-term hypertension can cause complications through atherosclerosis, where the formation of plaque results in the narrowing of blood vessels. This makes hypertension worse, as the heart must pump harder to deliver blood to the body.

 

·        High blood pressure raises the risk of a number of health problems, including a heart attack.

Hypertension-related atherosclerosis can lead to:

·        heart failure and heart attacks

·        an aneurysm

·        kidney failure

·        stroke

·        hypertensive retinopathies in the eye, which can lead to blindness

 

What are the complications of high blood pressure…?

·        Over time, untreated high blood pressure can cause heart disease and related complications such as heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.

Other potential problems are:

·        Loss of vision

·        kidney damage

·        erectile dysfunction

·        fluid buildup in the lungs

·        memory loss

 

How to make the Diagnosis…?

·        Diagnosis of hypertension is made by measuring blood pressure over at least 3 clinic visits using the upper-arm cuff device called a sphygmomanometer.

·        Some additional tests which can help identify the cause of high blood pressure and determine any complicationsincludeurine tests, kidney ultrasound imaging, blood tests, electrocardiogram (ECG) and an echocardiograph.

 

 

What are the Preventive steps…?

·        Salt restriction is advisable.

·        It’s better to limit alcohol consumption.

·        Healthy diet intake with more fruits and vegetable consumption and less fat content in food.

·        It’s advisable to reduce and maintain weight.

·        Regular physical exercise is advisable.

·        Avoiding stress, or developing strategies for managing unavoidable stress, can help with blood pressure control.

·        The focus is on low-sodium and low-cholesterol foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

·        Some heart-healthy foods include apples, bananas, and oranges, broccoli and carrots, legumes, fish rich in omega-3 fatty oils, etc.

·        Foods to avoid are foods and drinks high in sugar and red meat.

 

How Homeopathy treatment helps…

·        We are each unique with individual sensitivities.

·        Our bodies will NOT all react the same to different medications or same medicines. The dosages that are ideal for each of us will also vary.

·        Our uniqueness is what makes finding the right treatment tricky.

·        Best Homeopathic treatment aiming to treat the cause by stimulating the immune system to repair the disposition and defects born through Genes works the way to health from diseases and disorders as seen in Nature’s Homeo Cure clinic.

·        The clinics are equipped to find an answer to all the signs and symptoms arising thereby by an individualistic approach.