Blood pressure is the pressure your blood exerts against your blood vessel walls as your heart pumps. Blood pressure rises with each heartbeat and falls when the heart relaxes between beats, but there is always a certain amount of pressure in the arteries. That blood pressure comes from two physical forces. The heart creates one force as it pumps blood into the arteries and through the circulatory system. The other force comes from the arteries resisting the blood flow.
Signs and Symptoms
headaches, dizzy spells or a few more nosebleeds than normal
Causes
"In 90 percent to 95 percent of high blood pressure
cases, the American Heart Association says there's no identifiable cause. This
type of high blood pressure, called essential hypertension or primary
hypertension, tends to develop gradually over many years.
The other 5 percent
to 10 percent of high blood pressure cases are caused by an underlying
condition. This type of high blood pressure, called secondary hypertension,
tends to appear suddenly and cause higher blood pressure than does primary
hypertension. Various conditions can lead to secondary hypertension, including
kidney abnormalities, tumors of the adrenal gland or certain congenital heart
defects.
Certain medications — including birth control pills, cold remedies,
decongestants, over-the-counter pain relievers and some prescription drugs —
also may cause secondary hypertension. In a 2005 study, women who took an
average of 500 milligrams or more of acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) daily over
several years were more likely to develop high blood pressure than were women
who didn't take any acetaminophen. It's not known if the same holds true for
men."
Diagnosis
Doctors use a blood pressure cuff to measure your blood pressure. If it is high they will monitor it for awhile and will check your blood pressure regularly. If it stays at a high rate, they will diagnos you and take further steps to reducing it.
Treatment
You can get treated by a doctor using prescribe pills. Most of the time though, by changing your exercise habits and watching what you eat. A diet with low sodium is usually preferred and get the best results in lowering blood pressure.
Prevention
Eat healthy foods- Try the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy foods. Get plenty of potassium, which can help prevent and control high blood pressure. Eat less saturated fat and total fat. Limit the amount of sodium in your diet. Although 2,400 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day is the current limit for otherwise healthy adults, limiting sodium intake to 1,500 mg a day will have a more dramatic effect on your blood pressure.
Maintain a healthy weight- If you're overweight, losing even 5 pounds can lower your blood pressure.
Increase physical activity- Regular physical activity can help lower your blood pressure and keep your weight under control. Strive for at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day.
Limit alcohol- Even if you're healthy, alcohol can raise your blood pressure. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation — up to one drink a day for women, two drinks a day for men.
Don't smoke- Tobacco injures blood vessel walls and speeds up the process of hardening of the arteries. If you smoke, ask your doctor to help you quit.
Manage stress- Reduce stress as much as possible. Practice healthy coping techniques, such as muscle relaxation and deep breathing. Getting plenty of sleep can help, too.
Practice slow, deep breathing- Do it on your own or try device-guided paced breathing. In various clinical trials, regular use of Resperate — an over-the-counter device approved by the Food and Drug Administration to analyze breathing patterns and help guide inhalation and exhalation — significantly lowered blood pressure.
Epidemiology
The race with the most people affected by high blood pressure is the caucasians. The next after that are the African Americans and the Mexicans. Although Native Americans have a lower rate that those nation wide, the amount of people who make up the Native American population is less than those of the other races and is therefore really high in their race only.Organ System Affected
The Cardiovascular System is affected by this disease.References
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-blood-pressure/DS00100/DSECTION=2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertension#Epidemiology
www.nature.com/jhh/journal/v20/n2/full/1001958a.html
