Hypertension or high blood pressure is one of the most common heath issues among people. High blood pressure is represented with blood flow higher than normal.
It is known that American Society spends lots of money for hypertension, to be exact $46 billion each year. In these costs are included: medications, treatments, cost of the health care services and missed days at work.
Patients with high blood pressure must use dangerous beta-blockers, ACE inhibitor drugs and diuretics. The patient should also restrict salt in the diet. These things can help just for the moment, but they don’t get to the root of the problem. Even though we’ve been encouraged to fear salt when it comes to our health, extreme salt reduction for high blood pressure still remains controversial and questionable.
What is the biggest problem with hypertension? Most of the people are not even aware of the symptoms even when their pressure is extremely high.
The blood pressure is consisted of two pressure components systolic and diastolic pressure.
Systolic pressure is the pressure when the heart beats pumping blood while diastolic pressure is when the heart is in the rest mode or between two beets.
Blood pressure ranges include:
- Normal: Less than 120/80
- Prehypertension: 120–139/80–89
- Stage 1 high blood pressure: 140–159/90–99
- Stage 2 high blood pressure: 160 and above/100 and above
Familiar warning signs of high blood pressure: headaches, chest pains, nosebleeds, vision changes, tiredness, ear noise or buzzing, and confusion.
America is facing with the fact that high blood pressure is primary or contributing cause for more than 360,000 deaths per year. This is a frightening number; in average it is equal to 1000 deaths each day.
High blood pressure increases the risk of:
- Chronic heart failure: Seven out of ten people with chronic heart failure have high blood pressure.
- Memory issues: people with high blood pressure are more prone to memory issues or thinking, learning and remembering.
- Eye problems: High blood pressure can result in vision loss since it causes thickened, narrowed and torn blood vessels in the eyes.
- Aneurism: It is formed as a result of high blood pressure since it causes your blood vessels to weaken. Aneurism rupture is life-threatening.
- First stroke: Nearly seven people of every ten have high blood pressure when they have their first heart attack.
- Metabolic syndrome: Metabolic syndrome is a combination of three or more of the following health issues: high triglyceride levels, abdominal obesity, high blood sugar, high blood pressure or low HDL (good) cholesterol. High blood pressure symptoms increase the risk of this syndrome.
- First stroke: About eight out of ten people having their first strokes have high blood pressure.
What is the difference between high and low blood pressure?
High blood Pressure
Since there are no symptoms for high blood pressure, however there are some warning signs such as:
- Tiredness
- Headaches
- Confusion
- Vision changes
- Chest pains
- Nosebleed
- Ear noise or buzzing
- Irregular heartbeat
- Here are some more alarming facts about high blood pressure and its symptoms
- Prehypertension, which nearly one of three adults in America has, is a blood pressure that is higher than normal but not yet in the high blood pressure range.
- Nearly one out of every three adults in America, or about 70 million people have high blood pressure.
- Only about half of people with high blood pressure or 52% exactly, have the condition under control.
- Hypertension costs USA even $64 billion each year. This total includes medications for treatment of this condition, health care services and missed days out of work.
Low Blood Pressure
Here are some stats on low blood pressure:
As a result of plague build up in blood vessels, blood flow to the heart muscle and brain declines with age.
When blood pressure drops suddenly, the brain is deprived of an adequate blood supply, and this low blood pressure is concerning. It can lead to lightheadedness and dizziness.
Estimated 10% to 20% of people over age of 65 have postural hypotension.
Postural hypotension or orthostatic hypotension is sudden drop of blood pressure which happens when people suddenly rise from a sitting position to standing. On the other hand, neutrally hypotension is a type of blood pressure when someone is standing for a long period of time.
Chronic low blood pressure with no symptoms is almost never serious.
Low blood pressure is only taken serious by the doctors if it causes noticeable signs and symptoms such as:
Dehydration and unusual thirst
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Cold, clammy, pale skin
Fatigue
Fainting (called syncope)
Nausea
Depression
Lack of concentration
Blurred vision
High blood pressure and Diet
This health conditions needs serious attention. There are foods which can affect high blood pressure and need to be avoided:
High sodium foods- Here are included processed and canned foods.
Alcohol- drinking alcohol should be in moderate way because it narrows the blood pressure.
Caffeine- consumption of too much caffeine can cause an increase in blood pressure. If you are suffering from high blood pressure, just try to reduce caffeine and it will get your blood pressure numbers down
Sugar- According to new studies higher intake of sugar is risker for the blood pressure then intake of salt.
Trans Fats omega 6-fats – they can be found almost in every packed food.
What you should eat in case of high blood pressure?
High –fiber foods- the basis of any healthy diet are foods high in fiber such as: seeds, beans, vegetables, and fruits, especially if you want to lower blood pressure.
Tea- consummation of white tea several times a day, which thins the blood and improves artery, can actually lower your blood pressure and protect the body form stroke. It only works if you drink it several times a day, every day.
Omega-3 rich foods- to reduce inflammation use omega-3 foods like wild-caught salmon, flaxseeds, and grass-fed beef and chia seeds.
High-potassium foods- Diet rich in potassium is an important part of controlling blood pressure since it lessens any negative effects of sodium on the body. Potassium helps lower blood pressure. Potassium rich foods include things like bananas, avocados, coconut and melons.
Dark chocolate- it is healthy chocolate and the ones that contain at least 200 milligrams of cocoa phenols, can reduce blood pressure.
Mediterranean diet- this diet is very high in seafood, vegetables, fruits and healthy omega 3 fat oils. This diet helps you to lower your blood pressure naturally.
Apple cider vinegar- it is naturally high in potassium, helps you to keep the body alkaline which lowers blood pressure naturally.
Supplements for High Blood Pressure
- Fish Oil
Over time occurs inflammation in the arteries which is the main cause for high blood pressure. Fish oil is rich with EPA and DNA forms of omega -3fatty acids which are great for the reduction of inflammation in the body. Taking a high-quality, 1,000-milligram fish oil dose every single day with your meals is one of the best natural ways to lower blood pressure.
- Garlic
This ingredient is another vasodilator. You can found garlic in many forms like fresh, dry, in powder; you can use garlic in your diet, intake as pills or liquid supplement. Patients with uncontrolled hypertension should use aged garlic since it reduced peripheral and central blood pressure.
- Magnesium
Magnesium is excellent for relaxing the muscle that’s why is good for high blood pressure. It helps in natural lowering blood pressure.
- Coenzyme Q10
This antioxidant is the biggest supporter for heart health and also good for reducing cholesterol and high blood pressure. Take about 200 to 300 milligrams of CoQ10 daily.
- Cocoa
With consumption of cocoa you can reduce and lower blood pressure and also improve blood flow to the brain and heart.
Natural choice of remedies against high blood pressure
- Essential oils
In order to lower high blood pressure use: sweet marjoram, frankincense, neroli, ylan ylang and lavender. The antioxidative power of essential oils helps in the reducing oxidative stress.
Also you should also consider taking exercises in order to maintain your weight and lower your blood pressure.
High blood pressure risks:
- Lack of physical activity
- Ethnicity – African –Americans are more prone to develop high blood pressure than Caucasians.
- Tobacco use – If you are smoking or chewing tobacco, both immediately raise your blood pressure, since the chemicals in tobacco damage the lining of your artery walls, which causes your arteries to narrow.
- Alcohol
- Age
- Sodium
- Being overweight
- Pregnancy
