today at my school they checked all of the students blood pressure. My school nurse told me that I had high blood pressure. What causes high blood pressure?
Well your school nurse is incorrect. You absolutely cannot diagnose someone with high blood pressure based on one blood pressure reading. What she should have said was that your blood pressure was in the high blood pressure range, but that is not the same thing as having high blood pressure. In order to officially diagnose high blood pressure the blood pressure should be elevated on at least 2-3 occasions. The reason for this is because many things can temporarily elevate high blood pressure. For example, pain, anxiety, caffeine and nicotine can all temporarily increase blood pressure but this is very different from true high blood pressure. Many people experience anxiety when they are having their BP checked, which falsely elevates their blood pressure and this is known as white coat hypertension. For all of these reasons, you should have your blood pressure checked on several occasions at the doctor’s office. If your BP is persistently above 140 or 90, then you officially would have high blood pressure.
To your question, high blood pressure is caused by many factors and the cause will vary from person to person. Some component of high blood pressure is frequently genetic or hereditary in many cases and there would be a family history of high blood pressure. Obesity, bad dietary habits, excessive salt intake and lack of exercise are also known to lead to high blood pressure. High blood pressure can occur in anyone though, even in skinny people who are otherwise healthy. Also high blood pressure can be secondary to other conditions, such as excess hormones (e.g. primary hyperaldosteronism) and several other secondary causes. Secondary causes only account for less than 10% of cases of high blood pressure. Most cases are a combination of genes, obesity, poor diet and lack of exercise.
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A lack of exercise, eating too much salt, stress, anxiety, poor diet and obesity can cause high blood pressure in a young person. If you consistently have high blood pressure, go to your doctor.
References :
Well your school nurse is incorrect. You absolutely cannot diagnose someone with high blood pressure based on one blood pressure reading. What she should have said was that your blood pressure was in the high blood pressure range, but that is not the same thing as having high blood pressure. In order to officially diagnose high blood pressure the blood pressure should be elevated on at least 2-3 occasions. The reason for this is because many things can temporarily elevate high blood pressure. For example, pain, anxiety, caffeine and nicotine can all temporarily increase blood pressure but this is very different from true high blood pressure. Many people experience anxiety when they are having their BP checked, which falsely elevates their blood pressure and this is known as white coat hypertension. For all of these reasons, you should have your blood pressure checked on several occasions at the doctor’s office. If your BP is persistently above 140 or 90, then you officially would have high blood pressure.
To your question, high blood pressure is caused by many factors and the cause will vary from person to person. Some component of high blood pressure is frequently genetic or hereditary in many cases and there would be a family history of high blood pressure. Obesity, bad dietary habits, excessive salt intake and lack of exercise are also known to lead to high blood pressure. High blood pressure can occur in anyone though, even in skinny people who are otherwise healthy. Also high blood pressure can be secondary to other conditions, such as excess hormones (e.g. primary hyperaldosteronism) and several other secondary causes. Secondary causes only account for less than 10% of cases of high blood pressure. Most cases are a combination of genes, obesity, poor diet and lack of exercise.
References :
Physician
visit http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150109.php
References :
doc