Apparently there is an alarming trend in the rate of High Blood Pressure or Hypertension depending on how you want to view it. After a decline over the past three decades, apparently it is on the increase.
In the United States of America they reckon that there are a staggering 50 million plus people over the age of six who are sufferers of High Blood Pressure.
High Blood Pressure is an insidious disease. The reason for this is that it actually has very little in the way of outward symptoms or warning signs. A shocking fact is that 30 percent of the people who sufferer from it donât actually realise that they suffer from it.
If left untreated, over the years, High Blood Pressure quietly goes about its business and damages virtually every organ in the body and actually places you in more overall danger than virtually any other condition around.
High Blood Pressure is the most important factor behind Stroke, the third most deadly illness in the Western World. Heart Disease, another one of the complications due to High Blood Pressures is the largest killer, claiming over 500,000 deaths each year in the United States alone.
If left untreated, High Blood Pressure can shorten your life by up to 20 years earning it the rather dubious name, âThe Silent Killerâ.
It is absolutely essential to identify and diagnose High Blood Pressure as soon as is possible. In fact such is the desire to ensure that as few people suffer from High Blood Pressure that the threshold for High Blood Pressure i.e. the level at which it was deemed safe to have Blood Pressure, has now been lowered so that we now have a condition known as âPre High Blood Pressureâ. The goal is to try and catch those whose Blood Pressure levels were once deemed to be at the high end of being normal and stop them from becoming sufferers of High Blood Pressure.
The other part of this treatment is to make sure that changes in lifestyle are effected as early as possible so as to have as much effect as possible.
The danger point starts with much lower levels of Blood Pressure than was once believed. Using a base point now of 115/75 mm Hg, it is now believed that with a 20 point increase of the upper figure ( the systolic pressure) or an increase of around 10 points in the lower level (the diastolic pressure) your risk of dying from a Stroke or Heart Attack Doubles.
If you know what to look for High Blood Pressure can be detected and measured very easily. Sometimes all it takes to lower the Blood Pressure levels are lifestyle changes whilst in certain other cases, Medication is required.
Nowadays, with the information at our disposal, there is certainly no reason why High Blood Pressure should be the Death Sentence it once was.
The bottom line is that we all probably know someone who either has High Blood Pressure already but we also all know someone who not only has High Blood Pressure but has yet to be diagnosed with it.
Stephen Morgan
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/high-blood-pressure-what-is-it-94895.html
7 comments ↓
What is the best blood pressure medicine for extremely high pressure?
My mother has extremely high blood pressure. Last night she went to the hospital with 233/100. They got it down using Cardizem, and prescribed that to her. She’s been on a bunch of different pills over the past few years.
She lives in rural West Virginia, and the doctors there have not really been, shall we say, the cream of the crop, so I’m not sure how up to date they are with the available medicines.
She’s 68 years old and she is a heavy smoker, but otherwise has great mobility, still drives, etc. (And she’s a very good cook!)
Thanks,
John
Your mother needs to Quit Smoking! Smoking increases blood pressure. If your mother is overweight that too will increase blood pressure. Is she watching her sodium/salt intake? Only her Dr. can prescribe the best blood pressure medication that suits her medical condition. Your mother is very lucky she did not suffer a stroke or a heart attack.
References :
heart patient
You likely know this, but trying to find drugs to lower blood pressure for someone who is a heavy smoker just doesn’t make sense. If she’s concerned about her heart health and her blood pressure, she needs to quit smoking http://www.smart-heart-living.com/quit_smoking.html .
I’m not a doctor so cannot recommend any type of medication, but certainly the smoking is a major contributor to her high BP. See also http://www.smart-heart-living.com/high-blood-pressure.html
Good luck to your mom.
References :
http://www.smart-heart-living.com
Here is what she should do.
1. Stop smoking
2. Eat green vegetables and bananas
3. Reduce salt in her diet
4. Walk 45 minutes a day, no exceptions
References :
http://www.collectivewizdom.com/FoodsThatReduceBloodPressure
your mother may want to ask the doctor to consider adding a beta blocker ie.Metoprolol,and/or ace inhibitor ie.lisinopril to her medication regimen. She already on a calcium channel blocker which is good. she also needs to quit smoking. She is severly increasing her rick for having a heart attack, coronary artery disease, and more. I see it on a daily basis. If you need any more info, please feel free to contact me.
References :
Im a cardiac icu nurse
Only her doctor can decide which medication is best suited for your mother.
A large factor in your mothers blood pressure, as many have stated before me, is her smoking. She should really attempt to quit. There are several medications that are able to help with that if she is having problems.
She should also limit her sodium intake. Processed foods contain a high amount of sodium, so limiting the intake of these will be a big help. She should also strive to not add salt to any foods. There are many other spices and things that can help with adding flavor to foods without the added sodium.
If she doesn’t already, she should begin exercising. Be for doing so, she should probably consult her doctor.
Last thing. If you/she doesn’t like her doctor, simply find a new one. There are plenty of them out there that would be more than willing to add her to their case load.
References :
Exercise Physioloist
Don’t worry John, she will pull out of the situation as smokers suffer from COPD and give a tough fight at low oxygen saturation too.The doctor will give her diuretics as she might have retained water in the body and some BP lowering pill (except beta blocker, if she has lung problem).
You will be enjoying her hand made cookies very soon.
References :
I am a doctor.