High Blood Pressure Treatment

What Is High Blood Pressure?

Having high blood pressure or hypertension has nothing to do with being an irritable or angry person. Even the calmest individuals can have high blood pressure, and considering how common the condition is, most people do not even know it. In short, high blood pressure is a common disease in which a patient’s blood flows through the blood vessels or arteries at a higher pressure than normal. When this pressure gets too high, a patient can expect mild to fatal symptoms.

How Is Blood Pressure Measured?

Specifically, blood pressure is the force of blood that is pushing against the walls of the vessels and arteries. By using a stethoscope or similar sensor, a gauge and a cuff, doctors can measure blood pressure in terms of systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure is the pressure while the heart is pumping blood, and diastolic pressure is the pressure when the heart is at rest between beats.

Blood pressure is written as systolic pressure over diastolic pressure in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). The normal blood pressure for adults is 120/80 mmHg, though this number can rise or fall depending on the size and age of the individual.

What Causes High Blood Pressure?

What exactly causes high blood pressure remains relatively unclear for most people, but a combination of factors usually contributes to it. These factors include physical inactivity, obesity combined with a bad diet, age, and genetics.

What Are Possible Treatments for High Blood Pressure?

Treating high blood pressure is usually a question of making certain lifestyle changes. These include maintaining a healthier diet, losing weight, exercising regularly, and ceasing alcohol consumption and smoking. Some physicians may also prescribe medication.

In either case, if left to worsen, high blood pressure can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and other serious ailments. Individuals suffering from high blood pressure should, therefore, discuss their treatment options with a medical professional.