High blood pressure puts a huge strain on your heart and leads to damage to the arteries. This increases your risk for cardiac problems and kidney failure. Hypertension is frequently called the "silent killer", since a great many males and females are not even aware they have it. This is because the vast majority of people with high blood pressure have no symptoms.
In a healthy grownup blood pressure is 120/80 or lower. High blood pressure is a reading 140/90 or higher.
Several factors increase your risk of high blood pressure. Some you can control, and some you cannot.
The factors you cannot be in control of are:
- Race. African Americans are proved to develop high blood pressure more often and earlier in life. Moreover, high blood pressure in African Americans is more severe.
- Age. Risk of hypertension increases with age.
- Heredity. If you have got close family members who have hypertension, you are at higher risk.
Other factors that place you at risk for high blood pressure include
- being corpulent
- lack of regular physical exercise
- using tobacco products
- consumption of too much salt.
Doctors recommend that all grownups aged 18 and older be examined for hypertension.
Some tips to help you reduce high blood pressure.
- Quit smoking. Nicotine makes your blood vessels narrower and your heart beat quicker, which raises your blood pressure.
- Lose extra pounds if you are overweight.
- Exercise regularly for half an hour 5 or days a week.
- Select a well-balanced diet rich in vitamins and low fats.
- Limit your sodium and alcohol intake.
If life-style improvements alone do not reduce your blood pressure, your physician may also prescribe antihypertensive drugs to treat your hypertension. But remember: even if you must take medicines, making healthy lifestyle choices can help lower the amount of medications you take.
