WHAT IS BLOOD PRESSURE?
Blood pressure is basically the force exerted on the arteries by the blood as it passes through them. Someone with high blood pressure has blood that is putting higher than-normal pressure on the arteries, which puts more stress on the body. The heart has to work so hard to get the blood pumped through those arteries that it can actually enlarge and damage the heart, eventually causing heart attacks, strokes, aneurysm and other heart problems if left untreated.

HOW IS BLOOD PRESSURE MEASURED?
A healthy heart usually beats 60 to 70 times per minute when a person is at rest. The blood’s pressure is different depending on whether the heart is beating or at rest. A blood pressure reading is actually a measurement of both of these numbers. The measure of blood pressure while the heart is beating is known as systolic pressure, while the pressure when the heart is at rest is called diastolic pressure. Your blood pressure when you get it measured at the doctor’s office is reported as one number “over” another, such as 120/80. The top number is your systolic pressure, while the bottom is your diastolic pressure. The actual measuring of blood pressure is done with the help of a blood pressure cuff, which most people are familiar with from routinely having their blood pressure taken. This device includes a cuff that is secured around the upper arm and two rubber tubes, one of which goes to the rubber bulb that inflates the cuff, and the other which goes to a reservoir containing mercury. The effect of the pressure on the mercury is actually how the blood pressure is measured. As air is blown into the cuff, the doctor or nurse taking your blood pressure will listen for the pulse. When he or she first hears the pulse, the systolic measurement is recorded. When the sound of the pulse recedes, the doctor then takes the diastolic reading. The unit of measure is actually millimeters of mercury, reflecting the use of mercury in the test.

WHAT IS CONSIDERED HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?
We’ve all had our blood pressure taken almost every time we go to the doctor’s office, but unless you’ve been told you have high blood pressure you might not have any concept of what normal blood pressure is. Here are the numbers for what is usually considered “normal,” as well as prehypertension and hypertension.

	Systolic	Diastolic
Normal	Less than 120	Less than 80
Pre Hypertension	120-139	80-89
Stage One Hypertension	140-159	90-99
Stage Two Hypertension	160 or higher	100 or higher

These numbers are considered the proper range for adults who are not on blood pressure medication and do not have illnesses such as kidney disease. If your blood pressure does not clearly fall into one of these categories, the higher number is the decisive number to look at. For instance, if your systolic blood pressure is 125 but your diastolic is 75, you would still be considered prehypertensive. Of course one high reading does not mean that you have high blood pressure. Your blood pressure could be high because you are stressed out or because of a medication you are taking, so your doctor would have to see a trend of high blood pressure readings to consider running tests for high blood pressure.

WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?

Since symptoms are not always evident when we are talking about high blood pressure, it is better to look at risk factors that might cause a person to have high blood pressure. Often the only way a person finds out they have high blood pressure is because their blood pressure is tested when they visit a doctor. What could put you at risk for having high blood pressure?

• Heredity: If your parents had high blood pressure, you are more likely to have it as well.
• Race: African Americans are more likely than Caucasians to have high blood pressure.
• Gender: Men are more likely than women to have high blood pressure.
• Age: As you get older, your risk increases.
• Salt intake: It’s not clear why sodium affects blood pressure, but some people are
sensitive to sodium, and most people get much more than they need.
• Obesity: Being overweight is a huge risk factor for high blood pressure.
• Smoking

In addition, there are other factors or conditions that can increase your risk of high
blood pressure, including:
• Being pregnant;
• Having diabetes;
• Drinking alcohol to excess;
• Living a sedentary lifestyle; and
• Taking oral contraceptives or other medications such as steroids, diet pills, cold remedies, even ibuprofen

HOW IS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE DIAGNOSED?
As mentioned earlier, the blood pressure cuff measures blood pressure, but one high reading is not enough for a diagnosis to be made. You could be having an especially stressful day or have other issues that are causing your blood pressure to spike at that particular time. If your doctor thinks you might have high blood pressure, several readings might be taken during the same visit (including measurements from both arms), as well as a family history and physical examination. The doctor will do a lot of listening to the heart as well as other areas of the body to see if he or she can hear any strange noises that might indicate a blockage or irregular heartbeat. The doctor may also look at the blood vessels of the eyes, which could be damaged by chronic high blood pressure, and examine the thyroid gland. Your doctor should ask if anyone in your family has had high blood pressure and what medicines you have been taking (since some drugs can cause hypertension, as we previously mentioned). He or she will also ask what symptoms you have had such as dizziness, sweating, heart palpitations or weight loss. These symptoms could indicate a deeper problem rather than high blood pressure. Blood may also be taken to check for kidney disease, which can cause high blood pressure, as well as for abnormal vitamin and mineral levels, which could indicate a gland problem. An electrocardiogram is also helpful to make sure no damage has occurred to the heart. You may have even had a heart attack and don’t know it. This test will show you how your heart is doing.

P.S This is an assimilation of knowledge, and credits goes to the original authorRelated Links

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