High Blood Pressure Is A Very Dangerous Problem Which Frequently Has A quite Simple Solution

In recent years changes in diet and lifestyle in the majority of western societies have caused a rise in the number of people suffering from high blood pressure.

High blood pressure (which is otherwise known as hypertension, or more accurately arterial hypertension) is a dangerous condition which seldom carries any symptoms and which, if not detected and treated, can cause stroke, arterial aneurysm, heart attack, heart failure or renal failure � all of which are life-threatening conditions.

So exactly what is high blood pressure and exactly what causes it?

The arteries within the body are continuously filled with blood which produces a normal 'background' pressure on the walls of the arteries. When the heart pumps newly oxygenated blood around the body it forces this blood into the arteries momentarily raising the pressure exerted on the walls of the arteries with every heartbeat. These two pressures are refrred to as the systolic pressure (the higher pressure as the heart pumps) and the diastolic pressure (the lesser 'background' pressure).

Normal levels of blood pressure vary from one individual to the next but, generally, systolic pressure ought to be in the region of 120mm and diastolic pressure ought to be in the region of 80mm. This is usually expressed as a blood pressure of 120/80.

If your blood pressure starts to rise and then remains at a level above 120/80 then you are described as being 'prehypertensive' and, although this is not serious in itself, it is a sign that you could be at risk of developing hypertension and the problems which are linked with it. If your blood pressure reaches, and stays at, a level of 140/90 or higher then you are said to be suffering from hypertension and steps need to be taken to lower your blood pressure.

So what causes your blood pressure to rise and then remain elevated?

Well, there are numerous factors at play here and to start there is a group over which you have little, or no, control. This group includes low birth weight, various genetic factors, some types of diabetes (especially type 2 diabetes) and your age (as we grow older the arteries have a tendency to become fibrous and lose their elasticity, creating a smaller cross-sectional area through which the blood can flow).

The next group of factors is far more within your control and includes stress, high quantities of salt and saturated fats in the diet, leading a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, being overweight, alcohol abuse and employment in specific occupations like motorway maintenance or flying.

The majority of these factors are of course treatable and, in many cases, a simple adjustment to your diet and the addition of a bit of exercise into your daily plan is all that is necessary to resolve the problem. The difficulty however is that, with few symptoms, most people do not know that they are suffering from high blood pressure in the first place.

So how can you cure the problem?

Luckily the answer to this particular question is quite simple. All you need to do is to call in at your physician's office regularly (for most of us a couple of times a year should be sufficient) and ask him/her to check your blood pressure. The whole procedure is pain free, easy and fast and will provide you with peace of mind and can save your doctor a lot of time, work and expense down the road when you are forced to call in at his office once high blood pressure sets in.

If you are not all that keen on visiting your doctor then one excellent alternative nowadays is to check your own blood pressure at home. A large selection of simple to operate and quite inexpensive monitors are available today, allowing you to maintain a check on your health, and the health of of your whole family, in the comfort and privacy of your own home.

Article Source: http://www.109b.com/artdash

TheBloodPressureCenter.com provides information on a variety of topics including herbs for high blood pressure, the importance of blood pressure monitoring and finding the best home blood pressure monitor

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