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High blood pressure, clinically termed hypertension, can be easily diagnosed simply with repeated blood pressure monitoring. With more than 50 million Americans effected by the disease, it’s not uncommon, however it’s not termed the ’silent killer’ without cause. Without treatment, high blood pressure may affect various body organs and can even lead to death. Therefore, the sooner it is discovered, the greater the chance to lessen adverse effects.

Unfortunately hypertension does not reveal itself with any specific symptoms like most health conditions do. There are however, a few signs to watch for that may give a heads-up for early detection.

Blurred Vision

A common sign of hypertension is that vision can become blurred. Lack of sharpness causes an individual to see objects without any fine details. The impairment of vision in this case is caused by the hypertension and not some eye condition itself.

Dizziness

Blurred vision can also play a part in another common hypertension experience, which is dizziness. When vision is blurred, the brain is challenged to distinguish fine details of external stimuli, which subsequently adversely affects the manner in which information is processed, which results in dizziness. This may be considered as one of the most important warning signs of hypertension.

Nausea and Vomiting Without Apparent Cause

Another indication of hypertension or pre hypertension is continual nausea and vomiting, which seems to be without cause.

Nose Bleeds

Hypertension can be the cause of nose bleeds, though this is very rare in the early stages. The can happen either periodically or regularly.

Other Possible Indications

Apart from the conditions identified above symptoms such as persistent headaches, sleep disturbances and fatigue, heart issues such as a racing heart or heart palpitations and even chest pain could all be indicative of hypertension.

Systolic and Diastolic Pressures

The only true way to diagnose high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure monitored to get the reading of both the systolic and diastolic pressures. One high measurement does not mean that you have high blood pressure, as in the case of white coat hypertension, but may alert the doctor to the possibility of the condition and therefore signal the need for additional monitoring. Indication of any of the other warning signs in combination with an actual elevated reading should be well noted to ensure that adequate attention is given to the possibility of the disease.

Worldwide hypertension is one of the most commonly diagnosed and potentially serious health conditions. Also known as high blood pressure, the first challenge of this condition is discovering it, as for the most part it is symptom-less. Hypertension affects both men and women of all ages with genetics listed as one of the major contributing factors to this condition.

As all individuals are unique, so is each case of hypertension. However, in most individuals with this condition, there is an abnormality of their arteries; in their tiny arteries most distant from the heart, there is an increased blood flow resistance.

A Strategy for Managing Hypertension

After being diagnosed as having high blood pressure it will be necessary to start taking steps to manage it. Managing hypertension is important from two aspects. First in taking measure to deal with the condition as it currently is, but also as important is to prevent it from getting any worse.

Changes in Lifestyle

Lifestyle changes are first and foremost on the list. It’s important to reduce your salt intake, avoid refined flour and sugar, reduce your fat intake, eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and foods high in fiber. As in any good diet regime, you need to drink plenty of water. The DASH Diet (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) outlines a plan recognized by the American Heart Association as effective in the reduction of high blood pressure. Exercise, rest and effective stress management techniques are also measures that have proved beneficial in managing hypertension.

Medical Intervention

If lifestyle changes alone do not bring your blood pressure back in line, or if your condition is already at an alarm stage, your doctor may recommend high blood pressure medication. Drugs typically used to try and manage hypertension include diuretics, beta blockers, and calcium channel blockers. If these fail to bring blood pressure back within the ‘normal’ range, then other medications may be prescribed. The medical approach may depend on whether the hypertension is the problem itself, or if it is the result of another medical condition.

Educate Yourself

Due to the serious nature of hypertension – that being – potentially fatal, it’s a condition that needs to be closely monitored as the symptoms are usually unnoticed or subtle at best. Educating yourself about the disease and implementing the lifestyle changes are proactive steps you can take on your own. Work with your doctor and ask questions to gain as much of an understanding as you can about all that you can do to manage it in hopes of only having to resort to medication when all other measures have failed.

As a basic definition, pulmonary arterial hypertension is when the blood pressure occurring in the pulmonary artery is consistently high. Measured in mmHg (millimeters of mercury) normal is considered to be 12-14 mmHg. Pressure exceeding 25 mmHg indicates the presence of pulmonary hypertension. Although treatment is available, there is no definitive cure for this potentially life-threatening condition.

Basic Review

The pulmonary arteries are the arteries which take deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs. It starts at the base of the right ventricle (lower right quadrant of the heart) and then branches into two, right and left, going to the lungs.

For people with PAH, the muscles of the pulmonary arteries become tightened or constricted narrowing the internal space, making it harder for the heart to pump the blood through. Over time the blood vessels become less flexible and thicker, causing blood pressure in the lungs to rise and impairs the blood flow, and may cause small blood clots to form, blocking the arterial passage. At the same time, the right ventricle may start to thicken and become enlarged due as a result of the excess strain of having to work harder at pushing the blood. This can lead to right heart failure syndrome, which is one of the primary causes of death for PAH subjects.

People At Risk

Individual at higher risk for developing pulmonary arterial hypertension include those with prolonged use of appetite suppressants, amphetamines or cocaine, those with HIV, sickle-cell disease, congenital heart disease, cirrhosis, as well as those with scleroderma and other autoimmune diseases. However, researchers have yet to find the exact causes behind the development of PAH and why some individuals are at higher risk than others.

Conditions to Watch For

Because the disease tends to develop gradually over a prolonged period of time, many people tend to put off seeking medical attention, but signs such as shortness of breath, fatigue, fainting, bluish skin and lips, dizziness, (i.e., conditions that point to lack of oxygenation), palpitations, racing heart and chest pain. As the disease progresses, a person’s energy level becomes more impaired as the pumping function of the heart becomes weaker. In advanced stages, even the simplest of life’s tasks will become difficult to carry out to such a degree that symptoms may become prevalent even when the patient is on rest, which may even cause the person to become bedridden.

Personal Treatment Measures

Thankfully not all people suffering from PAH become sick. The sooner individuals implement leading a health lifestyle and eating a healthy diet, the greater the chance of limiting the degree of disease severity. A healthy lifestyle includes getting sufficient rest and doing regular exercise, walking being considered one of the best for people with PAH. Avoid smoking, drugs and alcohol and limit caffeine consumption. Employ effective stress management and relaxation techniques, starting with good abdominal breathing. A healthy diet would be one consisting of lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, low in fat, high in fiber and low in sugar.

Medical Treatment

Ideally treatment involves identifying the underlying causes and working to alleviate the symptoms while improving quality of life. Treatment includes identifying ways to increase oxygenated blood supply, limit damage to the heart and blood vessels and inhibit or at least slow the formation of blood clots. Therefore medications, oxygen supply, and lung transplantation are currently the typical medical interventions.

Since the time of Adam and Eve pregnancy and delivery have been a part of life, which for most women is a wonderful experience. However, for some women health challenges rise for which therapy or treatment is necessary. Hypertension is one of those conditions.

Three Hypertension Categories

Hypertension during pregnancy basically falls into one of 3 categories. Women who have high blood pressure prior to their pregnancy fall into the chronic hypertensive category. This category can also include women who have passed twenty weeks of pregnancy, with no traces of protein in their urine. The second category is pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), formally called pre-eclampsia. This hypertension usually presents itself in the third-trimester and presents with protein in the urine. The final category would be Chronic and PIH combined.

Chronic Hypertension Treatment

For women with chronic hypertension, pregnancies generally carry on without any problems, even if pressure does rise slightly. For those on medication to control the blood pressure, they will want to ensure that they are using medication other than ACE Inhibitors which are the current trend for treading hypertension, as these have been identified as drugs that can cause birth defects. Note however, that the correlation seems to be greater if these drugs are used in later stages of pregnancy, rather than earlier, which is a relief in that it allows women to consult with their doctors and determine which would be the appropriate drug to switch to. In either case, with or without medication, it’s important to have regular visits to allow the doctor to keep a close watch and thus able to make better decisions for both mom and baby, if the condition changes.

Therapy for Pregnancy Induced Hypertension

PIH is more complicated as high blood pressure is an effect of the condition, rather than the condition itself. The only real treatment for PIH is delivery, so medication is not necessarily useful. Regular practices such as resting, limiting salt intake, eating fruit and vegetables and effective stress management can be employed to assist the body as much as possible, since the challenge is to try and allow the pregnancy to go long enough to give the baby as much developmental time as possible, without putting either the mom or baby at risk.

If chronic hypertension or pregnancy induced hypertension are not enough on their own, it becomes even trickier when the two come together as doctors have to try and determine which is causing the blood pressure to rise.

Problems Arising from High Blood Pressure during Pregnancy

Though some doctors dismiss the notion that there are degrees of PIH based on the amount of protein in the urine, they all recognize the fact that left untreated, hypertension affects the blood flow to the placenta, which can cause premature aging of the placenta, and endangers normal baby development. Ultrasounds checks may be used at regular intervals to help assess the state of the placenta, how the baby is doing and the amount of amniotic fluid. In the case of PIH, induction is the usual treatment once conditions point to the likelihood of its success.

Do What You Can

Between doctor appointments, counting fetal kicks every day is a way to keep track of the development of the baby. If you find that the baby is less active than normal, you should immediately notify your doctor. Watch your diet. While some women feel pregnancy is a time to eat unrestrictedly, ideally it would be best to supply yourself and your baby with the best nutrition you can afford. A diet rich in nutrition goes a long way in providing the body with the building blocks it needs to carry on its innumerable tasks. Getting plenty of rest and adequate exercise will also enhance the body’s ability for optimal function. As always, talk with your doctor before starting a new exercise program.

Regardless of any condition, the value of regular pre-natal checks cannot be overstated.

While at one time hypertension and adolescents were not commonly found in the same sentence, sadly today the two appear together as the incidence of hypertension in adolescents is on the rise. The subsequent health challenges that hypertension can give rise to can really add insult to injury for people at such an early age.

It’s a known fact that long term hypertension contributes to significant cardiovascular and renal morbidity and mortality. Hypertension puts an extra load on the heart which can lead to complications such as hypertensive heart disease. As blood pressure rises, the rate of heart attack, stroke and kidney failure do too; all of which you don’t want to see anyone have to deal with, let alone someone still in their youth.

Dealing With Hypertension and Adolescents

When it comes to the matter of dealing with hypertension and adolescents, there are a few steps that you are going to want to take in order to lower and manage your blood pressure. As obesity and a sedentary lifestyle are a couple of the contributing factors, it is crucial to make some lifestyle changes. Food choices need to be centered around fresh fruits and vegetables, foods high in fiber, low in fat and low in sugar. Salt and caffeinated product intake must also be limited as these too can aggravate your blood pressure.

Exercise also plays an important role as you need to maintain a healthy weight in order to properly manage high blood pressure. Limiting your alcohol intake will be helpful here as well, as drinking too much alcohol can significantly raise blood pressure. It can result in damaging the liver, brain and heart, and can also cause you to gain weight.

Smoking is another factor that can contribute to high blood pressure as it injures blood vessel walls and speeds up the process of the hardening of the arteries.

Seek Medical Advice

In dealing with hypertension and adolescents it’s important to seek medical advice. As adolescence is a time of great physical change, hormone levels are constantly fluctuating which is another factor that must be considered in trying to regulate blood pressure. With the risk of so many serious associated health problems, hypertension is not a matter to be taken lightly, or even worse – ignored.

By seeking medical counsel and having them monitor the condition you will be able to determine which specific treatment plan works best. Although prescription medication is often used to help treat high blood pressure, in the case of adolescents less invasive measures are typically suggested.

Straight-Talk to Parents

The likelihood of your adolescent making healthy lifestyle changes will be greatly enhanced if the whole family makes a change. Given that hypertension tends to be a symptom-free condition, the changes made may not even make any noticeable difference in how your adolescent feels, so they may need some real encouragement to stick with the program. As the ramifications of not continuing with healthy choices are far too grave, be an example for them to follow. Continue to do research, ask questions and make the lifestyle changes that will prove useful not only for now, but for the future as well.

The Silent Killer

Affluent Western societies are no strangers to hypertension, also known as high blood pressure. While it is normal for blood pressure to rise with strenuous activity or a stressful event, sustained high levels are a problem, putting the person at risk for other medical conditions such as heart attack and stroke, cardiovascular and kidney disease. The problem is, many people have high blood pressure and are unaware of it as it does not necessarily display any symptoms. Thus it’s label – the Silent Killer.

Blood Pressure Measurement – What Is Hypertension or High Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure is a measure of the force of the blood pressing on the artery walls. Two measures are taken: systolic pressure is the force exerted on the walls when the heart contracts, while the diastolic reading gives the pressure when the heart relaxes. High blood pressure means that the force exerted on the walls of the arteries is higher than it should be.

Types and Causes of Hypertension

Hypertension can be divided into two categories. First and most common is primary (or also called essential) hypertension. In this case, the cause can usually not be identified, and the condition develops gradually over a number of years. The approach to treating primary hypertension includes both medication and lifestyle changes. The other category for hypertension is called secondary hypertension. In this case, the cause is often traced to a pre-existing medical condition such as kidney abnormalities or congenital heart defects. Therefore, with secondary hypertension, treatment may focus on treating the underlying condition.

Arteriosclerosis, also called atherosclerosis, is a major cause of hypertension disorder. Atherosclerosis is a condition in which fatty material collects along the walls of arteries. This fatty material thickens, hardens, and may eventually block the arteries. Lack of physical activity, poor food choices and high stress, individually or in combination, can contribute to the blocking of the arteries.

Lifestyle Changes

Whether or not the cause of the hypertension can be identified, it is useful to consider factors that are considered contributors that you do have control over. One factor to consider is diet. Changing a diet rich in fat and low in fiber to one that included more fresh fruits and vegetables, less meat and dairy, reduced sodium, and whole grains instead of refined flour products could prove beneficial not only for high blood pressure, but for your health in general.

As always, exercise is another factor that plays a major role in health and wellness. Besides the cardiovascular benefits, along with the muscle toning and strengthening, exercise is great for stress reduction, which is another factor identified to play a role in the hypertension condition. Effective stress-reduction management techniques on their own have been proven valuable for some in lowering their blood pressure.

Do Your Part

As stated previously, hypertension has been coined ‘The Silent Killer’, because often the condition can be present without any symptoms. Therefore while those with a family history of hypertension, those over 65 and African Americans have been identified as people being at higher risk, it’s important to protect yourself from this potentially fatal condition by having your blood pressure checked during your regular doctor visit, by using monitors provided in some pharmacies or by purchasing a home blood pressure monitor that you can use yourself. Even if the causes of hypertension may be unknown, its presence doesn’t have to be.