Understanding High Blood Pressure

A quarter of Americans have high blood pressure, or hypertension. Find out if you may be among them.

Understanding High Blood Pressure One in our Americans has high blood pressure and almost half of them do not even know it. Let us take closer at this common condition. To truly understand high blood pressure or hypertension as it is known in medical community it helps to have a basic knowledge of this circular path to which blood flows. Normally blood leaves the heart to the aorta, which stand branches into smaller arterioles and finally tapers into smaller capillaries that is supplying the body with oxygen. The blood finishes its circular journey by returning to the heart. On occasion there is factors can cause the arterioles to narrow, when this occurs the heart has to work harder to pump blood to the smaller opening. This is how your blood pressure. It is easy to ignore the afraid of hypertension. San Francisco 49ers Great, Joe Montana’s certainly was not worried about this condition. He was too busy leading his team to force super ball victories. But despite his active lifestyle Joe did have high blood pressure. Because hypertension is often asymptomatic Joe was not even aware of the problem until his retirement. Joe does the case like doctor’s have nickname high blood pressure the silent killer. Not getting treatment for hypertension is bad news because up to 70% of strokes are direct result of the condition plus high blood pressure contributes the heart attacks and kidney failure. To side step this consequences a doctors should test your blood pressure every check up. Blood pressure is measured into ways; one measurement refers to systolic pressure which accords blood pressure when the heart is contracting. The other measure diastolic pressure with the force when the heart is relaxes. Blood pressure measurement is usually witnesses systolic over diastolic and provide the basis for determining whether the patient’s blood pressure is in the healthy range or if it is dangerously high. Optimal blood pressure is below 120/80 wile measures above 140/90 is classified as hypertension. Blood pressure that lies in the middle is called pre-hypertension it means that patient is at risk of developing high blood pressure. In 95% cases the cause of high blood pressure is unknown. But there are certain risk factors that increase4s your chances of developing hypertension, among those with the higher hypertension risk are people with the family history of high blood pressure, people over the age of 40, those who are over weight or sedentary and women who take birth control pills and African and Americans. The only way to know for sure if you have hypertension is to visit your doctor regularly. Because hypertension is precursor from many heat diseases it is important to get check it every visit. The coming on where of the severity of high blood pressure and actively being tested for it will help to ensure that the silent killer is in silent in your life. Want to learn more check out other videos and sources on this site for more information.