Managing Hypertension Before It Will Be Too Late!
Everybody's blood is under pressure, otherwise it wouldn't circulate around the body. If blood pressure is too high it damages the walls of arteries.
After many years this damage increases the risks of coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, bleeding or detachment of the retina (the back of the eye), and kidney failure.
All these risks are greatly increased if you also smoke or have diabetes.
The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to measure it with an instrument called a sphygmomanometer while you are sitting quietly. Because BP varies so much from hour to hour and from day to day.
Causes:
High blood pressure is important only when it is maintained for months or years. The causes of a long- term rise in average pressure are not fully known, but we do know that it runs in families.
One cause we know about is overweight particularly in young people.
Another known cause is excessive alcohol.
Smoking may not be a cause of blood pressure, but it enormously increases the risks associated with it.
Salt and sodium:
Table salt is sodium chloride: it is sodium which is important for blood pressure, not chloride. Salt can be found in the most unexpected foods-for example, both milk and bread contain salt in amounts which would surprise most people.
Table salt is sodium chloride: it is sodium which is important for blood pressure, not chloride. Salt can be found in the most unexpected foods-for example, both milk and bread contain salt in amounts which would surprise most people.
When to have drug treatment:
Drug treatment is advised for high blood pressure if there is already evidence of damage to arteries, brain, heart, eyes and kidneys. The benefits of drug treatment are greatest in the people with the highest pressures, or those who already have evidence of organ damage.
Remedies :
Eating habits :
- Grill or bake foods rather than frying them or roasting them in oil.
- Skim any visible fat off the top of cooked dishes.
- Replace high-fat foods with their low-fat or reduced-fat equivalents.
- Remove skin from chicken and other poultry.
- Cut down on biscuits, cakes and pastries(which all contain hidden fat-and lots of sugar).
- Read the nutrition labels on food and choose those that have the lowest fat content.
If your blood pressure doesn't fall despite adequate medication, think about your weight or your alcohol intake. Follow-up visits should be frequent at first, perhaps once a week until your blood pressure is controlled to under 160/90 mmHg.
The more you understand about your high blood pressure, the better you can control it.
