Blood Pressure | Hypertension and Hypotension

Blood pressure is a very important sign for the overall support of our hearts. It is a way of knowing how strong the blood is being pushed through your arteries by your heart. It is important to have normal levels of blood pressure because it helps in preventing some diseases that come along with it as well as controlling their symptoms if they happen to emerge as a result of an imbalance in these components in your body.

What is Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure can be registered in two numerical values.

The first is termed as systolic pressure whereas the second is known as diastolic pressure. The former refers to the force of blood exerted by arterial walls when ventricles contract during cardiac cycle (beats) while pumping out excess into the general circulation system. Its measure is usually displayed alongside an integer value in blood readings and often does not exceed 120 mmHg.” An increased systolic pressure might signal high blood pressure, which raises the chances of contracting heart disease or stroke whereas a reduced systolic pressure may health problems like dehydration or heart issues.

Diastolic blood pressure is the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart rests between beats, it represents the lower number in blood pressure reading; this is also the period where heart chambers refill with blood. Normal values for this are usually around 80 mmHg. A high diastolic pressure reading could mean that you have greater chances of suffering from diseases associated with the cardiovascular system like heart attacks and strokes while a low diastolic pressure might indicate dehydration, heart failure or shock. In evaluating general heart health it is necessary to monitor the general cardiovascular health.

The normal blood pressure level is about 120/80 mmHg while a completely different reading

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure):

Hypertension High societal pressure or elevated level of arterial pressure is the situation whereby blood exerts more force to the walls of the arteries than normal. This disorder may bring about grave disorders such as kidney damage, stroke or even heart disease. Whenever substantial harm gets done, individuals sometimes say hypertension does not present itself through any symptoms hence its nickname “silent killer”.

Causes of Hypertension:

Genetics: Family history plays a very important part in hypertension.

Diet: High salt intake, low potassium intake as well as excessive alcohol consumption contribute to this condition.

Lifestyle: Lack of physical activity, smoking and overweight are known risk factors too.

Stress: One other reason for increasing blood pressure is chronic stress.

Management of High Blood Pressure:

Dietary Adaptations: One can help reduce the amount of salt consumed, eat extra fruits and vegetables, or consume more milk products which are low in fat.

Physical Fitness: The heart becomes stronger when one is involved in regular physical exercises resulting in increased blood circulation within the vessels.

Drugs: Sometimes there are situations in which drug treatment is required when lifestyle changes are not satisfactory.

Anxiety Therapy: Many ways can be applied to control anxiety among which includes meditation, yoga, and deep breathing.

Hypotension (Low Blood Pressure):

Sometimes blood pressure decreases from the average measurements that is when hypotension or low blood pressure occurs; leading to lightheadedness, loss consciousness or even severe hypotension in some cases.

Causes of Hypotension:

1. Failure to take enough liquids leads to dehydration that causes the body to lose most of its water content, thereby decreasing the amount of blood in it; hence lowering the pressure of the bloodstream.

2. There are several types of heart conditions which can lead to low or high blood pressure depending on the specific heart problem that is involved although about 1.25 million heart attacks are experienced in the US every year alone according to a report produced in the year 2010 by one of the departments under the state’s health division.

3. To start with, thyroid gland related problems often result in hypotension while some adrenal glands don’t make enough cortisol hormones which mean they can’t generate sufficient aldosterone and consequently blood sugar levels also fall since these two hormones do regulate both potassium and sodium.

Managing Hypotension:

Hydration: To maintain blood volume, it’s important to drink a lot of fluids.

Salt Intake: For some people increasing salt in their food can be helpful.

Medications: Some people may need medication to treat underlying conditions causing low blood pressure.

Blood pressure monitoring:

It is important to monitor your blood pressure on a regular basis particularly if you have been found to suffer from either high or low levels. In the monitoring of one’s readings, at-home blood pressure kits can become very handy in this respect. Equally significant is the need for periodic visits to a health service provider for checkups aimed at making sure that one’s pressure stays at the right levels

Conclusion:

To maintain heart health and prevent serious health problems in your body, you must also understand how to take care of it through blood pressure control. Making wise life choices as well as going for the right health care can help you regulate your blood pressure levels accordingly leading to better living standards for everyone. Keeping blood pressure within the normal range ensures a healthy living for many years. Proper knowledge and being ready to take control of it can help one to avoid unnecessary health-related complications linked to this condition.