Most people think of hypertension as the inevitable consequence of age or factors like being overweight. But research has found that nearly everyone is susceptible to developing high blood pressure during their lifetime. Currently nearly one-third of all Americans suffer from high blood pressure, many of whom don’t even realize it, thus making the need to manage hypertension a top priority.
Unlike many other diseases or illnesses that manifest obvious symptoms, hypertension or high blood pressure frequently remains undetected until something bad happens and the patient needs to visit a doctor. Typically, this can be unexplained dizziness or bad headaches that don’t go away even with rest or over-the-counter remedies.
While in many cases, the causes of hypertension may be unknown and may not result in immediate consequences, hypertension itself can lead to serious health conditions such as stroke, heart attack and even heart or kidney failure. That is why it is so important to get regular checkups and monitor for any changes in your blood pressure.
Prolonged high blood pressure can damage your arteries. Basically, blood pressure is a measurement of the force of blood flowing through the body’s arteries when pumped through the heart’s contracting action. When the pressure is too high, the arterial wall can become weakened and the risk for heart failure increased.
High sodium consumption, excessive alcohol consumption and an inactive lifestyle are the leading factors that contribute to high blood pressure. By refraining from these high-risk behaviors, you can make a difference in your health and not only manage hypertension, but significantly reduce the risk for developing it later on if you don’t already have it.
You can manage hypertension by reducing some of the risk factors. Start by eating healthier foods. The DASH diet is specifically designed to address high blood pressure by emphasizing fruits, vegetables, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, whole grains, fish, poultry, nuts and legumes. You’ll also need to ramp up your level of activity. Take a nice long walk after dinner and slowly increase your pace each day.
Unfortunately hypertension is a disease that not curable in the truest sense of the word. It can however be kept under control through medications that your doctor will prescribe based on your personal needs. Diet and exercise are frequently recommended as necessary supplemental ways to manage hypertension.
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categories: heart health,diet,health,men,women,heart attack,exercise
