High Blood Pressure – Symptoms, Causes, and More

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is well-defined as the force exerted by the blood against the walls of the blood vessels. This pressure depends on the heart’s work and the blood vessel’s resistance.

Hypertension and heart disease represents the most significant concerns globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that, due to the growth in the processed food industry, the amount of salt in foods worldwide has increased, which plays a crucial role in hypertension.

Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

Symptoms that may indicate your blood pressure is too high include:

1. Nausea

High blood pressure decreases oxygenation and increases pressure in the head and spinal cord, which is reflected in the functions of the nervous system, causing nausea.

2. Headache

Increased bp decreases blood circulation in the head and compresses specific pain-sensitive nerves, which can cause headaches in some people.

3. Drowsiness

By decreasing the supply of oxygen to the brain and throughout the body, high blood pressure can cause tiredness and drowsiness.

4. Neck pain

High bp can cause pain in the back of the neck that radiates to the forehead due to increased pressure in the head, which compresses some pain-sensitive nerves.

5. Ringing in the ears

Ringing in the ears can occur due to decreased blood flow or increased viscosity of fluids in the ear, both of which cause by high blood pressure.

6. Small dots of blood in the eyes

High bp can cause hypertensive retinopathy, a group of blood vessel disorders that causes extravasation of blood into the eyes.

7. Shortness of breath

This symptom may arise because high bp reduces blood flow, thus making it difficult for oxygen to transport to the lungs.

8. Double or blurred vision

Hypertension can damage the blood vessels and nerves of the retina, in addition to increasing the concentration of fluids in the retina, causing double or blurred vision and blindness in the most severe cases.

9. Palpitations

When the pressure is high, the arteries become narrower, which decreases blood flow to the heart, causing heart palpitations and disturbances in a heartbeat.

Causes of High Blood Pressure

In most cases, doctors can’t pinpoint the reason for high blood pressure. Though several things are known to raise blood pressure, counting:

• Age: The risk of high bp increases with age. Until early middle age, high bp is more common in men, and in women, it is more likely to develop after menopause.
• Family background
• Being heavy or obese: The more you weigh, the more blood you need to carry nutrients to your tissues. As the capacity of blood increases, so does the pressure against the arterial walls.
• Lack of physical activity: Inactive people tend to have a faster heart rate. That increases the force of the blood against the arterial walls.
• Tobacco use: Tobacco use immediately increases bp temporarily. Also, the chemicals in tobacco can harm the lining of artery walls.
• Too much salt
• lack of potassium
• Lack of vitamin D
• drink too much alcohol
• Stress: High strain levels can cause a temporary but noticeable increase in bp.
• Certain chronic conditions: These include high cholesterol, diabetes, kidney disease, and sleep apnea.

How is High Blood Pressure Treated?

• Changing your lifestyle can help improve your high bp. If you have high blood pressure, be sure to talk to your doctor about taking the following steps:
• Eat spicy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods. Get a lot of potassium, and reduce the consumption of saturated and total fats.
• Reduce the salt in your diet. Try to maintain a salt intake of 1,500 milligrams per day. Many foods previously contained a lot of salt. Look at the salt content of processed foods, such as canned soups or frozen dinners.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Losing just five pounds can lower your bp if you’re overweight.
• Exercise regularly.
• Limit your alcohol consumption. That means one beverage per day for women and those over 65 and two per day for men.
• Do not smoke.
• Manage stress. Practice healthy coping techniques like muscle relaxation and deep breathing. Try to get a lot of sleep.
• Check your bp at home.

Conclusion

Many people need the help of medication. Routine changes alone are often not enough to control high blood pressure, and your doctor might also prescribe medication to keep it at a safer level. Many types of medicines are offered that work in different ways to lower bp.

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