Health Blog

An individual with a healthy blood pressure level delivers an adequate amount of oxygen and nutrients to the cells, tissues and organs of their body without putting undue strain on their heart. A dangerous blood pressure level is either much too low or much too high.  If you wish to avoid serious health problems, taking measures to maintain a healthy blood pressure level is very important.

Hypotension And How To Avoid It

Hypotension is consistently low blood pressure with a systolic reading of less than 90 or a diastolic reading of less than 60. Only one of the two blood pressure readings needs to be consistently low in order for a health care provider to diagnose hypotension. Mild asymptomatic hypotension in an individual who is otherwise perfectly healthy generally isn’t a cause for concern. On the other hand, severe hypotension requires immediate treatment because it means insufficient blood is reaching the vital organs. This can lead to organ failure, coma and even death.

Hypotension can have numerous causes including dehydration, malnutrition, blood loss, pregnancy, septicemia, allergic reactions, pregnancy and heart problems. If you wish to maintain a healthy blood pressure level that is not too low eat a healthy diet with sufficient calories, drink more water, avoid consuming excess carbohydrates and eat small meals regularly.

The Dangers Of Hypertension

An ideal healthy blood pressure level is a systolic reading of 120 and a diastolic reading of 80. If a person has a reading of 140/90 they have what is termed stage one hypertension. A person with a blood pressure measurement of 160/100 or more has stage two hypertension and is at very high risk of having a stroke, heart attack or aneurysm.

If a person has hypertension their heart is working much harder than that of an individual with healthy blood pressure levels. This can cause congestive heart failure or heart attack. Hypertension is often exacerbated by narrow or very congested arteries and capillaries. This can cause clots to form and increases the risk of stroke or aneurysm. Elevated blood pressure can also cause blood vessels in major organs to burst. A number of blood vessels in the kidneys reduces their function and make them fail. Burst blood vessels in the eyes can cause blurred vision, partial loss of sight or at worse blindness. Kidney failure, stroke, aneurysm, heart attack and heart failure can lead to death, so elevated hypertension requires prompt and aggressive medical treatment.

You can avoid hypertension and maintain healthy blood pressure levels by making a few simple lifestyle amendments. Make sure you keep your BMI between 18 and 25 and find the time to exercise for at least half and hour three times per week. Try to avoid caffeine, nicotine and foods that are high in trans fats, sodium or sugar. Ice cream, for example, is considered particularly bad for the blood pressure.  Do not drink more than one or two units of alcohol in any twenty-four hour period.

I you want a very healthy blood pressure level you should also ensure that you get an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals in your diet, drink plenty of water, get sufficient rest, avoid stressors and increase your intake of foods such as bananas, avocados, oats, broccoli, olive oil, garlic, apples and oranges.

Normal adult blood pressure has a systolic reading of between 90 and 119 mmHg and a diastolic measure of between 60 and 79. The older you get, the higher your blood pressure reading is likely to be. According to statistics at least one quarter of Americans have high blood pressure or hypertension.

The problem with hypertension is that it is often asymptomatic so many people don't even know they have it. Hypertension is often called the silent killer because of the lack of symptoms and the fact that severe cases can lead to major health problems such as heart failure, renal damage, partial loss of sight, blindness, heart attack, stroke, mini stroke, aneurysm and death. The good news is that if you have hypertension there is a great deal that you can do in order to help yourself get down to a consistent normal blood pressure reading.

Exercise And Weight Management

Obesity contributes to prehypertension and hypertension, so if you are overweight you need to lose the excess pounds if you wish to get down to a normal blood pressure reading. You can do this by restricting your calorie intake and cutting most of the sugar and saturated fat from your diet. This can lower your risk of hypertension related health conditions significantly, so do yourself a favor and throw your ice cream and candy bars into the trash can.

Exercise can also help anybody who would like to see a normal blood pressure reading. Exercise makes the heart and cardiovascular system stronger as well as contributing to weight loss and lowering the blood pressure. Over time regular exercise can cut the risk of developing ailments associated with hypertension in half.

Quit Your Bad Habits

Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol can all contribute to the major problem of hypertension. Therefore if you are serious about acquiring a consistent normal blood pressure reading it is in your best interest to eliminate or at least cut back on vices such as coffee, beer, whiskey, cigarettes, wine, cigars and chewing tobacco. 

Get The Right Essential Nutrients

Just as certain lifestyle choices can exacerbate hypertension, some foods, minerals, herbs and vitamins can help you to get a healthy normal blood pressure reading. Increase your water intake and fill up on foods such as bananas, bean sprouts, garlic, olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocados, broccoli, oats and apples. Make sure you get enough minerals such as potassium, magnesium and calcium and vitamins C, D, E.  Herbal supplements such as kelp, alphalpha, hawthorn berry and black cohosh are also purported to lower the blood pressure.

Medications

If you have made all the necessary lifestyle amendments and you still cannot get a normal blood pressure reading or if you have severe hypertension it may be time to ask your doctor about prescription medication. There are numerous medications that can help with hypertension including diuretics, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors and more. These medications can have side effects or interact with other medications you are taking so talk to your doctor to workout which is best for you.

For more information please visit my Dangerous High Blood Pressure Website.

We all know that blood pressure is one of the most important indicators of overall health and physical condition. After all, that’s why they call it a “vital sign.” But as we get older, our blood pressure tends to rise. In the past, doctors often chose not to treat high blood pressure in older adults, since it was considered “normal” for blood pressure to rise with age. However, more recent data has shown that it is important to control blood pressure for individuals of all ages, since normal blood pressure contributes to lowered risk of stroke, healthy kidney function, healthier hearts, and many other enhancements to health in the later stages of life.

What Happens to Your Circulatory System as You Get Older

As with many organs and tissues of the body, the arteries become more rigid as you get older. This means that they offer increased resistance to the heart as it pumps the blood through them into the body’s tissues. Over time, this increased resistance, if left unattended, can cause the heart's muscles to thicken, making them less pliant and efficient as a pumping mechanism. The measures of blood pressure, the systolic and diastolic pressure readings (the first and second numbers in a blood pressure reading), will normally change with age—but often in opposite directions. Because the heart is required to pump harder to move blood through stiffening arteries, the systolic reading—the pressure at which blood first begins to move through the artery pinched shut by the inflated cuff on the sphygmomanometer—gets higher, because the blood is being forced through harder. The diastolic reading—the pressure when the blood flow returns to full volume as the air pressure is reduced in the cuff of the sphygmomanometer—often gets lower, due in part to the artery’s reduced pliability, meaning that it takes longer to fully relax and allow blood flow to resume. The difference between your systolic and diastolic readings—your pulse pressure—is another important measure of your arterial health. The wider the difference, the stiffer your arteries are, and the more carefully you need to monitor your blood pressure.

Why Normal Blood Pressure is Important at Any Age

Even if you feel fine, high blood pressure can still harm you. It can cause damage to organs and tissues, can lead to decreased mental function and loss of memory, and is a principal cause of strokes. As already mentioned, it can also lead to reduced heart function, or even heart attack. Just because you're getting older doesn't mean you should not monitor and treat high blood pressure. Find out what a normal blood pressure is for your age and condition, and work on maintaining it.

For more information please visit my Dangerous High Blood Pressure Website.

Blood pressure is the term used to describe the force of the blood circulated by the heart on the arteries, veins and all other blood vessels. There are two distinct versions of blood pressure: systolic and diastolic. Systolic blood pressure is exerted when the heart muscles contract. Diastolic blood pressure is measured between heart beats. The blood pressure measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) using a device called a sphygmomanometer.

Up until a few years ago normal blood pressure was considered to be a systolic measurement of around 120 and a diastolic reading of approximately 80. However, after extensive scientific research the American Heart Foundation asserted that normal blood pressure is a measurement of less than 120/80. Now a normal blood pressure range is considered to be anywhere between 90/60 and 120/80, it is not a static number. Indeed various factors can impact an individual’s blood pressure measurement.

Age Is A Factor

Age tends to have an impact on the blood pressure measurement of all individuals. For example, a very young child should have a lower measurement than an adult. Generally the older a person is the higher their blood pressure measurement is likely to be. However, the obesity problem here in the United States means that now several youngsters have a blood pressure measurement that is higher than it should be given their age. Furthermore age is no excuse for allowing your blood pressure to creep up. Normal blood pressure for an older person may be higher, but individuals from this age group are at a much higher risk of the cardiovascular problems associated with hypertension.

Different Times Of Day

There is no set measurement that is considered to be normal blood pressure because it can vary by forty points or more depending on what a person is doing at the time. If a person is feeling stressed or engaging in a physical activity their measurement will be higher, but they still have normal blood pressure. If a person is sleeping or very relaxed their blood pressure should be considerably lower and if it isn't then there could be a problem.

When To Seek Treatment

If your blood pressure is consistently between these levels 120/80 and 139/89 you have what is termed prehypertension. This means that you should take certain precautions to avoid developing hypertension. Make sure you eat a good healthy diet that does not contain too much sugar, saturated fat or salt. Limit your alcohol and caffeine consumption and don’t use nicotine products. Start exercising regularly and make sure you are getting the right vitamins and minerals to lower the blood pressure.

If your have more than one consecutive test that shows a blood pressure reading of 140/90 or higher then this means that you’ve got hypertension. If you have hypertension you are at greater risk than people with normal blood pressure of serious potentially fatal health complications such as stroke, heart attack, heart failure or renal failure You need to amend your lifestyle and your health care provider may prescribe certain medications to correct the problem.

Although normal blood pressure at the lower end of the scale is desirable, having measurements that are too low is not good. If your systolic measurement is less than 90 and your diastolic measurement is lower than 60 you would have hypotension. Severe hypotension can lead to organ damage or failure and requires immediate medical treatment.

For more information please visit my Dangerous High Blood Pressure Website.

WHAT IS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?
Our arteries carry blood from our heart to the rest of our body. When our blood flows through our arteries at a higher pressure than normal, it results in a condition called ‘High Blood Pressure’ (also named ‘Hypertension’).According to medical standards a normal blood pressure stands at a reading of about 120/80. High blood pressure is 140/90 or sometimes higher.

WHY HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?
Remember that the basic cause of high blood pressure is a stressful and sedentary lifestyle, family history, obesity, lack of regular exercise, and unhealthy eating habits.

THE RISK AND SYMPTOMS

• Most of the signs of high blood pressure is unnoticeable, and in most cases they will be ignored and consider normal. Some more obvious condition like dizziness, blurred vision, shortness of breath and headache are symptoms of high blood pressure, and should be taken seriously. If you have the symptoms mention above, you might have anxiety and depression problems as well, see the list of symptoms for anxiety and panic attack
• Some other risk factors for high blood pressure leading to hypertension are excessive intake of sodium in diet, aging, diabetes, certain kidney diseases and atherosclerosis (thickening and hardening of the arteries).
• Stressful pregnancy may lead to high blood pressure, try to relax.
• High BP can also give rise to severe complications like stroke and heart attack (because of weakened blood vessels, causing aneurysm). Hypertension may also lead to loss of vision and disturbed metabolic syndrome.
• High blood pressure may also affect the kidneys by narrowing and weakening blood vessels in the kidneys.

INTRODUCTION TO RELAXATION TECHNIQUES
Health professionals, doctors and psychotherapists are skilled at and do teach relaxation techniques to reduce blood pressure, but there are many things that you can do on your own to check your blood pressure from rising. Relaxation techniques are meant to increase awareness of your body and refocusing your attention towards a calming thought.

Effective relaxation techniques that reduce blood pressure:

• Ocean, Wind and Stream Sound with Music
• Exercise or Physical Activity
• Yoga
• Relaxation Hypnosis
• Massage Acupuncture
• Meditation

There are various relaxation techniques to choose from, but what really matters is that the relaxation techniques are to be practiced regularly without fail. Lets us now have a look at some very upcoming, useful and not so common relaxation techniques:

Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Begin with your toes, make fist with the toes and tense for 5 seconds, then open and relax your toe muscles for 30 seconds, next, move your focus to the legs, asses, tummy, arms, neck, head. Repeat the process few times from toe to head and from head to toe until you feel all of the muscles in your body are relaxed. Remember to deep breathing during the exercise.

Visualization. Visual relaxation is a powerful technique to help calm your mind, emotion and body. Visualize yourself on the beach, small stream river side, top of a small and windy mountain, on a vacation, spa or doing aromatherapy. Use as many of your senses to create the peaceful and calm situation, imagine the sound, sights, smells and textures of peaceful places, relax your body and mind. Remember to wear loose clothing during the practice, you don’t want your body to generate tight feelings during the practice.

Autogenic Relaxation- Autogenic refers to “something that originates within you.”  Both body awareness and visual imagery are used in this technique, to reduce stress. Muscle tension in your body is reduced by repeating self help words or suggestions in your mind to. You have to develop an active imagination system where you need to imagine peaceful surroundings, develop a relaxed breathing and focus on it, or imagine other physical sensations like relaxing your body parts one after the other to master this relaxation technique to reduce blood pressure.

OVERVIEW
You need to control the high blood pressure problems, and avoid damaging the arteries that will lead to heart attack and stroke. Practice relaxation techniques will reduce the blood pressure, which is critical in maintaining a healthy mind and body. To cure high blood pressure caused by anxiety and depression, see the anxiety native treatment for more information.