Posted on Tuesday, 31st March 2009 by admin
What is high blood pressure? Also known as hypertension, this is a condition that doctors call the “silent killer” because it kills millions each year and usually does not present with any symptoms. In this article, I’ll tell you how it is caused and how to find out if you have this condition and need urgent treatment.
What Is Blood Pressure/Hypertension?
When your heart beats and pushes blood around the body, there is a measurable pressure in your veins and arteries.
Think of the water pipes in your house. If the pressure is too high then you can develop leaks. If your BP is too high for too long then you can develop an increased risk of heart disease and stroke development.
Your BP needs to lie in a healthy range if you want to avoid the real problems associated with having hypertension.
What Is A Normal Range?
There are two measurements, one is called systolic and one is diastolic. They are normally quoted as “systolic/diastolic”. Systolic is the pressure when your heart beats and diastolic is the pressure when your heart relaxes.
Normal BP is between 90 and 120 systolic, and between 60-79 diastolic.
How Do You Know If You Have Hypertension?
Unfortunately, you rarely get any symptoms if you have this condition. However, it is very easy to measure.
One method is to visit your doctor and he or she can measure it for you. However, many people have “white coat syndrome”. This means that when a doctor takes a reading, the figure is inaccurate. This can be overcome by using a portable home monitor and taking your own readings.
Besides, everyone should measure their BP several times a year over their lifetime. It is far easier to do it yourself rather than make hundreds of appointments with your doctor over a lifetime.
Do you think you might have hypertension? Get the concise facts on this condition and how to treat it here: Blood Pressure Truth
Tags: HBP, High Blood Pressure, hypertension
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