This is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. Literally. I have suffered from hypertension for a number of years, an up and down battle. At times exercise would normalize my pressure, other times it didn’t seem to matter at all. I am not a huge fan of taking medicine but found myself heavily reliant on blood pressure pills just to keep it within a decent range.
Summary
High Blood Pressure, also known as Hypertension, increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, of which are leading causes of death. Getting and keeping your blood pressure under control is very important, and with a little effort and guidance from a medical professional, you can achieve ideal levels.
What Is Exactly is Blood Pressure?
In medical terms, your blood pressure is the force of that your blood pushes against the walls of your arteries with each heartbeat. Each time your heart pumps blood into your arteries is when it's the highest. This is called systolic pressure, and is the high number in your reading. The diastolic pressure measures the pressure in between pumps, when your heart is at rest. Of course your blood pressure is at its lowest point when you are sleeping. Your levels will behave different throughout the day as well, depending on what activities you are performing. Regardless, whether higher or lower, your blood pressure should remain roughly the same throughout your day. A normal blood pressure reading is 120/80. If your systolic pressure is 140 or above, or if your diastolic pressure is 90 or above, this is defined as high blood pressure..
An interesting fact is that one in three adults has high blood pressure, this is according to the American Heart Association. Even more startling, one third of those with high blood pressure, or hypertension, are unaware of their condition. This is how it has earned its lethal nickname known as "The Silent Killer".
High blood pressure can lead to many health related problems such as stroke, heart attack, heart failure and kidney failure. Furthermore, if you're a smoker, overweight, have high cholesterol or diabetes, your risk is even greater. For those of you fortunate enough to not have to deal with it most of your life, after the age of 55 there is a 90% chance that you will develop hypertension according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
High blood pressure effects both children and adults, however, it's more common in people over the age of 35, and especially black Americans, middle-aged and elderly folks, overweight individuals, women who take birth control pills and heavy drinkers. While it's a fact that many people will at some point in their life face high blood pressure, it doesn't have to represent a major roadblock in your life. By taking care of yourself through exercise and proper diet you can easily offset the inevitable, or at least reduce the impact it will have in your life. If your doctor prescribes you blood pressure medication than take it. You should also consider investing in a blood pressure monitor. This way you can keep track of your blood pressure levels throughout the day without the need to leave your home.
The cause of high blood pressure in most cases (90% or more to be exact) is still unknown by medical experts. Fortunately scientists have developed some pretty effective drugs to combat hypertension.
There's a long list of medications that exist on the market designed to fight high blood pressure. The most common ones, however, are listed below:
• Diuretics or Water Pills work by reducing the amount of water and sodium in the kidney.
• Beta-Blockers were designed to decrease nerve impulses to the heart and blood vessels, causing the heart to beat more slowly and with less force.
• Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors were designed to prevent the formation of angiotensin II, of which is a hormone that develops in the body. Ultimately it causes the vessels to narrow.
• Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB) block angiotensin II formation.
• Calcium Channel Blockers prevent calcium from entering the muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels, causing blood vessels to relax.
In Conclusion
These days I find myself relying much less on blood pressure medication. While I do keep a supply on hand, since starting the TLC diet and cutting out alcohol, rarely does my pressure creep up to what would be considered "high". I exercise 3-4 days each week at my home, consisting of jumping jacks, lunges, dumbbell curls, sit-ups and tri-extensions. As a black American I often think back to the first time my doctor looked me in the eyes and in a matter-of-fact tone told me I didn't have any other options but taking medication. I've never been one to take no for an answer so I began my journey into healing myself. Just this morning my reading was 113/76 (I should mention I haven't taken a single pill in over 3 days at this point). Not bad for man once thought to be doomed for a lifetime of out of control blood pressure and medication. What I’ve found is if I stop doing those things that increase my blood pressure, my blood pressure doesn’t go up. Common sense anyone??? Good luck! Good luck!
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