High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is the most common cardiovascular disease.
If you have high blood pressure, you'll probably find out about it during a routine checkup. Or, you may have noticed a problem while taking your own blood pressure. But be sure to see your doctor for a definite diagnosis, and take the opportunity to learn what you can do to bring your blood pressure under control.
Blood pressure refers to the force of blood pushing against artery walls as it courses through the body. Like air in a tire or water in a hose, blood fills arteries to a certain capacity. Just as too much air pressure can damage a tire or too much water pushing through a garden hose can damage the hose, high blood pressure can threaten healthy arteries and lead to life-threatening conditions such as heart disease and stroke.
Hypertension is the leading cause of stroke and a major cause of heart attack. In the United States alone, approximately 73 million people have high blood pressure.
How Is Blood Pressure Measured?A blood pressure reading appears as two numbers. The first and higher of the two is a measure of systolic pressure, or the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats and fills them with blood. The second number measures diastolic pressure, or the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats.
Normal blood pressure rises steadily from about 90/60 at birth to about 120/80 in a healthy adult. If someone were to take your blood pressure immediately after you'd delivered a speech or jogged five miles, the reading would undoubtedly seem high. This is not necessarily cause for alarm: It's natural for blood pressure to rise and fall with changes in activity or emotional state.
It's also normal for blood pressure to vary from person to person, even from one area of your body to another. But when blood pressure remains consistently high, talk with your doctor about treatment. Consistently high blood pressure forces the heart to work far beyond its capacity. Along with injuring blood vessels, hypertension can damage the brain, eyes, and kidneys.
People with blood pressure readings of 140/90 or higher, taken on at least 2 occasions, are said to have high blood pressure. If the pressure remains high, your doctor will probably begin treatment. People with blood pressure readings of 200/120 or higher need treatment immediately. People with diabetes are treated if their blood pressure rises above 130/80, since they already have a high risk of heart disease.
Researchers identified people with blood pressures slightly higher than 120/80 as a category at high risk for developing hypertension. This condition is called prehypertension and affects an estimated 50 million American men and women. Prehypertension is now known to increase the likelihood of damage to arteries and the heart, brain, and kidneys, so many doctors are now recommending early treatment.
Even so, many people with high blood pressure don't realize they have the condition. Indeed, hypertension is often called "the silent killer" because it rarely causes symptoms, even as it inflicts serious damage to the body. Left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to vision problems, as well as to heart attack, stroke, and other potentially fatal conditions, including kidney failure.
Hypertension may also lead to heart failure, a common but disabling condition that can cause breathing problems. Patients who have very high blood pressure are said to have malignant hypertension, with a diastolic pressure usually exceeding 130 or a systolic pressure above 200. Malignant hypertension is a dangerous condition that may develop rapidly and cause organ damage quickly which requires immediate medical attention.
Fortunately, high blood pressure can be controlled effectively. The first step is to have your blood pressure checked regularly.
Who Gets Hypertension?High blood pressure is more likely in people who:
• Have a family history of high blood pressure, heart disease, or diabetes
• Are black
• Age greater than 55
• Are overweight
• Are not physically active
• Drink excessively
• Smoke
• Eat foods high in saturated fats or sodium
• Use certain medications such as NSAIDs, decongestants, and illicit drugs such as cocaine
What Causes High Blood Pressure?Essential HypertensionIn as many as 95% of reported high blood pressure cases in the United States, the underlying cause cannot be determined. This type of high blood pressure is called essential hypertension.
Though essential hypertension remains somewhat mysterious, it has been linked to certain risk factors. High blood pressure tends to run in families and is more likely to affect men than women. Age and race also play a role. In the United States, blacks are twice as likely as whites to have high blood pressure, although the gap begins to narrow around age 44. After age 65, black women have the highest incidence of high blood pressure.
Essential hypertension is also greatly influenced by diet and lifestyle. The link between salt and high blood pressure is especially compelling. People living on the northern islands of Japan eat more salt per capita than anyone else in the world and have the highest incidence of essential hypertension. By contrast, people who add no salt to their food show virtually no traces of essential hypertension.
The majority of all people with high blood pressure are "salt sensitive," meaning that anything more than the minimal bodily need for salt is too much for them and increases their blood pressure. Other factors that have been associated with essential hypertension include obesity; diabetes; stress; insufficient intake of potassium, calcium, and magnesium; lack of physical activity; and chronic alcohol consumption.
Secondary HypertensionWhen a direct cause for high blood pressure can be identified, the condition is described as secondary hypertension. Among the known causes of secondary hypertension, kidney disease ranks highest. Hypertension can also be triggered by tumors or other abnormalities that cause the adrenal glands (small glands that sit atop the kidneys) to secrete excess amounts of the hormones that elevate blood pressure. Birth control pills, specifically those containing estrogen as well as pregnancy can boost blood pressure, as can medications that constrict blood vessels.
Diastolic and Systolic Blood Pressure: Know Your NumbersOften wonder what the top and the bottom blood pressure numbers mean? Doctors call them systolic (the top number) and diastolic (the bottom number) blood pressure.
Knowing both your systolic and diastolic blood pressure numbers is important and could save your life.
What does the systolic blood pressure number mean?When your heart beats, it contracts and pushes blood through the arteries to the rest of your body. This force creates pressure on the arteries. This is called systolic blood pressure.
A normal systolic blood pressure is below 120.
A systolic blood pressure of 120 to 139 means you have prehypertension, or borderline high blood pressure. Even people with prehypertension are at a higher risk of developing heart disease.
A systolic blood pressure number of 140 or higher is considered to be hypertension, or high blood pressure.
What does the diastolic blood pressure number mean?
The diastolic blood pressure number or the bottom number indicates the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats.
A normal diastolic blood pressure number is less than 80.
A diastolic blood pressure between 80 and 89 indicates prehypertension.
A diastolic blood pressure number of 90 or higher is considered to be hypertension or high blood pressure.
How often should I get my blood pressure checked?- If your blood pressure is normal (less than 120/80), get it checked at least every two years or more frequently as your doctor suggests.
- If your blood pressure is borderline high – systolic blood pressure between 120 and 139 or diastolic blood pressure of 80 to 89 – check it at least every year or more often as your doctor suggests.
- If your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher, talk with your doctor as this is high blood pressure and requires a doctor’s attention.
Can I monitor my blood pressure at home?Monitoring blood pressure at home is important for many people, especially if you have high blood pressure. This helps you and your doctor track your blood pressure more closely to determine if treatment is keeping it controlled.
Your doctor may also suggest that you check your blood pressure at home if he/she thinks you may have “white coat hypertension.” This occurs when the stress of being in a doctor’s office increases your blood pressure, but it’s normal at home.
Ask your doctor to recommend an easy to use and reliable home blood pressure monitor. Make sure the size of the blood pressure cuff itself (the inflatable part that wraps around your upper arm) fits properly. If your arm is too large for the cuff, the blood pressure number may be elevated even if it’s really normal. Ask your doctor for a larger cuff to get an accurate reading.
Wrist blood pressure monitors can also be accurate when used appropriately. Follow the directions that come with the device.
No matter which type of blood pressure monitor you have, it’s a good idea to take it into your doctor’s office. You can compare your doctor’s reading to the reading on your home monitor. This helps assure that your home blood pressure monitor is accurate.
Before you take your blood pressure, it’s recommended to avoid caffeine, cigarettes, and exercise for at least 30 minutes prior to the test.
When you take your blood pressure at home, sit up straight in a chair and place both feet on the floor. Make sure your arm is supported on a table or an even surface. Place the top of the arm at the level of your heart. Ask your doctor or nurse to show you the proper way to position your arm, so you get accurate readings.
When you monitor your blood pressure at home, take it at the same time of day so the readings are more constant. Then, take several readings about 60 seconds apart. Be sure to write down these readings in a journal.
Take your blood pressure journal with you to your doctor’s office so you can talk about any changes in your blood pressure numbers. Your doctor will decide if you need blood pressure medications.
Keep in mind that even if your blood pressure is high, you probably won’t have any symptoms. That’s why high blood pressure is often called the “silent killer.” The first symptom of untreated high blood pressure may be a heart attack, stroke, or kidney damage.
Mimosa Pudica is well known for its rapid plant movement. In the evening the leaflets will fold together and the whole leaf droops downward. It then re-opens at sunrise. This type of motion has been termed as nyctonastic movements (reaction to absence of light). The leaves also close up under various other stimuli, such as touching, warming, or shaking. The stimulus can also be transmitted to neighbouring leaves. These types of movements have been termed seismonastic movements. The movement is caused by a rapid loss of pressure in strategically situated cells that cause the leaves to droop right before one’s eyes.
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