The rate at which young people all over the world are being
diagnosed with high blood pressure is alarming. I just thought it right to
educate everybody that this article can reach on the symptoms, causes and
treatment for high blood pressure.
I hope this article provides insight in any way, also please
feel free to add to whatever might be missing.
Thanks guys! And yeah I'm back to blogging!! Whoop!!
What exactly is
HYPERTENSION?
Hypertension is such a silent disease that you can be
walking around with a blood pressure reading of 180/100mmHg and not be aware of
what is going on internally. If you have a blood pressure reading of 120/80,
120(the figure above) represents the systolic pressure which is the
pressure of blood hitting the artery walls when the heart beats. Eighty (the
figure below) represents the diastolic pressure which is the
pressure between heartbeats.
The normal blood pressure rate is less than 120/80mmHg, so
hypertension is when either the systolic measurement is 140 or higher or the
diastolic measurement is 90 or higher. There are basically two types of hypertension: Essential and
Secondary Hypertension
The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on
Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7)
guidelines categorize hypertension as follows:
- Normal. Less than 120/80
- Prehypertension. 120-139/80-89
- Hypertension. 140/90
- Stage 2 hypertension. 160/100
What causes
HYPERTENSION?
The cause of Essential
Hypertension is unknown (Yeah!! No known cause). Although lifestyle factors
such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and excessive alcohol or salt intake
contribute to the condition.
Secondary Hypertension
in most cases is as a result of an underlying kidney disease, hormonal
imbalance, and drug intake
According to the JNC
7, half the adult population is prehypertensive or hypertensive, and because
blood pressure increases with age, most people will become hypertensive if they
live long enough
Daniel Lackland, DrPH of the American Society of
Hypertension says “Younger adults with high blood pressure typically have high diastolic
pressure while older adults have high systolic pressure”. In young adults, the diastolic pressure rises
because the heart is pumping harder while in older adults, the systolic pressure
rises and stiffens arteries. Hypertension in young adults is caused by increased body mass,
with an increase in African-American men, but it affects men of all
races."
Signs &Symptoms
In most cases, hypertension doesn't give signs or signals
the affected individual. It is usually discovered during a routine health screening. Below are some of the signs of Hypertension:
· Light-headedness
· Vertigo(the feeling that you or your environment is moving or spinning)
· Tinnitus (buzzing sound in the ears)
· Altered Vision
· Fainting Spells
What can be done?
For young people in the pre-hypertensive stage and
hypertensive stages, modification of lifestyle activities plays a major role in
bringing down the blood pressure.
Worry Less!! Manage Emotions!!
Let’s be honest, has
worrying ever changed a situation for the better?? No it has not. Manage
emotions such as anger, worry, rage, annoyance as they have been linked to
causing physical and biological changes.
Weight reduction
A Body Mass Index (BMI) of above 24.9 should be cause of worry
in any young adult whether male or female. It is advised to maintain a normal
body weight with a target (BMI) of 18.5 to 24.9. According to JNC7, for
every 10kiliogrammes of weight lost, the systolic blood pressure reduces by
approximately 5-20.
Adjust your Diet
Ensure your diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and
low-fat dairy products with a reduction in saturated and total fat. When this
is done, the systolic blood pressure is expected to reduce by 8-14 points.
Reduce your salt intake
Salt is an essential mineral that a body needs to stay
hydrated. Ingestion of salt is usually followed by water retention which is the
body’s way of staying hydrated. With the consumption of ‘too much salt’ the body is likely
to become over-hydrated as a result of excess fluid in the body. The excess
fluid causes the kidney to work extra to remove this fluid.
Excess body fluid
also causes an increase in blood volume which requires the heart to work harder
to move all that blood around, thus blood pressure goes up.
Reduction in daily salt intake to less that 2.4g/1 teaspoon
per day would reduce the systolic blood pressure by 2-8 points approximately.
Engage in Aerobic Activity
Engage in regular physical activity, such as brisk walking,
at least 30 minutes per day most days of the week. This can decrease systolic
blood pressure by 4-9 points.
Reduce/ Moderate Alcohol Consumption
Limiting the amount of alcohol to between 11 and 14 grams of
alcohol is expected to result in a reduction in systolic blood pressure by 2-4
points.
Without treatment, a man at [age] 30 could be facing
end-stage renal disease, stroke, or heart attack."
Some Risk Associated with Hypertension
Young adults with hypertension often have what's called "Metabolic
Syndrome" which is known to contribute to heart disease and
diabetes. It includes a cluster of risk factors found in an individual and
include excess body fat (especially around the waist and chest), high
cholesterol, and insulin resistance. Snoring has also been linked to high blood pressure in
young adults. Erectile dysfunction has also been linked to complications of
untreated high blood pressure.
Source: Wikipedia, WebMD, Yahoo Health
Photo Credit:Google Images
Photo Credit:Google Images
