subject: Hypertension - Kill The Evil Before It Haunts You! [print this page] Hypertension is a medical term that is used to describe the medical condition in which the patient suffers from raised blood pressure. If we look at the current status of health troubles in the United Stated of America, then we get to know that it is the second most common reason for medical office visits in the country. The biggest worry related to this medical condition is the fact that most people do not even know that they suffer from this condition.
Blood pressure (BP) is the measure of stress exerted by the blood pumped by heart in the arteries in the contraction phase (Systole) and the relaxed state (Diastole). Raised blood pressure is also given the name 'arterial hypertension' as the blood pressured is measured in the arteries and not veins. Under normal circumstances, the BP of a human body falls in the range of 60-90 mm of Hg (lower limit) to 100-140mm of Hg (upper limit). However, with hypertension, the BP of a person may consistently be raised beyond the above mentioned values.
Medical professionals classify this condition further into two types:
Primary there is no identifiable cause of this condition. The rise in blood pressure is generally with no obvious medical reason in the case of 1hypertension. The majority of the patients that come with a problem of increased blood pressure fall under this category of hypertension.
Secondary only 5-10 % of the cases fall under this category. This is generally associated with medical conditions that are related to other organs of the body such as the kidneys, or any damage to the arteries.
If we talk about the threats that this evil medical condition poses on human health, then we can see that hypertension is the major risk factor for Myocardial Infarction (a heart attack in layman language), aneurysm of arteries (a bulge in the artery), peripheral arterial diseases as well as chronic kidney diseases. Apart from these major health risks, it has been observed, in various studies, that people who have moderate rise in their BP have a shorter life expectancy as compared to people having normal blood pressure.
Awareness about this life threatening medical condition is the key to survival, as hypertension can remain unrecognized for years, causing constant damage to heart as well as other organs of the body without any symptoms. When suffering from high blood pressure, doctors can guide you to the changes required for a healthier heart and to avoid the fatal consequences. Making dietary
Changes as well as alterations in the living habits can prove beneficial. Adopting a better & healthier lifestyle is the key to fight hypertension. Medication may also be useful if these initial treatments do not achieve the desired result.
