Blood Pressure high/low
Blood Pressure
Hypertension
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, refers to persistently elevated pressure of the blood within and against the walls of the arteries, which carry blood from the heart through the body. This excessive force being exerted on the artery walls may cause damage to the arteries themselves and thereby to body organs such as the heart, kidney, and brain, leading to heart attacks, kidney failure, and stokes.
Although many people believe hypertension is a condition caused by extreme activity or tension, this theory has not been proven. Actually, high blood pressure may have no known cause, or it can be associated with other diseases. When no underlying cause is discovered, the disease is called primary or essential hypertension. If another disease, such as kidney or heart disease, causes the elevated blood pressure, the condition is labeled secondary hypertension.
Contrary to popular belief, there is no typical hypertensive person. However, there are some people more susceptible to developing high blood pressure. Persons with either one or both parents who are hypertensive are at greater risk of acquiring this condition since heredity may play a role in he development of hypertension. In the past, hypertension has been attributed to aging, but current evidence shows that age is not a primary factor. Afro-Americans, both children and adults have at least twice the incidence of hypertension as non-Afro-Americans.
Overweight, prolonged stress, smoking, drinking, and excessive salt in the diet causing fluid retention may increase blood pressure, especially in people prone to hypertension. There are also indications that oral contraceptives may contribute to increased blood pressure. However, this is more likely to occur with woman who are over weight, whose parents are hypertensive, or who have other hypertensive risk factors.
Hypertension has been called the “silent disease”, because it often has no obvious symptoms. A person may have high blood pressure for years without noticing any symptoms. What symptoms do occur may include headache, fatigue, dizziness, flushed face, ringing ears, thumping in the chest, or possibly frequent nosebleeds. However, these symptoms may result from other conditions.
Hypotension
Hypotension is low blood pressure. Unlike chronic high blood pressure, which can be a serious health problem, low blood pressure is usually not a problem and need not be reason for concern or even treatment.
Blood pressures vary depending on such factors as age, race, sex, and environment. On rare occasions, individuals may have medical problems that, themselves, cause low blood pressure. Among such conditions are some types of heart disease, hormonal deficiencies, and malnutrition. In these cases, the hypotension will be corrected by the treatment of the medical treatment.
In addition, one form of low pressure called postural hypotension can cause dizziness or a feeling of faintness when a person stands up abruptly from a sitting or reclining position. Normally, when an individual stands up, the blood vessels contract and otherwise act to maintain normal blood pressure in the new position. However, in those persons with postural hypotension this mechanism probably dose not work properly, and upon standing these people experience a temporary reduction in the blood flow to the brain that leads to dizziness. Also, if a person stands in one position long enough, blood pools in the veins of the legs, decreasing the amount of blood returned to the heart and therefore the amount pumped to the brain.
Heat Disease and Diet
The famous Framingham Heart Study of the National Heart and Lung Institute, identified and qualified the following major risk factors in coronary heart disease:
Elevated blood levels of cholesterol, and other fatty substances.
Elevated blood pressure
Elevated blood uric acid levels (mainly caused by high protein diet).
Certain metabolic disorders, notably diabetes.
Obesity.
Smoking.
Lack of physical exercise.
Poor diet.
The successful treatment of heart disease and high blood pressure is contingent on the elimination of all of the above risk factors, which are the underling cause of heart disease.
In order to have a healthy Heart and good blood pressure, you must eat food that by its nutritional content can feed your heart and circulatory system and avoid the things that can hurt your heart.
Foods that feed the Heart
Specific foods include Wheat Germ, Alfalfa Sprouts, Oatmeal, Bananas, Potatoes, Apples, Buckwheat, and Asparagus. And in general a vegetarian or near vegetarian (low-animal-protein) diet that consists of high quality, natural, wholesome foods with an emphasis on whole grains, seeds and nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables (you should have some raw vegetables and some green vegetables everyday).
Things to Avoid
Fried foods.
Salt.
Sugar.
Alcohol.
Coffee.
White flour.
High Stress situations
Things to do
Walk 20 minutes a day
Get enough rest
Co enzyme Q 10 100 mg two times a day
Hawthorn berry extract as directed on the label