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Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) Is A Disease of Vascular Regulation Resulting From Malfunction of
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) Is A Disease of Vascular Regulation Resulting From Malfunction of
Blood pressure (BP) is the force created as your heart pumps your blood and moves it through the
blood vessels. This continuous blood flow provides your body with the oxygen and nutrients it needs. In
short, it keeps you alive.
BP normally fluctuates depending on the time of day, body position (sitting or lying down), mental
stress and level of physical exertion. Thus, BP determination is standardized – at the left arm, sitting
position, after 5 – 10 minutes of rest. Two or three BP levels are taken and the average is considered the
final BP value.
You are HYPERTENSIVE if your blood pressure taken two or three times in a two-week period is
consistently . . .
Individuals with high BP rarely have symptoms. Few complain of headache, nape pains or
dizziness, which are usually mild and tolerable.
Thus, hypertension is treated not only to relieve symptoms, but to prevent the development of target
organ damage, which occur in those with chronic untreated, elevated blood pressure.
Stroke results when arteries in the brain burst (bleeding) or become blocked (thrombosis). Part
of the brain dies and the patient becomes paralyzed
Heart Attack occurs when coronary arteries in the heart are blocked. The heart muscle dies, and
may stop beating. Patient dies as a consequence
Heart Failure results when the heart pumps too hard for too long, trying to keep blood flowing
through the body. Eventually, the heart weakens. The patient now tires easily and is always out-of-
breath
Kidney Failure happens when tiny vessels in the kidneys are blocked. The kidneys malfunction
are unable to clean the body of wastes. Patient is slowly poisoned, becomes weak and bloated.
Unless “dialyzed”, the patient will die of poisoning from his own body wastes
Blindness or Impaired Vision occurs when tiny blood vessels in the eye rupture or become
blocked, damaging the surrounding eye tissues
Though hypertension can develop anytime in an individual, in most cases, it does not occur solely by
chance. Some are more prone to develop high blood pressure than others. Know your risk level for
developing hypertension by checking which of the factors below applies to you.
Your lifestyle:
you smoke
you are more than 10% above your ideal bodyweight
you regularly eat salty, fried or greasy food
you regularly take alcoholic drinks (more than one ounce of alcohol) each day
you are constantly under a lot of stress
you have a “sit-down” life style, without much physical activity at work or at home
Your background:
The more boxes you have checked, the higher your risk of having or developing high blood pressure and
its complications. Act now and have your blood pressure taken! Prevention is your best protection from
the Silent Killer.
Hypertension is a silent killer. You may feel no symptoms yet the body is slowly being destroyed by
high blood pressure.
Be proactive! Be aware of the risk! Have your BP checked regularly, at least once yearly. If your BP
level is borderline or elevated (i.e., 140/90 mmHg and above), see your doctor. So together, you can make
a plan to bring your BP under control.
A healthy lifestyle keeps you less likely to develop high blood pressure. You will also feel good
knowing that you are protected from hypertension.
Through initially it may be hard to change your lifestyle and habits, a resolute determination, help
from your friends and loved ones will make will make it easier to overcome the difficulties you may
encounter along the way.
Exercise regularly
Watch your weight
Keep stress under control
Avoid salty and fatty foods
Avoid too much caffeine
Limit alcohol intake
Stop smoking
If you are consistently hypertensive despite undergoing a healthy lifestyle, your doctor will now
prescribe a drug to combat your high blood pressure.
Medications can safely and effectively lower high blood pressure. Your doctor can explain the
medication and its side effects. He will closely monitor how well it controls your blood pressure. Most
people have few side effects after beginning their medication. However, if you feel different or worse
after taking them, tell your doctor right away.
Types of medication
- Chlorothiazide
- Furosemide
Examples:
* Calcium Antagonists decrease the level of calcium inside the blood vessels resulting to its relaxation
and lowering of BP