Hypertensive Disorder
Prevention
Source: NHS
In this topic (9)
High blood pressure can often be prevented or reduced by eating healthily, maintaining a healthy weight, taking regular exercise, drinking alcohol in moderation and not smoking.
Healthy diet
Cut down on the amount of salt in your food and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.
Salt raises your blood pressure. The more salt you eat, the higher your blood pressure. Aim to eat less than 6g (0.2oz) of salt a day, which is about a teaspoonful.
Eating a low-fat diet that includes lots of fiber such as wholegrain rice, bread and pasta and plenty of fruit and vegetables also helps lower blood pressure. Aim to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables every day.
Limit your alcohol intake
Regularly drinking alcohol above recommended limits can raise your blood pressure over time.
Staying within these recommended levels is the best way to reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure:
- men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week
- spread your drinking over three days or more if you drink as much as 14 units a week
Alcohol is also high in calories, which will make you gain weight and can further increase your blood pressure.
Lose weight
Being overweight forces your heart to work harder to pump blood around your body, which can raise your blood pressure.
If you do need to shed some weight, it's worth remembering that just losing a few pounds will make a big difference to your blood pressure and overall health.
Get active
Being active and taking regular exercise lowers blood pressure by keeping your heart and blood vessels in good condition. Regular exercise can also help you lose weight, which will also help lower your blood pressure.
Adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity such as cycling or fast walking every week. Physical activity can include anything from sport to walking and gardening.
Cut down on caffeine
Drinking more than four cups of coffee a day may increase your blood pressure.
If you're a big fan of coffee, tea or other caffeine-rich drinks, such as cola and some energy drinks, consider cutting down.
It's fine to drink tea and coffee as part of a balanced diet, but it's important that these drinks are not your main or only source of fluid.
Stop smoking
Smoking doesn't directly cause high blood pressure, but it puts you at much higher risk of a heart attack and stroke.
Smoking, like high blood pressure, will cause your arteries to narrow. If you smoke and have high blood pressure, your arteries will narrow much more quickly, and your risk of heart or lung disease in the future is dramatically increased.
Get a good night's sleep
Long-term sleep deprivation is associated with a rise in blood pressure and an increased risk of hypertension. It's a good idea to try to get at least six hours of sleep a night if you can.
Articles for Hypertensive Disorder
Causes
Factors that affect the onset of symptoms include constitutive genetic factors, neurogenic factors, environmental factors. And other factors like age and gender, profession, smoking, and intoxication.
Causes of secondary hypertension
Diseases and conditions which may cause secondary hypertension are hypertension caused by kidney disease, renovascular hypertension, hypertension due to endocrine disease, hemodynamic hypertension, hypertension caused by pregnancy, hypertension due to consumption of contraceptive substances.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of arterial hypertension is usually made by evaluating the values of arterial pressure, and assessing whether or not they are above what is considered ‘normal’. This criterion defines which individuals face increased risks for heart and blood vessel damage.
How one should measure arterial pressure
Arterial pressure should be measured while the patient is lying down, and after they have rested for several minutes. The patient must feel calm and relaxed. Arterial pressure is measured by using an apparatus called a sphygmomanometer or a blood pressure meter.
Introduction
Hypertensive disease is characterized by a spike in maximal pressure, which is also called systolic pressure, or the rise of minimal pressure (diastolic) above normal values. Usually it is the systolic pressure that rises more so than the diastolic.
Mechanisms behind arterial hypertension
Prevention
High blood pressure can often be prevented or reduced by eating healthily, maintaining a healthy weight, taking regular exercise, drinking alcohol in moderation and not smoking.
Secondary hypertension
Secondary hypertension is a type of hypertension which is caused as a consequence of another condition. Patients suffer from arterial hypertension randomly. Following the appropriate examinations, it is discovered that this type of hypertension is caused as a result of another disease.
Treatment
Simple lifestyle changes can often help reduce high blood pressure (hypertension), although some people may need to take medication as well. Whether medication is recommended depends on your blood pressure reading and your risk of developing problems such as heart attacks or strokes.
