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High Blood Pressure or hypertension is a dangerous disease because it causes your heart to work much harder. If your heart is required to work harder for extended periods, it will become enlarged. If your heart is slightly enlarged, it can and should still work ok, but if it becomes significantly enlarged it won't. You will also find high blood pressure also causes damage to your arteries which can then cause arterial disease. Low blood pressure is a potentially serious health condition where a person's blood pressure is much lower than usual or healthy. When the blood pressure is low, it usually causes symptoms such as dizziness lightheadedness and collapse. When the blood pressure is too low, it means there isn't enough blood flowing to the heart, brain, and other vital organs of the body. Extended periods of either hypertension or low blood pressure are conditions for concern and you should seek competent medical advice. You can learn more about these conditions on these pages. Screening for HypertensionIf a person has a clinically significantly raised blood pressure, he may be shocked to discover this carries the same type of health risk as raised cholesterol levels. The problem with hypertension is that it can be a silent disease and many people who suffer from high blood pressure are not aware they are at risk of heart disease, stroke or other associated medical problems. About two thirds of adults consult their doctor at least on a yearly basis, and over 90% of others are seen at least every five years. It is now recommended that blood pressure checks are carried out at these visits on all patients who are aged 30-70 even if they have no predisposing symptoms. However it is always a good idea to have a blood pressure check even if a person does not require a visit to his or her doctor on any other medical matter as the practice nurse in a surgery is quite competent to check a person's blood pressure without them having to see the doctor. Only if it gives the nurse cause for concern would the patient then be required to see the doctor for further advice. It's a good idea to have a regular blood pressure check especially if aged 45 and above, as early detection can nip any potential problems in the bud. A systolic blood pressure above 160mm or a diastolic pressure above 100mm is considered to greatly increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and organ damage by a factor of five compared to someone of the same age and sex whose blood pressure is within normal limits. Therefore it is of great importance that a person's blood pressure is monitored on a regular basis. Once a person has been defined as being of risk of developing full blown hypertension, there are some tips and hints that people can take on board to ensure they stay in optimum health. One of the biggest changes someone who has high blood pressure can make is a change to their lifestyle. Many people with high blood pressure are overweight, don't take exercise and eat a level of fat etc in their diet. Just changing their lifestyle such as taking more exercise and controlling their diet can often be the only thing they need to do to reduce their blood pressure level without the need for any medications. If just making lifestyle changes isn't enough, then treatment is usually started quite low key with the use of beta blockers and diuretics. A standard dose is prescribed, with the patient being monitored carefully for side effects and the efficiency of the medication being prescribed. Adjustments are then made as needed. The above is only a snippet to read the full article, click here!
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Site MenuMore ArticlesIt's quite difficult sometimes to judge a "normal" blood pressure for a person because something normal for one person may well be "abnormal" for another. So it is important that if there is a suspicion someone's blood pressure may be causing them a problem it is investigated very carefully as even small changes in their blood pressure may cause them adverse medical problems. While the articles on this Website were written with great care, errors or omissions may occur. The information is provided "as-is", without any warranty whether expressed or implied. All readers agree to use the information provided on this site entirely at their own risk. The information provided here is for educational purposes only and should not be used as a basis for any form of diagnosis or treatment for any medical condition whatsoever - including high or low blood pressure. Always seek the advice of a professional medical doctor. |
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