Dinah Williams14 January 2012
Biology 1090
Dr. Green
Hypertension
Hypertension: What is it? How do you get it? Why should you care about hypertension? And What can you do about it?
1.What is hypertension? It is commonly called high blood pressure. Normal blood pressure should be below 120/80.
The blood pressure reading is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and is written as systolic pressure, the force of the blood against the artery walls as your heart beats, over diastolic pressure, the blood pressure between heartbeats. For example, a blood pressure reading is written as 120/80 mm Hg, or "120 over 80". The systolic pressure is 120 and the diastolic pressure is 80.
This definition is from the WebMD website.
According to the Mayo Clinic website;
Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure
There are three stages of hypertension; the first is Pre-hypertension where your pressure ranges from 120 to 139 over 80 to 89. The next stage is Stage 1 which ranges from 140 to 159 over 90 to 99, and Stage 2 which ranges from 160 and higher over 100 and above.
Hypertension is often called the “silent killer” because most people do not have any symptoms, and if they do, they associate it with something else. Headaches, extreme tiredness, even nosebleeds, are among some of the symptoms, but these usually show up when your blood pressure has reached the dangerous level.
2.How do you get hypertension?
There are two types of hypertension, primary and secondary. Primary hypertension could be caused by genetics, or poor diet and little or no exercise. There is not one real cause that can be pointed to. In secondary hypertension, there is an underlying cause, such as sleep apnea or another underlying medical condition that is causing the problem.
3.Why should you care about hypertension?
Because your life depends on it! Primary hypertension develops slowly over many years, and knowing this should make you want to take precautions now, while you are young, to avoid problems in the future. High blood pressure if left untreated can kill you. You could have a heart attack or a stroke.
How many of your family members have had a heart attack or a stroke? Know your risk factors and your history. My mom died of congestive heart failure, brought on by years of uncontrolled hypertension, poor diet, no exercise and lots of stress; my dad died of a massive stroke, he smoked and drank, both of them died at the age of 62, so my risk factors are high. Being aware of these factors and doing something about them now can prolong my life.
Another reason to care is that high blood pressure can cause aneurysms, kidney problems and something called metabolic syndrome, which is where I am. Metabolic syndrome is where you have high blood pressure, high triglycerides, low LDL (good), high HDL (bad) cholesterol, and high blood sugar. So basically you are a ticking time bomb.
One more reason to care is a little known fact about hypertension is that it can affect you ability to think and learn, now isn’t that fun?!
4. What can you do about it?
First, be aware that everyone has some risk factors. Go get checked out by your doctor. Make sure you know your family’s history. Then make good choices – eat a good diet, lots of fruits and vegetables; exercise, (it really doesn’t take much, just get moving); eat less salt; be aware that drinking and smoking are huge contributing factors and so is stress. Being a student is stressful, learn stress reduction techniques and use them! However, if it is found that you already have hypertension, there are medications that you can take (you and your doctor will discuss which ones he thinks are best for your situation); and diet and exercise are still must for your health.
Just be aware and do things now to prevent problems in the future.
Citations
"Hypertension." Mayoclinic.com. 13 January 2012 <
"Hypertension." WebMD. 13 January 2012 <