Hypertension

Hypertension also referred as high blood pressure (HBP), is medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated.Hypertension is a persistent elevation in blood pressure that puts additional strain on the heart. Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. Each time your heart beats, it pumps blood into the arteries. Your blood pressure is highest when your heart beats, pumping the blood. This is called systolic pressure. When your heart is at rest, between beats, your blood pressure falls. This is called diastolic pressure. Your blood pressure reading uses these two numbers. Usually the systolic number comes before or above the diastolic number. For example, 120/80 means a systolic of 120 and a diastolic of 80.It can cause serious damage to the heart as well as other organs, such as the kidneys, brain, and eyes. High Acute causes of high blood pressure include stress, but it can happen on its own, or it can result from an underlying condition, such as kidney disease. Unmanaged hypertension can lead to a heart attack, stroke, and other problems. Lifestyle factors are the best way to address high blood pressure. Factors that can raise the risk of having essential hypertension include obesity, diabetes, stress, insufficient intake of potassium, calcium, and magnesium; lack of physical activity and chronic alcohol consumption.
No specific cause for high blood pressure is found in 95 percent of patients. Treatment for high blood pressure involves dietary changes, regular aerobic exercise, and medication. There are many types of medications used to treat high blood pressure including diuretics, beta-blockers, blood vessel dilators, and others. If your blood pressure falls somewhere in the prehypertensive range, it may quickly develop into high blood pressure, or 140/90 or above.Blood pressure typically does not cause any symptoms.However if blood pressure is extremely high, there may be certain symptoms like

• Severe headache.
• Tiredness or confusion.
• Vision and eye sight problem.
• Chest pain and breathing difficulty.
• Irregular heartbeat.
• Blood in the urine.

Eating a diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products on saturated fat and cholesterol can lower your blood pressure by up to 11mm Hg if you have high blood pressure.Hypertension affects children and teens too. High blood pressure is classified as either primary (essential) high blood pressure or secondary high blood pressure. About 90–95% of cases are primary, defined as high blood pressure due to nonspecific lifestyle and genetic factors. Lifestyle factors that increase the risk include excess salt in the diet, excess body weight, smoking, and alcohol use. The remaining 5–10% of cases are categorized as secondary high blood pressure, that is high blood pressure due to an identifiable cause, such as chronic kidney disease, narrowing of the kidney arteries, an endocrine disorder, or the use of birth control pills.High blood pressure usually has no symptoms. So the only way to find out if you have it is to get regular blood pressure checks from your health care provider. Your provider will use a gauge, a stethoscope or electronic sensor, and a blood pressure cuff. He or she will take two or more readings at separate appointments before making a diagnosis.