BLOOD PRESSURE

HYPERTENSION AND HYPOTENSION

Obese people tend to have three times as much hypertension as people of normal weight. Obesity starts when you are twenty percent above the ideal weight for your your height and bone structure.Even with relatively minor amounts of weight loss, one can see a measurable fall in blood pressure.
Hypertensives should cut down on salt to about 5 grams a day to have a good effect. Alcohol consumption too should be cut down. Increased levels of potassium may be helpful in controlling high blood pressure. Doctors believe it is beneficial to get three times as much as potassium as sodium in your diet that if you consume 2 grams of sodium per day, then you should get 6 grams of potassium. Salt sensitive hypertensives respond well to calcium as well.

Exercise is a good treatment to reduce hypertension, but isometric exercises such as weightlifting must be avoided because these exercises may cause blood pressure to skyrocket.Brisk walking exercise in good because this type of exercise forces the blood vessels to open up(vasodilate) which makes the blood pressure come down. Swimming, walking and bike riding are all good exercises for hypertension.

Vegetarians have lower blood pressure than the general population that is 10 to 15 mm Hg lower for both systolic and diastolic pressures.It is believed this is due to the fact that vegetarians do not smoke, drink or overeat. It is better to monitor oneself regularly at home to keep in check.
Blood pressure changes are directly related to emotional intensity, researchers found that happiness caused systolic blood pressure to drop, while anxiety caused diastolic pressure to rise. So the happier the person felt, the more the systolic pressure fell. Conversely, the more anxiety a person experienced the higher the diastolic pressure rose. It has been found that the anxiety experienced outside the home makes blood pressure increase significantly more than anxiety experienced inside the home.
Arguing with your spouse or boss or any form of communication can cause blood pressure to increase by 10 to 50 percent, with hypertensive individuals showing the greatest increase.Communication, particularly handling conflict and expressing emotions, may affect blood pressure levels between spouses.

Having a pet at home like a dog and interacting with it is good pet therapy to reduce blood pressure.


PRESSURE CAN BE DEADLY
If left untreated, blood pressure tends to rise slowly and steadily over a number of years. Sometimes, a very high blood pressure develops quite suddenly,with diastolic pressures shooting over 130 mm of Hg, for hours or days at time. Systolic pressures can reach 250 mm Hg or more. Such a sharp increase could signal the onset of malignant hypertension. This is a very serious condition and must be treated by a doctor as soon as possible. Malignant hypertension can damage blood vessels in the kidneys, eyes, or brain. Left untreated, it can be fatal within six months. But it can be brought under control very quickly with intravenous injections of the proper drugs with rapid diagnosis and treatment.



LOW BLOOD PRESSURE OR HYPO TENSION
Some people experience low blood pressure.They may experience a dizzy spell or even faint if they stand up too fast. It is typically defined as a consistent fall of more than 20 mm Hg. Systolic pressure when measured after 1 Minuite of standing. Recent studies have shown that hypo tension does not increase with the age after 55.Sometimes hypo tension can be caused by relatively simple physical actions that momentarily elevate blood pressure such as squeezing isometric hand grip before getting up for example, can increase blood pressure enough to counter the momentary dip it takes upon standing.It has been found by doing complex mental arithmetic elevated blood pressure and offset hypo tension even better than physical activity.
If you experience hypo tension after meals, try eating smaller,more frequent meals throughout the day. Sometimes restricting salt too much can contribute to hypo tension. Doctor's advise should be taken on how much fluid and salt should be consumed.
Hypo tension can also be controlled by the way one sleeps. Sleeping on a slant withe the head end of the bed elevated 8 to 12 inches above the foot end helps tremendously.
In many cases hypo tension is caused by medications people take for hypertension, such as diuretics.Alcohol, heart medications,tranquillizers, and antidepressants can also cause it.