Hypertension And Your Health

Hypertension is not an actual illness in itself, but a condition that can predispose to the development of other illnesses some of which can be potentially life threatening. The problem with high blood pressure, is that in it's early stages it is very difficult to detect and by the time it is discovered some of the damage to other parts of the body such as the heart, kidneys, and lungs has already occurred.

Hypertension requires a lifetime of skilled management, and though it cannot be "cured", it can be managed very effectively. If discovered in time, it can be managed by a change in lifestyle rather than medication.

Many doctors are reluctant to prescribe medication for cases of mildly raised blood pressure as the side effects from the drugs can often be worse than the actual problem being treated. However there is a fine line which has to be weighed up between just advising a person about changes in their diet and lifestyle and commencing them on appropriate treatment. Therefore high blood pressure needs careful monitoring on a regular basis.

It is important that people realise the consequences of suffering from high blood pressure, and the younger they are the greater the significance of even a small blood pressure rise.

For instance, if you are 35 and have a diastolic blood pressure of 100mm, your life expectancy is potentially reduced by approximately 16.5 years. If you are aged 55, this blood pressure predicts a shortening of life expectancy by 6 years. Therefore it is imperative that all age groups re-evaluate their lifestyles etc, with those in the younger group taking urgent action to improve their blood pressure thus improving their life expectancy.

There are different thoughts amongst doctors on whether they should treat patients with hypertension of all ages with medication or only those within a certain age group. Some doctors will treat hypertensive patients of all ages with appropriate medication, whilst others will only treat those below the age of 65. This is usually because of the associated risks of treating older people with certain drugs and also because there are some studies which question the benefits of treating high blood pressure with specific types of medication in older people.

This is why doctors are so keen to see people try and reduce their blood pressure naturally by lifestyle changes which include changing their eating habits and consuming less saturated fats and salt, losing weight for those who are obese and taking more exercise.

Even if a person cannot stop taking his medication completely, he will probably find his dosage can be greatly reduced thus reducing the problematic side effects associated with the medication they are prescribed.

Disorders connected with hypertension consist of two types; the first one is the result of longstanding abnormally high pressure within the arteries over a period of time and includes heart and kidney failure and stroke. The second disorder is caused by arthrosclerosis (an arterial disease). Arthrosclerosis can be accelerated by high blood pressure and causes coronary heart disease and peripheral vascular disorders.





The authors of e-books, newsletters and other site content of highbloodpressureadvisor.com are competent, experienced writers or health care specialists within their own field. They have made every effort to ensure all information produced is correct and up to date at time of writing. Please note no documentation on this site has been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and no documentation on this site should be used to diagnose,treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Any information given on highbloodpressureadvisor.com is to be used for educational and information purposes only. It should never be substituted for the medical advice from your own doctor or other health care professionals. We do not dispense medical advice, prescribe drugs or diagnose any illnesses with our literature. highbloodpressureadvisor.com.com is not responsible or liable for any self or third party diagnosis made by visitors based on the content of this website. Neither does highbloodpressureadvisor.com in any way endorse any commercial products or services linked from other websites to this website. Please, always consult your doctor or health care specialist if you are in any way concerned about your physical wellbeing.