HEALTH MATTERS
Hypertension: What
You Need To Know
By Kepha Nyanumba
Y
ou can’t see high blood pressure,
also called hypertension. And
most of the time, you can’t feel it.
But if you’re among the 1.13 billion people
who have hypertension, it’s important to
understand its effects on your health and
take action to bring your numbers down
to healthier levels.
Blood pressure is a measure of the force
that your blood applies to the walls of
your arteries as it flows through them.
When arteries are well dilated and in
good health, blood flows with ease hence
the heart is not overworked. However, if
the arteries are stiff or too narrow, blood
pressure increases and the heart becomes
overburdened.
It's normal for your blood pressure to
temporarily increase when you exert
yourself, or when you feel anxious or
stressed. But if your blood pressure is
consistently higher than the healthy level
when at rest, it is called hypertension. Facts About Hypertension
Blood pressure is an essential part of
the way your body works. Your blood
carries oxygen and nutrients around your
body and is pumped by your heart. Your
blood is under pressure as a result of the
pumping action of your heart and the
size and flexibility of your arteries, which
carry your blood. If you have high blood pressure, you
may not even know about it. That's why
high blood pressure is often called the
‘silent killer’. There are rarely any signs
or symptoms and millions of people with
hypertension don’t even know they have
it.
According to the World Health
Organization, high blood pressure affects
more than one in three adults worldwide.
If you have very high blood pressure, or
your blood pressure rises quickly, you
may have headaches, problems with your
vision etc.
Making lifestyle adjustments brings
blood pressure down and in other cases,
you may need a combination of lifestyle
changes and medication to control your
blood pressure.
Blood pressure is a measure of the force
that your blood applies to the walls of
your arteries as it flows through them.
When arteries are well dilated and in
good health, blood flows with ease hence
the heart is not overworked. However,
if the arteries are stiff or too narrow,
blood pressure increases and the heart
becomes overburdened.
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If you have high blood pressure, you have
an increased risk of cardiovascular disease,
such as chest pain caused by reduced blood
flow, stroke, heart attack, heart failure and
irregular heartbeat.
A sedentary lifestyle increases your risk
of high blood pressure. Regular exercise
helps your heart muscle become more
efficient and keep your blood pressure
under control.
Too much alcohol can increase your risk
of high blood pressure. Other lifestyle
factors that increase your risk include
being overweight.
High blood pressure can damage the walls
of your arteries, causing coronary artery
disease and stroke. It can also damage the
heart muscle, leading to heart failure.
The majority of people with high blood
pressure have primary hypertension. This
means there is no single cause, but various
lifestyle factors contribute, including:
smoking, obesity, excessive alcohol intake,
unhealthy diet and lack of exercise.
Some people have a known underlying
cause of hypertension including: kidney
disease, endocrine disease (hormone