Hypertension: The Silent Killer You Should Be Wary Of
We’ve all heard about the term ‘hypertension’ in our day-to-day life, but most of us are largely ignorant of what it means. In medical terms, hypertension is defined as the condition of having high blood pressure. The more pressing statistic, however, is that 33% of the afflicted population remains unaware that it has hypertension. It is no wonder, then, that hypertension is classified as a silent killer. Why? It puts the patient at an increased risk of a stroke, heart attack, pulmonary diseases, and heart failure. And since the symptoms of hypertension are easy to ignore or discard, patients often never realize that they have the disease. This necessitates the usage of a BP check machine regularly in order to monitor one’s blood pressure. In the end, prevention is a cure, and if you want to be wary of hypertension, it is important to understand the condition, its causes, and its symptoms.
What is hypertension? Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood against the arteries. When measured on a machine, the display always shows two readings: systolic pressure (force on the arteries when the heart beats) and diastolic pressure (the force on the arteries in between beats when the heart rests). The average reading of a healthy human being is considered to be 120/80. Any large upward deviation from this configuration is a sign of hypertension. Depending upon the gravity of the readings, there are different stages of hypertension. Stage 1 is often 130-139/80-89. Stage 2 is 140+/90+. If the systolic pressure is greater than 180 or the diastolic pressure is greater than 140, then you have a hypertensive crisis.
What leads to hypertension? A sedentary lifestyle and poor diet are the leading causes of hypertension. Other factors that lead to hypertension are hereditary issues, diabetes, consumption of excess sodium, stress, alcoholism, and obesity. While it is more common in males above the age of 45, hypertension is much more prevalent in women aged 65 years and above.
How do you identify if you have hypertension? As mentioned earlier, it is not easy to spot the symptoms of hypertension. It is always recommended that you buy a BP machine of the highest quality for your home, and keep checking your blood pressure for the obvious spikes in readings. Other giveaways of hypertension often include chest pain, severe headache, frequent breathing difficulties, irregular heartbeat, fatigue, dizziness, and eye problems. Regular monitoring and knowing the technicalities behind hypertension will allow you to prevent medical emergencies, and enable you to regulate your diet and lifestyle accordingly. To regularly monitor your blood pressure, get yourself a BP monitor here.
