High blood pressure is a common problem in the United States. There are 72 million people diagnosed with this issue. Several factors are involved when it comes to suffering from high blood pressure. Some causes of high blood pressure include:

Growing older tends to bring higher blood pressure.

Isolated systolic hypertension is a type of high blood pressure that is normally found in older adults. This occurs when the systolic pressure is elevated even though the diastolic reading might be normal. Normally the risk begins when men get to the age of 45 and women hit the age of 55. But there are enough ways to normalize your blood pressure that this does not have to be the unavoidable result.

Anyone at anytime can be diagnosed with high blood pressure.

African Americans are the top group of people who have the highest blood pressure numbers. They have a tendency to receive a diagnosis of hypertension at a younger age. Blood pressure is frequently even harder to manage at acceptable levels. They may not know they have the condition either. Compare with other groups, African Americans are more likely to die from the effects of high blood pressure.

If you are overweight/obese you are more prone to develop hypertension.

Being overweight and being obese are not the same thing. An overweight person may have extra fat only, or their extra weight could be the extra muscle, water, or bone in their body. The number one reason children have high blood pressure is due to being overweight. Boys have a greater chance than girls.

Gender can have an affect on your high blood pressure. High blood pressure is more common in males than in females.

The reason might be that women will get treatment more often than men. Women who are in age younger and older both know the risks of high blood pressure, however, it is the women whom are in the younger age group from 18-59 that are more likely to stay on the correct treatment plan which will help in keeping their blood pressure low.

Lifestyle is a contributing factor for many people with high blood pressure.

If you want to control the high blood pressure, you have to minimise your usage of salt intake,alchohol and smoking. It is good to exercise instead of having a lifestyle in which you are always sitting down, this is one more way to keep your blood pressure low. In addition, the body has a requirement for potassium. This is just one more reason why so many people suffer from high blood pressure it is wise to get the correct minerals and vitamins this way your blood pressure will not rise.

You can take many steps to lower the risks of high blood pressure and keep it lower than it would otherwise be, although there are other risk factors, including family history, that you cannot control. This life-threatening disease is best prevented by sticking to a healthy living plan and controlling your blood pressure.

Notice that every time you visit a doctor’s office, hospital, clinic, or any other health related place, they always begin by checking your blood pressure. Have you ever wondered why?

Well, high blood pressure, also known as “hypertension”, the “silent disease” or the “silent killer” is the measure of pressure that the blood exerts against the wall of your arteries as your heart pumps.

There are people who have dangerously high blood pressure and yet they don’t know it because there are no symptoms for weeks, months, or even years.

But high blood pressure is a dangerous condition and complications can be very serious. You see, as the heart pumps the blood through the walls of arteries that have lost their elasticity, the heart has to work much harder to push the blood through them.

Because the blood needs to go through every organ in the body as well, the pressure affects not only the arteries, but the heart, liver, and lungsevery important organ in the body.

Since the arteries require greater pressure to keep the flow of blood going, every other organ also suffers from the extra flow of blood needed to keep those weakened arteries filled.

Complications experienced from high blood pressure can be life threatening.

You may feel perfectly fine while your body is on the verge of a stroke, heart attack, dissection of the aorta, kidney failure, or irreversible heart damage.

Intake of medicine can control high blood pressure, but healthy living and preventative measures are definitely the keys to wellness.

There are many things that you can do to control and lower hypertension. First is to avoid too much salt. Diets lower in salt have been seen to benefit many people particularly those with high blood pressure.

Number two is to exercise regularly. This will help the body in so many ways, one of which is to lower blood pressure. For those who are obese, losing a few pounds can have a very positive effect in lowering blood pressure.

A lot of people have searched for alternative ways and some reports have indicated that these alternatives produce a wide range of results. Some of these alternative measures that can control hypertension include acupuncture, aromatherapy, massage therapy, qigong, yoga, and shiatsu.

One alternative that everyone will agree on is simple relaxation. Stress has been known to be a negative cause affecting a person’s blood pressure it will be good for everyone to check the things that may be causing stress and to eliminate these causes.

Regardless of the solutions you choose or the available alternatives you explore, one thing is certain, controlled blood pressure is vital in maintaining a healthy body that will see you well into your senior years.

The earlier you become aware of your blood pressure levels and start living a healthy lifestyle that will keep them low, the earlier you will start enjoying health benefits that will last a lifetime!

My high blood pressure program can help even if your blood pressure already exceeds normal limits. Following a few simple exercises will bring your numbers down easily in a completely natural way and often within a week…

Why should some one feel the need to know how to lower blood pressure, if he or she has never known what benign hypertension, also called HTN or its malignant version is? However, please be informed that this ailment is considered a ’silent killer’ as it can kill without any forewarning or signs. While millions come under its purview, latest statistics tell us that every third adult in developed countries are plagued by its presence.

Thus the chances are rather high that there are people within your circle who could be getting malignant or benign hypertension without ever knowing about its presence. Reading this article would surely benefit you as you newly-acquired knowledge on how to slower blood pressure can then be passed on to your loved ones as a help to the unfortunate souls who are suffering from this disease condition. Any doctor would inevitably prescribe medicine if you approach him for advice. What is most thought provoking is the fact that nearly 50% of patients do not bother to follow the prescription and this is particularly an area of concern when the prescription is meant for severe HTN cases.

You must know however those medications which are considered as diuretics, beta blockers, alpha blockers and vasodilators are usually efficacious. You can not ignore the expected side effects as well as the extensive expenses involved for such medications which have to be taken for a long time. These are the compelling reasons why malignant and benign hypertension patients want to be aware of how to lower blood pressure. They want to find cheaper natural methods that are safe and without side effects.

The welcoming news is that patients can lower the levels with some lifestyle alterations along with exercise. Diet is a large factor and to be effective, one really needs to know what foods to take or avoid, what and how much liquids need to be consumed, nutrient (including minerals and vitamins) supplementation that are effective etc. Some effective and natural therapy available online even recommend chocolates!

The above information deals with some of the more common methods for the management of benign hypertension or malignant HTN. In view of related complications such as stroke, heart attacks and kidney problems, I strongly recommend that you learn as much as possible on how to lower blood pressure. It is wise to wake up early and take several preventive measures especially when it is a mater of caring for people who matter to you.

You can have your cake and eat it too — well at least you can lower your blood pressure and have your salt too. That is what recent research is telling us about sodium’s role in managing blood pressure. Hypertension, it turns out, is not caused by too much salt. Neither is it lowered by simply cutting salt out of your diet. So how is it that table salt (sodium) is still getting such a bad rap and being linked to high blood pressure? The real culprit it turns out is not salt, but how your body manages sodium and its proportion to the amount of potassium, calcium and magnesium in your body.

Scientists have discovered that deficiencies in potassium, calcium and magnesium have a much greater impact on blood pressure than the mineral salt. These other minerals are so important in controlling blood pressure that when they are out of balance with each other, they can make salt more of a threat to healthy blood pressure.

The fact is that only about 10 percent of the population is considered “salt sensitive.” It is this relatively small group that has to watch their salt intake for a variety of reasons, including its impact on blood pressure.

There are some easy ways to make sure all of the important minerals in your body are in balance. These include:

1. Eat a well-balanced diet with a variety of foods. This will ensure that you are getting a wide range of nutrients and not just one or two key elements.

2. Make sure you get enough calcium — 2000 mg per day. Calcium is essential to bone density, but in relationship to blood pressure, it is believed that low calcium levels can actually cause high blood pressure. Calcium is a natural diuretic, so when salt is consumed, even larger quantities, having enough calcium signals the kidneys to get rid of the excess sodium. Also, calcium prevents a certain hormone that raises blood pressure from being released and doing its damage.

3. Get plenty of potassium. Studies have shown that diets high in potassium and lower in sodium can prevent many diseases and keep blood pressure lower. On the other hand, when there is much more sodium than potassium, blood pressure goes up. Balance the two, and you can make great strides in controlling hypertension.

Here are some food suggestions for getting enough of these essential minerals:

Calcium – Aside from dairy products, which can be high in fat and hard on the digestive system, broccoli, spinach, and salmon are good sources.

Magnesium – Foods such as whole grains, nuts and black beans will help you get the beneficial 400-800 mg daily of magnesium.

Potassium — bananas, potatoes, orange juice, and cantaloupe all provide potassium. Potassium is the most substantiated mineral in controlling blood pressure.

When even good food choices leave you feeling you are lacking in important minerals, supplements can pick up the slack. Whether through food choices or supplements, getting enough minerals into your diet is necessary to counteract the impact of sodium in the battle with high blood pressure.

You now know of three important minerals that help balance sodium in your body. Discover more powerful nutrients and minerals that can lower your blood pressure safely and naturally:

http://www.highbloodpressure-hypertension.com/recommends/Blood-Pressure-Miracle

————————————————————

Frank Mangano is an active member of his community who works diligently providing assistance to senior citizens and probing as a health advocate to discover new and innovative ways to promote well being. Find out how you can maintain healthy blood pressure at: http://www.highbloodpressure-hypertension.com/recommends/Blood-Pressure-Miracle

There has been news lately saying that overweight people might not be at risk of high blood pressure and heart disease as was previously thought.

Yes, it seems that a recent study by researchers of obesity has reported that the stereotype that we’ve all come to accept is simply not accurate.

Surprisingly, and contrary to everything we’ve thought and believed for years, this study indicates that about half of all overweight people have normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

It now looks as if half of all obese people are actually considered to be otherwise healthy.

This national study has also cast a shadow over the overall health of the thinner portion of the population by reporting that an amazing one-half of thinner and visually “fit” people are at risk for high blood pressure and heart disease.

Fifty one percent of the obese people had rather normal blood pressure, blood sugar, triglyceride and cholesterol levels while over a quarter of their thinner counterparts, (those falling within the recommended height and weight range) were reported to have elevated levels of at least two of these factors.

Those that were of healthy weight and had high blood pressure were those that had a larger waist measurement. This signifies that internal fat deposits surrounding the abdominal organs were responsible for the greatly increased risk.

While there have always been exceptions in either category, this is the first time that a national health study has reported literally millions of exceptions to what has long been considered the “norm” of society.

With a growing debate over a standardized method of calculating what is “overweight”, many in the medical research industry are now pointing to waist size as being a more critical factor that mere weight in controlling these factors including blood pressure.

While this is definitely good news to so many people, it is also a shocking wake up call to those who felt immune to the disease based on the fact that they had thinness on their side. Regardless of height or weight, everyone should monitor their blood pressure regularly as a precaution and preventive measure.

Several tips are offered here which you can follow to help you attain the most accurate blood pressure reading. These are the following:

-Stay away from caffeine and nicotine for at least half an hour prior to a blood pressure test is to be taken.

-Wear short sleeves so that the upper arm can be exposed with little or no effort.

-Sit quietly with your back supported, both feet flat on the floor, and arms resting on a table at heart level for at least five minutes prior to the test.

-Always have your blood pressure tested when your bladder is empty. A full and uncomfortable bladder can easily skew a blood pressure reading.

-Ask for two readings, two minutes apart so that you may get an average.

Regardless of age, height, weight, or waist size, one thing is true, and that is preventing high blood pressure can only happen with proper and frequent monitoring.

If you have high blood pressure and are suffering from it, you can benefit from my Hypertension Program, which helps bring your blood pressure down naturally and quickly. And if you are overweight, you can check out my Weight Loss Breeze Program.

Every time you have a fight with your spouse or your kids, you feel angry, your face gets red, your heart start pounding hard, and you even get a headache. If you take your blood pressure at that time, it will be alarmingly high.

As our emotion gets intense, our blood pressure shoots up. This is a natural reaction and once your fear or anger subsides, your blood pressure will return to normal levels. More often than not, high blood pressure is only diagnosed when it remains consistently high over a prolonged period of time.

The only way to detect it is to have it checked regularly, at least once every two years. The following symptoms may indicate that you are suffering from hypertension, or high blood pressure. Be aware you could also have high blood pressure without any of these symptoms; that’s why it’s so important to check your blood pressure regularly.

Dizziness Chest pain Headaches Shortness of Breath Blurred Vision or other visual abnormalities

Most people in the traditional medical system will tell you that roughly 95% of high blood pressure is from unknown causes, this is termed essential hypertension. I think it’s scary to consider such a big percentage unknown. Because there is something you can do about this 95%. More on that later.

Risk factors can either be controllable or uncontrollable. Examples of uncontrollable risks are heredity, age, and race. The older you get, the higher your risk for developing high blood pressure.

In general, men between the ages of thirty-five and fifty are more prone to hypertension, and in women it generally begins following menopause. Also, if someone in your family is suffering from it, you have a higher risk of getting it.

Some races have a greater incidence of hypertension such as African Americans, who tend to develop it earlier and more frequently than Caucasians. You have no control over those risk factors. There’s nothing you can do to change them.

But there are many factors that you do have control over that have a direct relation with you developing high blood pressure. Too much salt intake, excessive drinking of alcohol, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, smoking and stress all contribute to the development of high blood pressure. Do you have many of these risk factors?

Hypertension, if not monitored and treated, can lead to much more serious problems with long-term consequences, like brain, heart, and kidney damage. Delicate blood vessels in the eye can be damaged as well. Due to high blood pressure, the following life-threatening conditions can occur:

Irregular heartbeats, called arrhythmias Heart attack or brain attack (known more commonly as a stroke) Chronic kidney disease, ultimately resulting in kidney failure, requiring dialysis or transplant Hardening of the arteries, called atherosclerosis CHF – Congestive heart failure, a condition in which your heart becomes too weak to be efficient at pumping your blood.

The traditional method of treating hypertension is with aggressive drug therapy, designed to drive down your blood pressure, many with a laundry list of side effects. Plus they most often do not even get the blood pressure down. Remember, most doctors admit they don’t know about 95% of the causes of high blood pressure.

But I do and I’ve developed an amazing High Blood Pressure Program designed to do the same thing as the drugs without all the side effects.

With simple exercises that are very easy to learn and perform, this method helps lower your blood pressure naturally and helps you eliminate the stress that’s so often the reason for blood pressure problems. You can learn more about this one-of-a-kind program here

INTRODUCTION: High blood pressure aka hypertension means elevated pressure (tension) in the arteries. It does not mean excessive emotional tension, although emotional tension and stress can temporarily elevate your blood pressure.

Hypertension rarely has any symptoms, but it can create serious problems such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack and kidney failure.

It forces the heart to work much harder and can damage the arteries, causing them to narrow faster. It can also harm many parts of the body and is a major health problem in the US affecting 1/3 of Americans or 65 million persons, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

HYPERTENSION: Most commonly referred to as “high blood pressure”, HTN or HPN, is a medical condition in which the blood pressure is chronically elevated and is considered to be present when a person’s systolic blood pressure is consistently 140 mmHg or greater, and/or their diastolic blood pressure is consistently 90 mmHg or greater.

It can be classified as either essential (primary) or secondary and is one of the most common complex disorders, with genetic implication averaging 30%. Hypertension can be a temporary or lifelong disease, depending on the cause and is dangerous because it causes the heart to work extra hard.

Pre-hypertension is blood pressure between 120 and 139 for the higher number, or between 80 and 89 for the lower number. For example, blood pressure readings of 138/82, 128/89, or 130/86 are all in the pre-hypertension category. If your blood pressure is in the pre-hypertension category, it is more likely that you will eventually have hypertension unless you take action to prevent it. If you have this kind of high blood pressure, you may not have to take medication.

HEART: Some people may not find out they have HBP until they have trouble with their heart, brain, or kidneys. When it is not found and treated, it can cause the heart to get larger, which may lead to heart failure. With HBP, the heart works harder, your arteries take a beating, and your chances of a stroke, heart attack, and kidney problems are greater.

If you don’t have hypertension by age 55, you have a 90 % chance of developing it at some point during your life, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. If left untreated, it will cause the heart to eventually overwork itself to the point at which serious damage can happen. About 1/2 of people having first-time heart attacks and two-thirds of people having first-time strokes suffer from hypertension.

It has been shown that laughing heartily 100 times each day gives the same heart benefits as working out for 20 minutes?

TREATMENT: Treatment is focused on lowering water retention and reducing blood pressure to normal levels. When you first start treatment, your doctor may want you to come to the office regularly. He/she will review the information with you and decide if your treatment program is effective or if you need to make changes to it.

Among the 61 percent who are under going treatment, only 35% have their blood pressure adequately controlled. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, see your doctor.

CONCLUSION: High blood pressure is called the silent killer because it often has no symptoms and is a risk factor for heart and kidney disease and stroke. High blood pressure is not evenly spread throughout the population and happens disproportionately more often in minority communities.

High blood pressure rates are also growing among American children, paralleling an epidemic of obesity. Hypertension in grownups will usually be measured on at least two different trips to the doctor before a diagnosis is made. It can be treated by both modifying lifestyles, usually as the first step, and, if necessary, with medications. Diuretics work in the kidney and flush out excess water and sodium from the body.

Nearly 1/3 American adults have high blood pressure. Once It develops, it usually lasts a lifetime. Fortunately, it can be easily diagnosed, and once you are aware you have it, you can work with your doctor to control it.

High blood pressure, which is also referred to as hypertension, is often called the ’silent killer’ because it is a potentially fatal condition that develops gradually over a number of years often without displaying any signs or symptoms of the condition at all. Because of its lack of signs and symptoms, high blood pressure can often go undiagnosed and therefore untreated.

It was estimated that in the region of 50 million adults in the United States were suffering from high blood pressure in the early 1990’s and this figure has been climbing steadily ever since. By the turn of this century it was estimated that in the region of 65 million people were suffering from high blood pressure and today that figure is now over 72 million. In other words, approximately one in three adults in the United States today is suffering from high blood pressure.

This is what some recent studies have revealed:

30% of people with high blood pressure are not aware of their condition and are therefore not receiving any treatment.

15% of the people are aware that they have hypertension but are either not getting treatment for it or do not bother to follow their recommended treatment.

25% of high blood pressure sufferers are aware of their condition but do not at present have their condition under control.

What this means is that only about 30% of those people with hypertension are presently receiving the correct treatment and have the condition under control.

Even though it has often been said that it is not possible to tell if someone has high blood pressure there are some tell-tale signs that may indicate that you have hypertension. Some of these symptoms include headaches, blurred vision, dizziness and nausea.

High blood pressure is a major cause of death in the US today and it raises considerably the risk from a number of life threatening conditions such as heart failure, heart attack, cardiovascular disease and kidney failure.

Because of the nature of this condition it is a good idea to keep an eye on things by monitoring your blood pressure regularly and this can be done by simply visiting your doctor’s office and asking for a blood pressure check. This is not however all that convenient and so a better option today is to simply monitor your own pressure at home. There are a variety of monitors available today for use at home which are both quick and easy to use and are also relatively inexpensive.

Using your own blood pressure monitor at home means that you can keep an eye on the whole family’s blood pressure giving you considerable peace of mind and allowing you to detect any developing problems early so that they can be easily treated.

One good way to keep track of your blood pressure if you have high blood pressure is to keep a log of your blood pressure levels. A log can help you determine which foods and activities may make it go up or down.

People don’t have the same body. Some things that cause your blood pressure to rise won’t cause someone else’s too. You might be able to eat certain foods that other people cannot. It is important to know which foods these things are and which activities are best for you and your blood pressure.

When you keep a blood pressure log, you need to write down your daily activities and diet. Of course, this sounds like a lot of work. However, because it’s such a useful tool, take your log with you and write down what you’ve eaten or what you’ve done right after you complete a task or eat a meal, for example.

When you analyze your blood pressure log you will be able to see trends in your blood pressure. You can compare your blood pressure levels against each other after you ate certain foods and after you attended certain events. This should help you determine which things in your lifestyle cause your blood pressure to increase at certain times and which things cause your blood pressure to remain at a normal level. This can help you determine which things in your life you need to cut out and which things you should continue to do.

It is important to take a proactive approach to maintain a healthy blood pressure rate. By keeping a log about your blood pressure then you can find out which foods and events help you stay healthy. It is important to understand which foods are the best for you and which events are not harmful too.

With a log, you’ll be able to learn what causes blood pressure increases, and you can take steps to eliminate or least reduce them in your life. Oftentimes, what you do or eat can have a significant impact on your blood pressure levels, without your knowledge.

Your blood pressure can be easy to maintain if you do the right things. If you are eating an unhealthy diet and have a particularly stressful and high-pressure life, you’ll need to change these if they are causing your blood pressure to rise.

A personal blood pressure log can be very important in maintaining a healthy blood pressure level. By keeping a log, you can find out what things you do that cause your blood pressure to go up or down. This can help you change your lifestyle so that you can either reduce or eliminate blood pressure medications altogether over time, should you need to be taking them now. Being committed to keeping a blood pressure log is important as one way to keep track of your blood pressure and keep it at a healthy level, for a healthy life.

If you have high blood pressure, your diet can make a difference. It’s best if you eat foods that lower blood pressure and therefore have a positive impact on your health.

One thing you should look at closely if you have high blood pressure is your alcohol consumption. Modest amounts of alcohol have been shown to be beneficial to blood pressure, but excessive amounts of alcohol have been shown to be damaging to blood vessels and in turn blood pressure. If you drink excessively, this can cause serious problems and make your blood pressure even more difficult to treat.

In addition, you can increase complications with your blood pressure if you drink excessively. Studies have shown that drinking a small amount of alcohol can have a protective effect on your heart, but larger amounts can actually be detrimental. Check with your doctor to find out whether or not you should have alcohol in your diet. If advised, you may even be told to cut it out of your diet entirely.

Salt is another thing most Americans get too much of. If you suffer from high blood pressure, you should cut excess salt out of your diet. Of course, foods contain sodium naturally, and small amounts of sodium are indeed necessary. Nonetheless, you can get everything you need from your food naturally without adding any additional salt.

Therefore, limit or eliminate your salt consumption if you have high blood pressure. Foods naturally contain sodium themselves, so you’ll get everything you need from your diet without adding extra salt. Your doctor will be able to tell you how much if any salt you can consume besides that which naturally occurs in your food.

Saturated fats, too, are bad for your blood vessels and your heart when consumed excessively. If you eat a lot of fats, especially saturated or trans fats, they can raise your cholesterol levels and damage your circulatory system. Your diet should have only modest amounts of these types of fats. Limit your consumption of processed foods such as cakes, fried foods, fast foods, and simple sugars. Meats do contain some saturated fat, but can be consumed in moderation. Concentrate on fish and chicken as meat sources.

If you already suffer from high blood pressure, trans fats and other “bad” fats can place your cardiovascular system under even more stress. In addition, if you eat dairy products, you should opt for low-fat or no fat dairy products. Full fat dairy products can be stressful to your body and increase your blood pressure, since they contain saturated fats.

If you have high blood pressure and want to help lower it with your diet, make sure you eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as fish. Fruits and vegetables contain optimal amounts of potassium, which can help balance sodium and lower blood pressure. In addition, fish, too, can help lower blood pressure.

When you have high blood pressure the food you eat is very important. You might be causing your blood pressure to be higher and not even realize it. You should not eat foods that have a high content of saturated fat and salt. It is also important to avoid alcohol consumption because this can be very damaging to the blood vessels. What you eat can have a direct impact on your blood pressure.