Don't Mess With High Blood Pressure - It's A Real Killer!
While I haven't yet developed full blown high blood pressure (hypertension) my blood pressure has been borderline (mine is 138/80 normal is less than 120/80)for some time now. I wasn't even experiencing any symptoms. I'm not sure when it started to elevate, but since I'm in my early forties it's becoming real concern. Interestingly enough I have always been a pretty active guy throughout life. I worked out and played sports regularly, of course as I aged I slowed down a little, but I am far from a couch potato. Fellas at one point or another most of us get this feeling of invincibility then reality strikes. Different maladies start to appear making us realize we aren't ironmen after all. I have always been one to ask the question "why?" So after reading many books, magazines, and web articles I have put together some information that will hopefully shed some light on this silent but potentially very deadly disease. This is one we can't ignore because hypertension can put us out for good and we wouldn't want our family to be "Singing Amazing Grace" for us now would we?! Does Everyone Have Blood Pressure?The answer to the above question is a resounding YES because if we didn't have blood pressure (BP) it would mean the heart is not pumping the blood around the body! Which in turn would mean we would be observing a doorway with very bright, calming and beckoning lights coming from its opening!When the heart pumps the blood it creates a force on the blood vessel walls. When a person has HIGH blood pressure (hypertension) there is more force on the blood vessel walls this causes the heart to overwork. This in time will lead to hardening of the arteries which could lead to kidney failure, aneurysms, blindness and eventually heart failure. By the way anyone can have hypertension although it tends to show up more past age 35. Since your BP goes up and down everyday you must take your BP over a period of days to determine your average BP. Blood pressure is usually highest in the morning (this the time is when most heart attacks occur) and lowest at night. Normal BP = less than 120/80 The American Heart Association recommends that the high normal limit should be 135/85 The top number (systolic) represents the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart is beating. The bottom number (diastolic)represents the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart is at rest. Borderline BP = 120/80 to 140/90 be careful you need to make some lifestyle changes High BP Stage 1 = greater than 140/90 to 159/99 Your risk for stroke or heart attack increase dramatically! Consult your doctor! High BP Stage 2 = greater than 160/100 You are at risk for sudden death! please consult your doctor immediately! Note: for diabetics hypertension starts at 130/80 You can also have hypertension if only one of the numbers is elevated Factors Leading To High Blood PressureThe causes of high blood pressure have not been identified yet but scientist are vigorously working to find out what factors promote hypertension.They don't call hypertension the silent killer for nothing! Often the first time a person shows any signs is by his sudden death. It is the leading cause of heart disease in America! There are many other risk factors that promote hypertension and here they are: * Lack of exercise * Too much stress - In this fast paced multi-tasking world it's very easy to get stressed out. try to make at least 15 minutes of quiet time daily so where you can "decompress". Just sit relax and focus on slow deliberate breathing. Studies have should that taking 10 to 15 breaths per minute helps reduce BP by relaxing the blood vessels. This is a serious problem for men because we are so results oriented. We get more stressed when we don't get things done. * Too much weight - reduce your calories and get more active less chips and dip more fruits and vegetables. Sorry guys I don't like the rabbit food either but I'm healthier because of it. * Smoking - this helps to harden the arteries messes up your lungs and well as many other things. Simply put DON'T SMOKE! each cigarette takes about a minute off of your life! * Family history - even though I kept in good shape both my parents have blood pressure and their parents had it too. * Excessive alcohol intake- fellas more than 2 drinks a day is bad news so let's drink responsibly. * Aging - well there's nothing much we can do about that one we just have to try to be active, eat right and respect our bodies so that we can age gracefully. * Too much Salt In Your Diet - Your BP is directly related to your salt intake. Try to not to eat high salt fast foods, yeah i know it's difficult to do but it the long term you can add years to your life preventing the onset of high blood pressure. * High Cholesterol - when the arteries get clogged by cholesterol the heart has to work harder and your blood pressure increases. * Ethnicity - In general African Americans have a much greater occurance of high blood pressure than other ethnic groups. While it hasn't been conclusively proven yet, scientists theorize that this maybe due to a specific hormone that increases salt retention. * Poor Dental Hygiene - This could lead to heart disease which will raise your BP Tips For Managing Your Blood PressureTwo out of three people do not properly manage their blood pressure this puts them in a very dangerous situation. Although High Blood Pressure is a life long disease it can be managed effectively using various methods:* Exercise - try walking at least 30 minutes a day. This strengthens your heart so it does not have to work as hard thus leading to a reduction in your BP * Get Your BP Checked Accurately - more than 25% of all people are incorrectly diagnosed, this can lead to improper treatment. My doctor has told me that many of the digital monitors are not accurate. The mercury filled blood pressure reader (the one you see in your doctor's office) is currently the most accurate method of measuring your blood pressure. * Try using Resperate - While surfing the net I stumbled upon this device which is an FDA approved non drug treatment for high blood pressure. It has had several successful clinical trials and is recommended by the Mayo Clinic. With this device you focus on breathing a certain cadence which helps relax your blood vessels and leads to lower BP. I have just started using it and thus far the results look promising. It's really relaxing to listen to and whenever I use it my high blood pressure retreats in the normal range. They say it takes about 30 days before BP reduction can be sustained. I'm impressed with reperate so far it really seems to have my pressure retreating nicely. I am eating a little more healthy and I continue to exercise on a regular basis. The device was a little pricey ($300) but if my pressure stay like this resperate is well worth it. Try using the DASH diet - DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. You can eat food that you are familar with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables,and low fat dairy products that you consume in prescribed quantities. I just starting reading "The DASH Diet For Hypertension" by Thomas Moore, M.D., et al. This book based is on a scientific study conducted at some of America's best medical institutions and sanctioned by the National Intitutes of Health. Eight hundred people participated in the study along with over 80 medical personell from a variety of fields. The study concluded that combining healthy meals with the right combination of fruits, vegetables and low fat diets lead to a marked decrease in BP in as fast as 14 days (hence the acronym DASH). I'm about to try this diet to see if it works for me. What I have read so far is very enlightening so if you have high blood pressure pick up this book it's worth the money. Drink More Alkaline Water - Dr. Don Colbert author of The Seven Pillars of Health asserts that when the body is in a mildy dehydrated state it may restrict the blood flow to less important areas of the body and concentrate it on the essential organs which will result in increased BP. The body is in an alkaline (less acidic) state and many times our tissues are acidic because of our diet. Dr Colbert states that our bodies remove toxins less efficently if our tissues are very acidic. Thus if we can change the acidic content of our body we may be able to make our body function more effectively and this should result in an increase in the quality of health. So guys if we drink more alkaline water and make other healthy lifestyle changes (diet, exercise etc.) we may be able to reduce our high blood pressure to normal levels. Be mindful that you will have to gradually increase your water intake. You can't go from drinking little to no water to drinking ten 8 oz glasses daily! Your body will surely rebel against you! You can either purchase alkaline water in bottles or put an alkaline filter on your faucet. I added supplements to my diet - I never really took any vitamins or supplements on a regular basis. After doing some research I have added Omega-3 and CoQ10. These supplements help the circulatory system as well as lower cholesterol. For more details about the health benefits check out our vitamins and supplements guide Return From High Blood Pressure to African American Family Spotlight |
