According to MSN.com, almost a third of Americans have high blood pressure, but up to 70% of them either don’t know it or aren’t doing enough about lowering their high blood pressure. Since high blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the leading causes of heart attack and stroke, and can also contribute to kidney disease, it’s extremely important to get those blood pressure numbers as low as possible. There are a number of measures, both medicinal and non-medicinal, that can help with lowering high blood pressure. Let’s take a look…

Controlling Your Weight = Controlling Your Blood Pressure

The number one way for lowering high blood pressure is achieving and maintaining a healthy weight for your body type and age. Extra body weight not only adds unnecessary capillaries that your heart must pump blood through; it also places a heavier burden on your cardiovascular system, just to supply the oxygen and blood needed to move and function. The leaner you can become, the less strain you place on your heart in order to perform the normal functions of life—and the lower your blood pressure can be! The key to losing weight is to burn more calories than you consume, right? So, consider establishing or increasing your exercise program—with doctor’s advice—and controlling the portions in your meals. You shouldn’t aim for drastic weight loss; the healthiest way is to lose about a half a pound to a pound per week. But over the long term, sticking to an exercise program and reducing your food intake can lead to a slimmer you… and can help in lowering your high blood pressure.

You Are What You Eat

This old adage is certainly true with regard to lowering your high blood pressure. Reducing salt intake is one dietary change most doctors recommend to patients with hypertension; so is eating a diet high in natural fiber and low in transfats. Deep-sea fish, beans of just about any kind, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grain rice and breads, and garlic are just a few of the foods that have demonstrated usefulness in lowering body fat, cholesterol and blood pressure. Lower cholesterol also translates into lower risk of heart attack and stroke, by the way. Spicy foods containing seasonings such as onion, garlic, chili pepper, oregano, and cumin also provide evidence of being related to lower blood pressure and other health benefits (but don’t always order the fat-laden enchiladas just to get the peppery seasonings… there are tradeoffs).

If you are suffering from high blood pressure, there is going to be no more important step than taking the time to find out the high blood pressure cause in your cause.

Why so, you ask? Well for one, if you are able to work with your doctor and figure out what the high blood pressure cause is, then you will be able to deal with your problem right at the source and hopefully eliminate the problem altogether.

Possible Causes

To help you out here, you will want to learn about what the possibilities are for your high blood pressure cause. One very common high blood pressure cause is pregnancy. High blood pressure is common during pregnancy so you should not freak out, but it can become dangerous and so you need to be very aware of this so that neither you nor your baby will be at risk.

There are actually a few different types of high blood pressure that a person can suffer from during pregnancy. There is chronic hypertension for one, and if high blood pressure develops before 20 weeks of pregnancy or it continues on and lasts for 12 weeks after delivery, then your doctor will classify it as being chronic hypertension.

This is the most dangerous type of high blood pressure during pregnancy, and one that doctors watch out the most for. There is also the gestational hypertension condition, which you are considered to have if high blood pressure develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Treatment

Once you have figured out the exact high blood pressure cause in your case, you can begin working on your high blood pressure treatment. Your doctor may recommend that you start on medication, at least until your condition is more under control.

Further on this matter your doctor will most likely perform some blood and urine tests on you, in hopes of dealing with the situation more thoroughly. No doctor wants you to have to rely on medication for the rest of your life to keep your condition under control, and so they will suggest that you try other things as well.

Eating the right foods for instance is a very important step. You should be eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grain breads and cereals. Drinking water is also important, and you should be drinking six to eight glasses of water each day.

High blood pressure is a very common condition, one that can be manageable as long as you are educated and aware of what is involved here and what steps need to be taken in terms of treatment. First thing is first however, and that is to find out more about high blood pressure and what this condition is all about.

What it is

When blood pushes against the artery wall harder than normal, this is when high blood pressure develops. This condition can range from being mild where it would not be necessarily causing any problems to being so severe that it is life threatening. About one in three adults is suffering from high blood pressure right now, and more are getting diagnosed with it all the time.

How to Deal With it

Before you even get diagnosed with high blood pressure or get put on a high blood pressure diet, it is important that you keep an eye on your blood pressure numbers. You should start off treating your blood pressure problem by making some lifestyle changes, including to your diet and exercise regime.

You need to be eating all the right foods, including leafy green vegetables and ripe fruits. You also want to be eating enough whole grain breads and cereals, and drinking enough water to keep yourself hydrated. Six to eight glasses a day is usually enough, but if you are exercising more than normal or you find that you are feeling extra thirsty, drink even more.

It will also be important that you are aware of the possible factors that could be contributing to your blood pressure problem. If you can find out the root cause of your problem, you may be able to deal with it with at the source and get rid of the problem.

There are various different factors that could be causing your blood pressure to be high, but most likely it is age, diet, excessive alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, obesity, stress, or sleep apnea, just to name a few. You will want to get your doctor to test you for any of these things and also do a general physical on you, just to make sure that you are in good health.

You can deal with high blood pressure and you do not have to let it control your life, as long as you take the necessary steps in terms of treatment and always keep yourself as healthy as possible.

We all know that blood pressure is one of the most important indicators of overall health and physical condition. After all, that’s why they call it a “vital sign.” But as we get older, our blood pressure tends to rise. In the past, doctors often chose not to treat high blood pressure in older adults, since it was considered “normal” for blood pressure to rise with age. However, more recent research has shown that it is important to control blood pressure for individuals of all ages, since normal blood pressure contributes to lowered risk of stroke, healthy kidney function, healthier hearts, and many other enhancements to health in the later stages of life.

What Happens to Your Circulatory System as You Get Older

As with many organs and tissues of the body, the arteries become more rigid as you get older. This means that they offer increased resistance to the heart as it pumps the blood through them into the body’s tissues. Over time, this increased resistance, if left unattended, can cause the heart’s muscles to thicken, making them less pliant and efficient as a pumping mechanism. The measures of blood pressure, the systolic and diastolic pressure readings (the first and second numbers in a blood pressure reading), normally change with age—but often in opposite directions. Because the heart is required to pump harder to move blood through stiffening arteries, the systolic reading—the pressure at which blood first begins to move through the artery pinched shut by the inflated cuff on the sphygmomanometer—gets higher, because the blood is being forced through harder. The diastolic reading—the pressure when the blood flow returns to full volume as the air pressure is reduced in the cuff of the sphygmomanometer—often gets lower, due in part to the artery’s reduced pliability, meaning that it takes longer to fully relax and allow blood flow to resume. The difference between your systolic and diastolic readings—your pulse pressure—is an important measure of your arterial health. The wider the difference, the stiffer your arteries are, and the more carefully you need to monitor your blood pressure.

Why Normal Blood Pressure is Important at Any Age

Even if you feel fine, high blood pressure can still harm you. It can cause damage to organs and tissues, can lead to decreased mental function and loss of memory, and is a principal cause of strokes. As already mentioned, it can also lead to reduced heart function, or even heart attack. Just because you’re getting older doesn’t mean you shouldn’t monitor and treat high blood pressure. Find out what a normal blood pressure is for your age and condition, and work on maintaining it.

Since maintaining a healthy blood pressure is so important for your body, this article will discuss a few ideas to help you lower your blood pressure if it is high, or maintain it at a normal level. Blood pressure has an important bearing on many of the body’s vital organ systems, including the heart, the circulatory system, the kidneys, and the brain. That’s why taking care of your blood pressure and keeping blood pressure at a normal level can add years to your life and also give you the energy and health to enjoy the time you have.

Age and Normal Blood Pressure

As you get older, your arteries become more rigid, causing your heart to have to work harder to pump against increased resistance. For that reason, it becomes increasingly important to monitor your blood pressure and take steps to reduce blood pressure to a more normal level.

Weight and Blood Pressure

One of the most important ways you can do this is by controlling your weight. Did you know that every pound of fat in your body contains an average of 200 miles of capillaries? Capillaries are the threadlike vessels that carry blood cells to the most remote locations in your tissues, so every time you add a pound of body weight, your heart must pump blood through an additional 200 miles of blood vessels! Not only that, but the additional weight means your body must work harder to support you against gravity and to move you around. That’s why maintaining a healthy weight and a low body fat ratio can do so much to promote a normal blood pressure level. Eating a diet low in fat, controlling your portion size, and maintaining a regular exercise program can also help you lower and maintain your optimal weight, which, in turn, helps you retain a normal blood pressure level.

Diet and Blood Pressure

As we’ve already discussed, your diet affects your weight, which can directly affect your blood pressure. But there are also certain foods that can actually help reduce your blood pressure, as well. For one thing, reducing the salt in your diet will help lower your blood pressure to normal levels. Also, skim milk, which is low in fat, is a healthy choice for reducing blood pressure. Dark chocolate, it turns out—if eaten in portions of half an ounce or less per day—has been shown to have beneficial effects on blood pressure. Soybeans, bananas, spinach, and beans (white, navy, lima, pinto, and kidney) are also good foods to help maintain normal blood pressure levels. Finally, spicy seasonings have been shown to indicate lower incidence of blood clotting diseases, and the increased metabolism they can generate can also help you lose weight.

Blood pressure is the force exerted against the walls of the arteries and veins by blood as it circulates through the body. Blood pressure is one of the body’s most important vital signs, and should be carefully monitored, especially by persons who have or are at risk for abnormally high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. But what, exactly, is a “normal” blood pressure level for adults? While there is no single answer, since individuals’ vital signs can vary significantly by age, weight, general health, body type, and other variables, there are ranges that are considered normal for adult blood pressure. Knowing these ranges for your blood pressure is very important, and keeping tabs on your blood pressure level can help you maintain awareness of your cardiac health.

Why Worry about Normal Blood Pressure in Adults?

High blood pressure can indicate or contribute to the presence of serious health conditions, including heart disease, arterial aneurysm, stroke, enlargement of the heart, and kidney disease. Persons suffering from diabetes should also carefully monitor their blood pressure. For these reasons, maintaining blood pressure within a normal range is one of the most important things you can do for yourself.

How is Blood Pressure Measured?

Usually, blood pressure is measured using an instrument called a sphygmomanometer. The sphygmomanometer has a cuff that can be placed around the arm and inflated with air, putting pressure on the arteries in the arm. The pressure squeezes the artery closed. By placing a stethoscope on the area of the arm over the artery and below the cuff, an examiner can listen for the sound of the pulse of blood returning to the artery as pressure is slowly released, noting the pressure at which the pulse returns. The pressure reading at which the blood returns is the “systolic” blood pressure. The point at which no further sounds can be heard because of the full return of blood volume is the “diastolic” blood pressure. A blood pressure reading is stated as the systolic number followed by the diastolic number.

Normal Ranges

For adults, a normal blood pressure reading is usually considered to be in the range between 90/60 to 119/79 (systolic/diastolic). Blood pressure from the 120/80 to 139/89 range is considered “pre-hypertensic,” and should be closely monitored. Measurements higher than the pre-hypertensic ranges fall within either type 1 or type 2 hypertension. If your blood pressure is higher than normal for adults, your physician may advise medication to lower your blood pressure into a normal adult range.

Normal adult blood pressure has a systolic reading of between 90 and 119 mmHg and a diastolic measure of between 60 and 79. The older you get, the higher your blood pressure reading is likely to be. According to statistics at least one quarter of Americans have high blood pressure or hypertension.

The problem with hypertension is that it is often asymptomatic so many people don’t even realize they have it. Hypertension is often called the silent killer because of the lack of symptoms and the fact that severe cases can lead to major health problems such as heart failure, renal damage, partial loss of sight, blindness, heart attack, stroke, mini stroke, aneurysm and death. The good news is that if you have hypertension there is a great deal that you can do in order to help yourself get down to a consistent normal blood pressure reading.

Exercise And Weight Management

Obesity contributes to prehypertension and hypertension, so if you are overweight you need to lose the excess pounds if you wish to get down to a normal blood pressure reading. You can do this by restricting your calorie intake and cutting most of the sugar and saturated fat from your diet. This can lower your risk of hypertension related health conditions significantly, so do yourself a favor and throw your ice cream and candy bars into the trash can.

Exercise can also help anybody who would like to see a normal blood pressure reading. Exercise makes the heart and cardiovascular system stronger as well as contributing to weight loss and lowering the blood pressure. Over time regular exercise can cut the risk of developing ailments associated with hypertension in half.

Quit Your Bad Habits

Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol can all contribute to the problem of hypertension. Therefore if you are serious about acquiring a consistent normal blood pressure reading it is in your best interest to eliminate or at least cut back on vices such as coffee, beer, whiskey, cigarettes, wine, cigars and chewing tobacco.

Get The Right Essential Nutrients

Just as certain lifestyle choices can exacerbate hypertension, some foods, minerals, herbs and vitamins can help you to get a healthy normal blood pressure reading. Increase your water intake and fill up on foods such as bananas, bean sprouts, garlic, olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocados, broccoli, oats and apples. Make sure you get enough minerals such as potassium, magnesium and calcium and vitamins C, D, E.  Herbal supplements such as kelp, alphalpha, hawthorn berry and black cohosh are also purported to lower the blood pressure.

Medications

If you have made all the necessary lifestyle amendments and you still cannot get a normal blood pressure reading or if you have severe hypertension it may be time to ask your health care provider about prescription medication. There are numerous medications that can help with hypertension including diuretics, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors and more. These medications can have side effects or interact with other medications you are taking so talk to your doctor to find out which is best for you.

Blood pressure is the force applied to the walls of the blood vessels, arteries and veins when the heart pumps blood around the body. Blood pressure, which is counted in millimeters of mercury, has two separate readings. The systolic reading measures the blood pressure when the heart is beating or contracting.  The diastolic reading is the measure of pressure between contractions, and is always a lower figure.

In the past a normal blood pressure range was considered less than 130/85 and more than 90/60, but the parameters have changed in the past few years. Now a consistent reading of 120/80 or more is considered a sign of prehypertension, a warning to change your habits and lower your blood pressure. The new normal blood pressure range is between 90/60 and 119/79.

Lower Readings

A blood pressure measurement of 90/60 is considered borderline low. A reading of 60/40 is too low and medical treatment is required to correct it.  If a person’s blood pressure measures as little as 50/33 they are in danger of permanent damage to the internal organs because oxygen and nutrients cannot get to them.  Extremely low blood pressure or hypotension can cause coma or death. Very young children and athletes generally have measurements at the lower end of the normal blood pressure range.

Higher Readings

If your blood pressure readings are consistently between 120/80 and 140/90 you do not have hypertension, but you could be headed in that direction if you do not change your ways. A reading of 120/80 is now at the top of the normal blood pressure range. A normal blood pressure reading should ideally be less than 120/80 so if yours is higher you might want do more exercise eat less junk food and cut down on salt, sugar, alcohol, nicotine and saturated fat.

If your blood pressure reading is between 140/90 and 160/100 you have stage one hypertension. You should try to amend your lifestyle and if that isn’t enough to get you down to a normal blood pressure range then perhaps you should ask your doctor about prescription medication.

If your blood pressure exceeds 160/100 you definitely require medication to correct the problem because you are at very high risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, aneurysm or renal failure. Bear in mind that severe hypertension puts excessive tension on the heart and can cause the blood vessels in major organs to burst open. Severe hypertension can and does kill people every day.

Regular Testing

Regular blood pressure testing is very important for several reasons. First, one test is not enough to determine if your measurements are within the normal blood pressure range. Everybody’s blood pressure changes quite radically according to how relaxed they feel and what they happen to be doing. Several tests are needed to determine a person’s average blood pressure.

Furthermore, it is only through regular testing that you can determine whether your blood pressure is lower or higher than it should be. Therefore you should get regular tests from your health care provider. Alternatively you could purchase a home monitor so that you can test to see if your measurements are within the normal blood pressure range as and when you wish to.

Blood pressure is the term used to describe the force of the blood circulated by the heart on the arteries, veins and other blood vessels. There are two distinct types of blood pressure: systolic and diastolic. Systolic blood pressure is exerted when the heart muscles contract. Diastolic blood pressure is measured between heart beats. The blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) using a device called a sphygmomanometer.

Up until a few years ago normal blood pressure was considered to be a systolic measurement of around 120 and a diastolic reading of approximately 80. However, after extensive scientific research the American Heart Foundation asserted that normal blood pressure is a measurement of less than 120/80. Now a normal blood pressure range is considered to be anywhere between 90/60 and 120/80, it is not a static number. Indeed various factors can impact an individual’s blood pressure measurement.

Age Is A Factor

Age tends to have an impact on the blood pressure measurement of any individual. For example, a very young child should have a lower measurement than an adult. Generally the older a person is the higher their blood pressure measurement is likely to be. However, the obesity problem here in the United States means that now several youngsters have a blood pressure measurement that is higher than it should be given their age. Furthermore age is no excuse for allowing your blood pressure to creep up. Normal blood pressure for an older person may be higher, but individuals from this age group are at higher risk of the cardiovascular problems associated with hypertension.

Different Times Of Day

There is no set measurement that is considered to be normal blood pressure because it can vary by forty points or more depending on what a person is doing at the time. If a person is feeling stressed or engaging in a physical activity their measurement will be higher, but they still have normal blood pressure. If a person is sleeping or very relaxed their blood pressure should be considerably lower and if it isn’t then there may be a problem.

When To Seek Treatment

If your blood pressure is consistently between 120/80 and 139/89 you have what is termed prehypertension. This means that you should take certain precautions to avoid developing hypertension. Make sure you eat a healthy diet that does not contain too much sugar, saturated fat or salt. Limit your alcohol and caffeine consumption and don’t use nicotine products. Start exercising regularly and make sure you are getting the right vitamins and minerals to lower the blood pressure.

If your have more than one consecutive test that shows a blood pressure reading of 140/90 or higher then this means that you’ve got hypertension. If you have hypertension you are at greater risk than people with normal blood pressure of serious potentially fatal health complications such as stroke, heart attack, heart failure or renal failure You need to amend your lifestyle and your health care provider may prescribe certain medications to correct the problem.

Although normal blood pressure at the lower end of the scale is desirable, having measurements that are too low is not good. If your systolic measurement is less than 90 and your diastolic measurement is lower than 60 you have hypotension. Severe hypotension can lead to organ damage or failure and requires immediate medical treatment.

When medical professionals refer to blood pressure they are describing the force applied by the stream of blood within the body on the walls of the blood vessels. A cuff and measuring gauge are generally used to determine an individual’s blood pressure. Measurements are taken in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Two separate measurements are always taken. Systolic blood pressure is the force exerted on the walls of the blood vessels while the heart is contracting. Diastolic blood pressure is the force exerted on the blood vessels while the heart is at rest.

Every individual’s blood pressure tends to vary greatly and can actually change from one heart beat to the next. In order to determine a person’s average blood pressure it is necessary to take more than one measurement at various times of day over a period of time.

If a person maintains normal blood pressure he or she is less likely to develop cardiovascular problems or other health complications. Blood pressure that is abnormally high or low can lead to potentially fatal problems. Therefore it is very important to make sure that your health care provider checks your blood pressure regularly.

Healthy Levels

Healthy blood pressure has a systolic measurement of between 90 and 119. It has a diastolic measurement of 60-79. People with low average measurements are less prone to the health complications associated with hypertension and hypotension. Children have lower blood pressure than adults. Generally the older you are the higher your blood pressure is likely to be.

Prehypertension

If more than one test indicates that you have a blood pressure reading of between 120/80 and 139/89 you have what is called prehypertension. This means that you are at risk of developing hypertension. If you have prehypertension you should make certain lifestyle amendments in the interest of maintaining your health. For instance you should get down to a healthy weight, exercise more and avoid nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, saturated fats and sodium wherever possible.

Hypertension

There are two stages of hypertension or high blood pressure. Stage one hypertension is a measurement between 140/90 and 159/99. There are various prescription medications that can be taken to correct the problem of stage one hypertension and the same lifestyle amendments that are used to treat prehypertension are necessary. People with hypertension are at increased risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, aneurysm, kidney failure and eye problems.

Stage two hypertension is a measurement of 160/100 or more. People who have elevated hypertension are at particularly high risk of the aforementioned health problems. They require rapid and aggressive medical treatment if they are to avoid having a massive heart attack or stroke.

Hypotension

Hypotension is the term used to describe low blood pressure. A low measurement varies from one individual to the next. In other words, a person with a diastolic pressure of 60 may experience no adverse symptoms while the next individual may start to react badly if theirs reaches as low as 70. A severe case of hypotension is dangerous because it means that the oxygen and vital nutrients in the bloodstream are not reaching vital organs. This can cause organ damage or failure. In the most extreme cases it can cause coma or death.

Hypotension has numerous potential causes including pregnancy, certain medications, blood loss, inadequate nutrition, dehydration and septicemia. You can reduce your risk of developing hypotension by eating a healthy diet with sufficient calories, vitamins and minerals and drinking plenty of water.