Hypertension Treatment
Hypertension treatment
for high blood pressure is depends on the severity of the disease and whether
you have other health problem. Hypertension affects about five million Americans
and it typically known as the silent killer because it usually occurs with no symptoms.
Therefore, hypertension or also called as high blood pressure is dangerous
because it can involved into other hypertension complication
such as strokes, kidney disease, heart attacks and etc.
The goal of
hypertension treatment is to lower high blood pressure and protect important
organs. That is why it is important to have your blood pressure checked at least
annually. Your blood pressure is usually measured with a
blood pressure cuff placed around the upper arm that registers the pressure in
units called millimeters of mercury or mmHg and the result is expressed as two
numbers such as 120/80. The top figure is shown the systolic blood pressure and
it is a measure of the pressure when your heart muscle is contracted and pumping
blood. The bottom figure is shown the diastolic blood pressure. It is the
pressure when the heart is relaxed and filling with blood. Consequently, high
blood pressure is defined as systolic blood pressure 140 over diastolic blood
pressure 90 (140/90). Hypertension is
classified as:
| |
Systolic |
Diastolic |
| Normal
blood pressure: |
below 120 |
below 80 |
|
Pre-hypertension / High normal: |
120 - 139 |
80 - 89 |
|
Hypertension / Borderline (Stage 1): |
140 - 159 |
90 - 99 |
|
Moderate (Stage 2): |
160 -179 |
100 - 109 |
|
Severe (Stage 3): |
180 - 209 |
110 -119 |
|
Out of Control (Stage 4): |
greater than 210 |
greater than 120 |
A critical step in preventing and treating
hypertension is a healthy lifestyle.
Some people may only need lifestyle changes to control their high blood
pressure, while other blood pressure is above a certain level, your doctor may
prescribe medication along with the lifestyle changes as well. However, treating
high blood pressure usually is a lifelong process. Following are those of the
lifestyle modifications to lower blood pressure :
-
Losing
weight if you are in obese or overweight.
-
Reducing
salt and sodium in your diet.
Most Americans eat too much sodium and excessive
sodium intake contributes to increased blood pressure due to increased fluid
retention in the body.
-
Quitting
smoking.
Smoking increases stress on the heart and
arteries, which increases risk for a stroke and a cardiac event. It also
contributes to elevated cholesterol.
-
Limiting
the alcohol to two drinks per day.
-
Getting a
proper aerobic exercise.
-
Following
a healthy eating diet such as DASH diet.
Research on strength training and blood pressure
effects are not as definitive as aerobic exercise. Strength training should not
be the only form of exercise for lowering hypertension but rather than it should
be a compliment a proper aerobic program. Thus, a fitness professional should be
sought for safely designing a strength training program for those pupils who due
to hypertension. Strength training will result in increased body temperature and
increased blood flow to the muscles and skin, which will induce the BP lowering
effect discussed earlier. Finally, there are several safety precautions that
need to be followed including intensity, posture, grip, and breathing.
Ideally,
hypertension should exercise every day of the week to maximize the additive
exercise effect. Cardiovascular exercise should be performed for 30-60 minutes
and 3-5 times a week at a moderate intensity. The exercise doesn't even need to
be performed all at once, which three 8-10 minutes about have shown to be
equally as effective as 30 minutes per session. As a result, his has important
implications for those who don't follow a structured exercise program.
|