Defining High Blood Pressure and Associated Conditions

High blood pressure is also known as hypertension. Blood pressure rises and falls throughout the day. A good starting point for normal blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg. The first number represents the systolic pressure. This is the maximum pressure in your arteries that is created during the contraction of the left ventricle. The second number represents the diastolic blood pressure. The diastolic pressure is the measurement of the pressure in the arteries when the heart relaxes. When blood pressure keeps high (more than 140/90 mmHg) you are definitely having high blood pressure. With high blood pressure, the heart works harder, your arteries take a beating, and your chances of a stroke, heart attack, and kidney problems are greater.

You may not have any symptoms of high blood pressure that is why it is called the silent killer. Some symptom you can watch out for are the following. Ringing in your ears. Present head aches. Pain in your chest, abdominal area or lower back. Excessive fluid retention. Heart palpation or irregular heart beat at rest.

There are three main diseases caused by high blood pressure. They are each life threatening and they may or may not have any symptoms other than you having high blood pressure. Many drug stores and grocery stories have blood pressure monitoring machines available to the general public for free. You should check you blood pressure every time you have you see one of these machines.

It is necessary to note that high blood pressure is inseparably connected with some other diseases and conditions, among which are: aneurysm, kidney damage, coronary heart disease, and some others.

Aneurysm

High blood pressure will create a lot of strain on your heart and arteries. Over time the walls of the arteries will weaken and an aneurysm will result. The arteries of the human body have three layers. Then the tough outer layer of connective tissue splits and allows the two inner layers of the blood vessel balloon or bulge out an aneurysm is formed. Its like a tire of an automobile that has split allowing the inner tube to balloon outside of the protective outer tire. If the high blood pressure is allow to continue it is only a mater of time before the aneurysm explodes.

Kidney Damage

Your kidneys are responsible for filtering the waste products from the blood stream that passes through them and to remove excess fluid. High blood pressure can damage the kidneys causing them to become less efficient. When the kidneys stop removing excessive fluid from the blood stream the heart will have to work harder, which in turn will cause even higher blood pressure. It is very important to break this vicious cycle as soon as possible. When a complete shutdown of the functions of the kidney or renal failure occurs, you will need to have kidney dialysis or a kidney transplant in order to survive.

Coronary Heart Disease

The same plaque that blocks arteries to the brain can clog arteries that feed the heart causing coronary heart disease. All cells need oxygen from the bloodstream to survive, so reducing the amount of blood to the heart muscle can severely weaken or damage the heart muscle. If a blood clot blocks one of these coronary arteries of the heart, a heart attack can occur. If the blood is blocked for an extended time some of the cells of the heart will die. When too many of the cells of the heart die the heart can not pump oxygenated blood throughout the body very well and this can lead to other problems with the other organs of the human body and even death.