High blood pressure is a growing concern in today’s generation. High blood is also known as a silent killer as it can put you at a greater risk of other diseases. Even knowing the potential harms of high blood pressure, it still goes untreated and unnoticed by the people who suffer from it. So, today, I am going to share some interesting and important facts about high blood pressure.
So, let’s get started.
The Symptoms of High Blood Pressure May Not be Noticeable
According to the Heart specialist in Lahore, blood pressure is measured by the force of the blood in the circulatory system. High blood pressure on the other hand is the health condition in which the blood puts extra force on the organs and arteries of your body. For this reason, high bp is known as a “silent killer”. Every year, high bp is the culprit of thousands of deaths worldwide. But, half of the patients know they suffer from high bp issues. The reason is that the signs and symptoms of high bp are not easy to detect. Some of the most common symptoms that high bp patients show are heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness and chest pain.
- Anxiety Can Cause High BP
Mental health is equally as important as physical health. Most of the time, we neglect our mental health which is not a good sign. In the case of high bp, anxiety can trigger it severely and can damage blood vessels and your heart. So, if someone is suffering from anxiety or depression then the risk of high blood pressure is increased.
- Normal Range of Blood Pressure is Lower Than Before
You might be thinking how is that even possible? Right?! Well, according to the American Heart Association, the blood pressure guidelines have been updated since 2017. In old guidelines, your normal blood pressure would be 90 diastolic pressure and 140 systolic pressure. But, in the new guideline, this limit is lowered and it is now 130/80 i.e. normal blood pressure range. Now, since the range of normal BP has dropped then this means more people are prone to high blood pressure.
- White Coat High Blood Pressure is Real
You must have known certain individuals who get a sudden rise in blood pressure in any medical setup. Well, interestingly this phenomenon is real. This type of high blood pressure may not tell your exact health but it shouldn’t be taken lightly. According to the studies, people who suffer from this “white-coat hypertension” issue, have a higher chance of developing heart-related disease and disorders. The reason is that people who suffer from this issue are more prone to anxiety, which again can lead to various cardiovascular issues.
- Reduce the Intake of Salt
Salt or food with high salt quantities can spike your blood pressure. The table salt i.e. sodium chloride accounts for 40% of the sodium. This salt is responsible for the retention of water in your body. More water in the body means extra pressure on the blood vessels due to high blood volume.
The doctors recommend that people suffering from high blood pressure should consume just about 1 teaspoon of the salt, which is equivalent to 2300 mg of salt. The doctors further suggest that such people should only consume 1500mg of salt in a day i.e. 3 quarters of a teaspoon.
- Female Hormone has an Ability to Protect against High Blood Pressure
Anyone can develop high blood pressure at any age. So, the rate of high blood pressure is common between men and women. However, after menopause when the women stop menstruating, their chances of suffering from high blood pressure is increased. The reason being due to a hormone in women i.e. estrogen in women. This hormone is responsible for boosting vascular health during the perimenopausal period. However, after menopause, its levels decrease.
- High BP can be Life-Threatening
Last, but not least, high bp can be life-threatening. This is because of the reason that high bp puts you at risk of various other health complications. Such as kidney, heart and brain diseases and disorders. So when a person suffers from high blood pressure, he or she is at great risk of chronic kidney failure, heart failure, heart attack, heart failure and even blindness. Therefore, manage your high bp and regular checkup from your doctor.