High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is becoming increasingly common in today’s world. The main reason for the prevalence of this life-threatening condition is highly attributed to lifestyle changes, eating habits, and external pressure from our everyday lives. Unfortunately, a significant number of patients suffering from hypertension barely know they have the condition. This is mainly because it hardly exhibits any initial symptoms. However, hypertension can eventually cause severe damage to your heart, blood vessels, and other organs. If left untreated, this condition paves the way for more severe complications such as heart attacks or strokes. This article will give you all the details you need on this ‘silent killer’ condition and its risk factors.
High Blood Pressure Explained
This is a condition that is characterized by your blood forcefully moving through your arteries. Typically, when your heart pumps blood to your arteries, it is expected to flow through steadily. However, for a hypertension victim, blood experiences some resistance in the arteries and instead forces itself through. This causes the blood to move around in very high pressure. When this happens over a long period of time, without any treatment, it causes serious health complications.
Risk Factors for High Blood Pressure
The good news is that hypertension can be treated. If detected early, it can be treated to prevent it from progressing to life-threatening stages. However, to obtain the best treatment plan, you need to understand the underlying cause of your hypertension. Here are some of the common causes of hypertension.
Unhealthy Lifestyle
An unhealthy lifestyle is, without a doubt, the leading cause of various chronic illnesses today. Typically, you are supposed to eat a healthy, balanced diet and stay active every day. But this is not always the case – it may not always be possible with our everyday busy lives to get a well-balanced meal or exercise every day. However, if you are mindful of your health, then you should be conscious of your lifestyle. Ensure you exercise regularly and cut out all unhealthy foods to keep your blood pressure regulated at all times.
Overweight or Obesity
This is another high-risk factor for hypertension. When you are obese, your body naturally requires more blood to sufficiently transport oxygen to various tissues of your body. This means an increase in the volume of blood passing through the arteries. In turn, it directly affects the pressure of your blood, therefore causing hypertension.
Your Stress Levels
High levels of stress can trigger a dramatic increase in your blood pressure. If you are constantly stressed, then you significantly increase your chances of hypertension. Despite a stressful situation, try as much as possible to remain calm and manage your stress levels. You can practice meditating or take up any calming activity to ensure you are always relaxed.
Chronic Kidney Disease
It is normal for some chronic illnesses to put you at risk of hypertension. Some diseases, such as kidney disease and diabetes, are the main culprits. If you have any of these chronic illnesses, you should seek treatment immediately to prevent them from interfering with your blood pressure.
Family History
You are not always the contributing factor for your hypertension. Sometimes, it runs in the family. If any of your family members has suffered hypertension before, then there is a high probability that you are also at risk. Visit your doctor regularly for check-ups so that it is detected early enough and you can start treatment.
Consuming Too Much Salt or Alcohol
The consumption of salt and alcohol should be done in moderation. Too much of it may pose a health risk to your body. Too much salt consumed regularly causes your body to retail a lot of fluid. This, in turn, affects your blood pressure. On the other hand, excessive consumption of alcohol damages your heart, thus exposing you to hypertension.