High blood pressure (HBP)—also known as hypertension—affects millions of Americans. HBP is known as the “silent killer” because it slowly builds up with poor diet, and inactivity and does not have any symptoms. Over time, if the force of the blood flow through the arteries gets stretched beyond its healthy limit, health problems result. High blood pressure is normally controlled through a proper diet and regular exercise. High blood pressure normally isn’t immediately dangerous, but if your systolic pressure rises above 180 or your diastolic level is greater than 110, you should seek immediate medical help. As a silent killer, high blood pressure can permanently damage your heart, brain, eyes, and kidneys before you feel anything. High blood pressure can often lead to heart attack and heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, peripheral artery disease (PAD; a condition in which the blood does not flow freely through the arms and legs), and other health problems.

High blood pressure does not affect only those people who are anxious, nervous, or jittery all the time. People that are calm and relaxed can still have high blood pressure that needs medical attention. By keeping your blood pressure in a healthy range, you are reducing your risk of your vascular walls becoming overstretched and injured. You are also reducing your risk of your heart having to pump harder to make up for the blockages. Finally, good blood pressure rates protect your entire body so that your tissue receives regular supplies of blood that is rich in the oxygen it needs. High blood pressure can cause a variety of medical problems, including vascular weakness, vascular scarring, an increased risk of blood clots, an increased risk of plaque build-up in your arteries, tissue and organ damage from narrow and blocked arteries, and an increased workload on the circulatory system.

Factors that coexist with high blood pressure to cause you health problems include age, heredity (including race), overweight or obesity, smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, and lack of physical activity.

Because it doesn’t have symptoms, high blood pressure can cause serious health conditions. At the top of the list is damage to the heart and coronary arteries, including heart attack, heart disease, stroke, erectile dysfunction (impotence), congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis (the fatty buildups in the arteries that cause them to harden), kidney disease, memory loss, fluid in the lungs, angina, and vision problems that could end in blindness.

20 percent of people do not know that they have high blood pressure.  69 percent of people known to have high blood pressure are receiving treatment for it, while 31 percent are not. If you do not know your blood pressure, you should have your health care professional take it to assess your condition. Just because you feel fine does not mean that your blood pressure is not too high. The test is painless, non-invasive, and only takes a couple of minutes. But the information gleaned from those few minutes could  result in a finding of high blood pressure, appropriate treatment of it, and add years and quality to your life.

The ideal standard for blood pressure is no greater than 120/80 (mm/dL, which is short for millimeters of mercury per deciliter). The first number (120) measures the rate of pressure being put on your arteries when the heart is pumping (the systolic number). The second number (80) is called the diastolic number, the force upon your arteries when your heart is resting between beats.

Blood Pressure                  Systolic                           Diastolic

Category                             mm Hg                           mm Hg

(upper #)                         (lower #)

Normal                                less than 120     and          less than 80

Prehypertension                  120-139              or           80-89

High Blood Pressure           140-159              or            90-99

(Hypertension)

Stage 1

High Blood Pressure

(Hypertension)                  160 or higher       or            100 or higher

Stage 2

Hypertensive crisis

(Emergency medical            Higher than 180   or           higher than 110

care needed)

A single high reading does not mean that you have high blood pressure. However, if your blood pressure is usually 140/90 or higher, your doctor will want you to make lifestyle changes (such as eating more healthfully and getting more physical activity) and/or prescribe you medication, such as a beta blocker, an “ACE” inhibitor, or a calcium channel blocker. If your doctor prescribes medication for your high blood pressure, it is critical that you take it regularly, preferably at the same time of day every day, to keep your blood pressure normal. In addition to medication, your physician will advise you to eat a heart-healthy diet and get regular exercise.

Many people who have high blood pressure and have been prescribed medications by their doctors avoid taking the prescription medication and opt for homeopathic (natural) remedies alone. This is a dangerous practice. Today’s high blood pressure prescription medications work wonders in controlling high blood pressure, with little risks of adverse events or unpleasant side effects. Homeopathic remedies reduce blood pressure only a little, if at all, while the high blood pressure causes further damage to your cardiovascular system.  Modern medications can lower your risk of heart attack and blood vessel diseases, stroke, and kidney disease. You may have to take high blood pressure pills for the rest of your life, the alternative—an early death—makes it worth it.

If you have high blood pressure, you will need to monitor your use of other drugs, including over-the-counter drugs that you may think are harmless. If you have high blood pressure or are being treated for high blood pressure, let your physician know. Before you buy a cold or flu preparation, be forewarned that they probably contain a decongestant that can cause your blood pressure to rise. Talk to the pharmacist before buying and using the over-the-counter drug to ensure it will not affect your blood pressure or interfere with the workings of the drugs your physician has prescribed for you.

People with high blood pressure should keep their sodium intake at 1,500 milligrams (mgs.) per day from all sources.

If you get a blood pressure reading of 180 or higher for the systolic number (the top number, which is when the heart is pumping) or a reading of 110 or higher for the diastolic number (when your heart is at rest), you should wait a couple of minutes and retest yourself. If your numbers are still that high, call 911 immediately for prompt intervention.

If you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or are overweight, you must adopt a heart healthy lifestyle to reach an optimum state of health. You do not need just to go on a diet; you need to make some serious lifestyle changes. Lifestyle modifications include:

• Eating a heart-healthy diet, which may include reducing or eliminating salt (in some people, sodium increases blood pressure because it holds excess fluid in the body, placing an added burden on your heart)
• Getting regular physical exercise
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Manage stress
• Limit your alcohol intake (two glasses a day for men, one for women)
• Stop smoking and try to stay away from places where people smoke
• If your doctor has prescribe medication to manage your high blood pressure, be sure to take it regularly and according to your doctor’s directions
• Eat foods high in potassium; a diet that includes natural sources of potassium is important in controlling blood pressure because it blunts the effects of sodium. Potassium-rich foods include sweet potatoes, potatoes, greens, spinach, mushrooms lima beans, beans, bananas, tomatos (including juice or sauce), oranges and orange juice, cantaloupe, grapefruit, fat-free or low fat (1 percent) milk fat-free yogurt, halibut, and tuna.

The above-listed lifestyle changes should be followed by everyone whose blood pressure falls in the pre-hypertensive state (systolic number between 120 and 139 mm/dL or diastolic number between 80 and 89 mm/dL), or even by people who have normal blood pressure levels as a preventive measure. If you have high blood pressure, the goal of treatment is not simply to bring it within acceptable ranges. You must be conscious of your blood pressure levels for the rest of your life.

Stroke

Hjgh blood pressure is the single largest risk factor for stroke. Stroke is the number 3 killer in the United States and one of the leading causes of disability. If you have a stroke, recovery is difficult at best and you could be disabled for the rest of your life. People who are at risk for stroke should eliminate as much as possible salt from their diet, take their medications as prescribed by the doctor and get plenty of exercise. The goal is to reduce one’s blood pressure to less than 120/80 mm Hg.

Hjgh blood pressure is the single largest risk factor for stroke. Stroke is the number 3 killer in the United States and one of the leading causes of disability. If you have a stroke, recovery is difficult at best and you could be disabled for the rest of your life. People who are at risk for stroke should eliminate as much as possible salt from their diet, take their medications as prescribed by the doctor and get plenty of exercise. The goal is to reduce one’s blood pressure to less than 120/80 mmHg.

Primary Pulmonary Hypertension

When we speak of high blood pressure, we normally refer to the pressure in the arteries in the arms, legs, etc. Pulmonary hypertension, on the other hand, refers to the pressure in the arteries flowing from the lungs to the heart. The lungs reoxygenate the blood and send the oxygen-rich blood to the heart, which pumps it out to the rest of the body. The heart is made up of four chambers. The top right chamber (atrium) is where blood that has distributed its oxygen goes, which then pumps it to the lower right chamber (ventricle). The lower right chamber then pumps the blood into the lungs, where it takes on oxygen. The reoxygenated blood is then sent to the upper left chamber, where it is held until it passes to the bottom left chamber, which pumps the blood into the arteries. The lower left chamber (ventricle) is the workhorse of the blood/heart system.

The pulmonary arteries that supply the lungs can constrict and their walls may harden so that they can’t carry much blood. The pressure builds up and the heart works harder, trying to force the blood through. If the pressure is high enough, ultimately the heart can’t keep up and less blood can circulate through the lungs to pick up oxygen. A person suffering from pulmonary hypertension may experience fatigue, dizziness, or shortness of breath. In the first stage, the person may feel that he or she is simply “out of shape” because general fatigue and tiredness are often the first symptoms. As the condition gets worse, you may experience swelling in the legs or ankles, bluish discoloration of the lips and skin, and chest pains. These symptoms indicate that your body is not circulating enough oxygen-rich blood from your lungs that needs treatment.

Primary pulmonary hypertension is a rare condition, and its diagnosis is often delayed by the slow onset of symptoms, many of which are symptomatic of other conditions. There are only about 500 to 1,000 new cases of primary pulmonary hypertension diagnosed each year, the majority of cases involving women between the ages of 21 and 40.

People with primary pulmonary hypertension should not smoke, they should avoid high altitudes, engage in physical activity only after discussing the situation with the doctor, be informed about which over-the-counter drugs they can take or ask the pharmacist, and get prompt antibiotic treatment for respiratory tract infections, pneumonia, and the flu. Women with primary pulmonary hypertension should avoid getting pregnant by practicing a safe and effective method of contraception. However, they should avoid oral contraceptives (the “pill”) as they can aggravate primary pulmonary hypertension. Doctors recommend that the most effective form of avoid pregnancy in women with PPH is surgical sterilization.

Low Blood Pressure

Can your blood pressure be too low? Generally, if you are not experiencing any symptoms from your low pressure, it is not a problem and may in fact lengthen your life. However, if it gets so low that you can’t stand without passing out (fainting is medically called “syncope,” and results from too little blood getting to the brain because of low blood pressure), you are dizzy or lightheaded, dehydration and unusual thirst, lack of concentration, blurred vision, nausea, cold, clammy, and pale skin, rapid, shallow breathing, fatigue, or depression, you should promptly seek medical attention.

When two or more drugs are being by the patient, the person may experience lightheadedness when moving from a prone or sitting position to standing up. This type of low blood pressure is called orthostatic hypotension. It can be dangerous because if the person faints (“syncope” in medical terms)), he may hit his head on a hard surface, causing injury. If you have been prescribed two or more drugs and are experiencing lightheadedness or even fainting, call your doctor. She will probably tell you to stand up slowly, in stages. If you are fainting because of the interaction of two or more drugs and getting up slowly is not helping any, call your doctor and he can prescribe alternate medications that hopefully won’t have the same side effects. . Because there are so many good drugs available, work with your doctor to find the drug that provides the best results with the least side effects.