Everything You Need To Know About Hypertension
Written By
Nishant Garund
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Varuni AgarwalDr. Varuni Agarwal is an esteemed Ayurvedic physician specializing in diagnosing diseases through Ayurvedic dosha imbalances and providing personalized treatments. She focuses on ahara (diet) and vihara (lifestyle) to manage and heal various ailments.
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that Hypertension is one of the leading causes of early deaths worldwide, not just in India. People frequently suffer from a health condition known as Hypertension (high blood pressure). It may appear like a typical health problem and nothing to worry about, as most of us have frequently heard of high blood pressure. However, it is now evident that one of the primary health problems contributing to developing other chronic diseases is Hypertension.
We must become aware of the widespread health issues and the measures we can take to avoid or cure them. Apart from this, you should also know the lifestyle changes you need to make in order to keep hypertension at bay. Also, does CBD for high blood pressure really work? Let’s find out!
Table of Contents
What is Hypertension?
Blood pressure can be defined as the force of your blood against the artery walls. Blood is transported from your heart to different body regions through arteries. Throughout the day, your blood pressure typically increases and decreases. Arteries increase the blood's resistance to flow. Your blood pressure reading is determined by the quantity of blood flowing through your blood vessels as well as the amount of resistance the blood faces while your heart pumps. Hypertension or high blood pressure refers to a condition where your blood pressure is consistently too high.
When your arteries constrict due to higher resistance, your blood pressure will rise. Long-term, the elevated pressure might lead to health problems like heart disease. When blood flows through arteries with more power than is deemed healthy, the condition is known as Hypertension or high blood pressure.
Blood vessels and artery walls might get damaged over time by excessive blood pressure. If left untreated, this might result in harmful complications and even death. Hypertension is prevalent, and usually takes several years for it to grow fully. You frequently don't even experience any symptoms.
Even if you don't have any symptoms, high blood pressure can still damage your blood vessels and organs. This makes early detection crucial. You can monitor any changes by taking routine blood pressure readings. If your blood pressure is high, your doctor may want you to check it periodically over a few weeks to see if it remains elevated or drops to normal levels.
Both prescription medicine and healthy lifestyle modifications are used to treat Hypertension. Untreated conditions might result in health problems like heart attacks and strokes.
Identifying the symptoms of Hypertension
Usually, high blood pressure does not show any overt signs. It is wise to be aware of them since symptoms may appear in sporadic instances when a person has extremely high blood pressure.
Headaches, chest pain, a pounding in the chest, neck, or ears, impaired vision, nosebleeds, and shortness of breath are just a few possible symptoms. If you experience any of these signs, see a doctor right once.
Primary & Secondary Hypertension: Know the difference
Essential Hypertension is another name for primary Hypertension. Adults experience this gradually and without a known cause. On the other hand, secondary Hypertension is Hypertension brought on by another medical condition or behaviour. This significantly raises blood pressure and causes several health problems.
Secondary and primary Hypertension can both happen without any apparent signs. Even when your blood pressure hits dangerously high levels, this is still true. There may be signs that your secondary Hypertension is the cause of your chronic high blood pressure. These consist of:
- medicine or previously effective medication not lowering blood pressure
- Very high blood pressure
- No family history of Hypertension
- Normal BMI
- Sudden onset of Hypertension
Many primary hypertension treatments and measures also work well to control secondary Hypertension. Making healthy lifestyle adjustments, such as altering your diet and engaging in regular exercise, can help you achieve this. Besides giving up harmful behaviours like smoking and binge drinking, practising stress management techniques like breathing exercises, yoga, and meditation is also beneficial. Studies have shown that supplements such as CBD oil can also assist with regulating blood pressure. Finding pure CBD oil for sale in India is now easier than ever. Do consult your doctor about the same. Your doctor can also suggest using drugs to loosen up your blood arteries and increase blood flow. It is advised that you have regular screenings so you may track your progress, and your doctor can modify your treatment plan as necessary.
Hypertension: Know these risk factors
The risk factors for Hypertension include age, family history, a high body mass index (BMI), a genetic predisposition, and food.
- Many factors, mainly primary Hypertension, contribute to high blood pressure as you age. Over the age of 65, women frequently develop high blood pressure.
- Blood flow will increase to provide oxygen to your tissues when your body weight rises. Your artery walls will now be under more pressure, resulting in Hypertension.
- You run the chance of inheriting Hypertension if your family has a history of the condition. However, it is unclear how this illness is passed down through genes because there is no obvious pattern.
- Sodium chloride is the only ingredient in table salt. Your body will retain fluids when you take too much sodium, which will inevitably raise your blood pressure.
- Your heart needs potassium to work well. It maintains a healthy level of salt in your body. If you ingest too little potassium or lose too much potassium from dehydration, your sodium levels will rise, and you'll develop Hypertension.
What consequences does high blood pressure have on the body?
When blood flows through arteries with more power than is deemed healthy, the condition is known as Hypertension or high blood pressure. Because Hypertension frequently goes unnoticed, it can harm your body for years before symptoms emerge. You could experience serious, potentially fatal effects from untreated Hypertension.
- Over time, Hypertension can harm the arteries, impairing the circulatory system. High blood pressure harm begins gradually and worsens over time. Your dangers increase the longer it goes undiagnosed or untreated. Your body's primary arteries and blood vessels transport blood to critical organs and tissues throughout the body. Atherosclerotic artery walls start to deteriorate when blood pressure rises.
- Osteoporosis, often known as bone loss, can be brought on by high blood pressure by increasing the amount of calcium your body excretes through urination. Women who have already experienced menopause are more vulnerable. Your bones become more brittle due to osteoporosis, making fractures and breaks more likely.
- In the long run, dementia and cognitive impairment may be influenced by high blood pressure. Memory and thinking issues are brought on by decreased blood supply to the brain. You can have trouble paying attention during conversations and understanding or remembering things. While many people take CBD oil for improved brain function, they are also beginning to realise the benefits of taking CBD for high blood pressure.
- High blood pressure can harm the larger blood arteries that lead to and the smaller blood vessels within your kidneys. This injury inhibits the kidneys from functioning correctly over time. Renal failure may result from this, which is referred to as kidney disease.
The Takeaway
Making lifestyle modifications can help many people with high blood pressure bring their levels into a healthy range or maintain them there. You should make sure to engage in regular physical activity each week. One should abstain from smoking, maintain a nutritious diet, limit sodium and salt, and stay away from alcohol. Additionally, it's critical to keep a healthy weight and control stress. CBD oil is one supplement that can help you manage stress and other such symptoms. Neet offers pure CBD oil for sale in India.
Some persons with high blood pressure need medication to regulate their blood pressure and adopt beneficial lifestyle changes. If you believe you have high blood pressure or have been told you do, but it is not under control, consult your doctor as soon as possible. You may help defend yourself against heart disease and stroke, sometimes referred to as a cardiovascular disease, by taking steps to lower your blood pressure.