Know Your Risks: High Blood Pressure Factors

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension in medical language, affects millions of lives today. Today, 1 in 4 Indians has high blood pressure. 90% of adults in India either have undiagnosed hypertension or are diagnosed but not controlled. Such matrices demand you be aware of hypertension, its causes, signs, and risk factors, and how to manage it. This blog delves into the information about high blood pressure, from causes to management. Let’s explore more about it. 

Understanding High Blood Pressure 

Before exploring the risk factors of high blood pressure, we must understand it. High blood pressure happens when the pressure applied by the flowing blood in arteries is higher than usual. There are two essential terms in hypertension: systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure occurs when blood goes out of the heart, while diastolic blood pressure occurs when blood enters the heart. 

Blood pressure changes within a day, depending on various activities. Normal blood pressure is read at 120/ 80 mm of Hg (millimetres of mercury) for an average adult. The numerator in this ratio is systolic blood pressure, while the denominator is diastolic blood pressure. You are diagnosed with hypertension when your systolic blood pressure is read at 130 and above. 

Causes of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure usually manifests itself over time. It results from various actions or lifestyles you maintain with time. A few of the leading causes of hypertension are unhealthy lifestyles (no physical activity, smoking, alcohol) and chronic diseases like diabetes. Obesity is also one of the leading causes of hypertension in India. It is also developed during pregnancy. 

Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure usually doesn’t show any signs or symptoms. Many adults don’t know they have high blood pressure until they check. Regular health monitoring with age is essential to diagnose high blood pressure. 

Undiagnosed or uncontrolled high blood pressure can welcome severe health problems such as aneurysm, stroke, chronic kidney disease, eye damage, heart failure, peripheral artery disease, and vascular dementia. 

Risk Factors For High Blood Pressure

There are many factors that can increase the risk of hypertension. Some factors include dietary habits, age, obesity, family history, and gender. Let’s explore these risk factors. 

Age

Blood pressure increases as you age. The thickness and stiffness of our arteries increase as we age, thus causing blood to exert more pressure on their walls. These changes happen over time, increasing the risk of hypertension. These days, kids and teenagers are also getting affected by high blood pressure because of obesity. 

Family History

If you have a family history of high blood pressure, there is a high chance that you will get it later in life. Genetic studies have found that there are some genes linked to the development of hypertension later in life if it runs in your family. 

Obesity

It is one of the significant risk factors for high blood pressure. The more you weigh, the more your chances of suffering from high blood pressure are, as your body needs to supply more blood to various body parts. In obesity, because of high fat and cholesterol deposition in arteries, blood has to exert extra blood pressure on the walls, thus causing hypertension. 

High Salt Diet 

If you regularly consume high-salt food, it is not good for you. High salt causes the body to retain fluids and constrict the arteries, which can lead to hypertension. Try to consume salt in a limit to avoid health complications.

Potassium Deficient Diet

The role of potassium in your body is to balance the amount of sodium. If you consume high amounts of salt, potassium can help balance that salt. It also relaxes the smooth muscles in your arteries, thus lowering your blood pressure. Bananas are a natural source of potassium. Try to include bananas in your diet; they can help manage high blood pressure. 

Physical Inactivity

If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, it’s not good for you. Any physical activity, like walking, jogging, swimming, or cycling, can release natural chemicals or cytokines in your body that help relax blood pressure.

Alcohol consumption

Alcohol consumption can cause dehydration and constriction of your blood vessels, thus causing hypertension. It is better to consume within a limit or altogether avoid it. 

Stress

It is evident that with the increase in work pressure, we face stress in our lives. Most people try to balance that stress by getting involved in smoking, alcohol consumption and whatnot. All these lifestyle activities can increase hypertension. Try to balance stress by practising meditation, yoga and daily exercise. 

High Blood Pressure and Online Medicine Delivery

The rise of online pharmacies has made managing high blood pressure easy. These medicine apps allow you to order medicine online easily from the comfort of your home and provide great discounts, making online medicine delivery a wonderful experience. 

Takeaway

With the type of lifestyle we are leading these days, it is evident that we might be at high risk of hypertension. Hence, it is essential to be aware of its causes, symptoms, risk factors, and the tools that can help you manage it. Live a stress-free life, exercise regularly and try keep to high blood pressure away from you.

Also Read: Guidelines for Maintaining a Clean and Healthy Lifestyle