Living With High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of heart disease, stroke and heart attacks, and yet, thousands of people walking around with high blood pressure do not even realize that they have it. Experts sometimes call this condition hypertension, but no matter what you call it, it is bad for your heart and your health.

Nutrients
Because your blood carries nutrients to every organ system and tissue in your body, it is important to make sure that you keep your heart and blood vessels in good working order.

High blood pressure can prevent your heart from working efficiently and can compromise cells and tissues that need oxygen and other nutrients that are circulated through enough heart pumping action.

Your heart pumps about five quarts of blood throughout your body, from the heart muscle itself to the tiniest capillary on the tip of your little toe. Without such circulation, body cells, tissues and organs would soon die.

Clogged Blood Vessels
If your blood vessels are clogged or blocked, blood flow can be inadequate for the needs of such body cells and tissues. Such blockages cause the pressure in the arteries and veins to increase as the heart tries to pump the blood through those narrowed or clogged vessels. The result is high blood pressure, which causes the increase of pressure in arteries and veins that can lead to damage. If left unchecked, high blood pressure can cause devastating conditions.

Unfortunately, there are no real symptoms of high blood pressure until after damage has occurred, which is why many people call high blood pressure, or hypertension, 'the silent killer'. There are things you can do however, to ensure that you keep both your heart and your arteries in good working order. One of those is to eat properly and to get plenty of exercise. Having your blood pressure checked regularly also helps to prevent the results of high blood pressure such as strokes, coronary heart disease and heart attacks.

Who Gets High Blood Pressure
Picture high blood pressure this way: if you squeeze a tube of toothpaste, the paste will flow normally when the tip of the tube is clean. If old, dried toothpaste clogs the tip of the tube , you have to squeeze harder to get the toothpaste out. Your blood vessels work the same way. Have you ever had the toothpaste tube spring a leak when the tip is clogged? Imagine what such pressure can do to your heart. Remember that high blood pressure can occur in males and females and in all age groups. Some teenagers also suffer from high blood pressure, as well as older adults.

High blood pressure can be treated, which means taking control of your living habits. If you suspect that you may have high blood pressure, visit your doctor to get a reading. If it's high, your doctor will advise you on steps you can take to lower it. Don't waste time when it comes to your heart. You only have one of them and they do not last forever. Do not let your heart work harder than it has to.

More Topics:
Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure - NHLBI
Learn all about high blood pressure and its treatment, from the National High Blood Pressure Education Program of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.