Blood pressure is the force applied against the artery walls as blood flows throughout the body. Most individuals with hypertension will experience no noticeable symptoms. As a result, irving high blood pressure is commonly known as a “silent killer.” Left untreated, the extra pressure on your artery walls could damage the blood vessels, resulting in heart disease. Several variables and factors can increase your likelihood of getting high blood pressure. Understanding these risk variables will help you recognize minor fluctuations in blood pressure; thus, alerting you to physiologic abnormalities. Here are the leading risk factors for hypertension.
Age
Older persons are more likely to suffer hypertension than younger individuals. Typically, this risk is associated with various impacts of aging, including reduced blood vessel flexibility, enhanced sensitivity to salt and other dietary elements, and changes in hormones, like menopause. Thus, a person in their 30s might have mild to moderate high blood pressure, but it continues rising gradually with age.
Obesity
If you are obese, you will need more blood to supply nutrients and oxygen to your body. As such, obesity is often linked to high blood pressure, which also triggers several health conditions that might impact your general health and life expectancy. If you get a hypertension diagnosis, you should begin medication. However, you can observe considerable improvements once weight loss is paired with medicine. A BMI greater than 30 indicates obesity.
Family History
If you have hypertensive relatives, your risk of having the disease greatly increases. This family history could be linked to genetics and/or lifestyle choices. If hypertension runs in your family, you must take preventative actions to prevent comparable health problems.
Diet
Diet has a substantial impact on hypertension risk. Regular drinkers often have higher blood pressure than those who abstain. The excessive consumption of saturated fats and salt could also lead to hypertension. Avoiding or reducing your consumption of these substances can significantly lower your blood pressure.
Smoking
Smoking induces constriction of the blood arteries, leading to high blood pressure. It also decreases the oxygen saturation of the blood, forcing the heart to pump more quicker to keep up, resulting in high blood pressure.
Stress
In this fast-paced, increasingly demanding environment, stress management could practically save your life. The wear and tear of mental stress could severely affect blood pressure and general health with time. In times of high stress, it is typical for the heart rate to increase. In chronic stress conditions, though, the heart rate rarely returns to normal. This persistent stress might cause substantial damage if you do not take action to manage it.
Medication Side Effects
As a side effect, certain drugs like birth control pills, injectable and oral steroids, decongestants, stimulants, and some antidepressants can raise blood pressure. Consult your pharmacist or healthcare professional if your blood pressure suddenly increases. Occasionally, a minor drug adjustment could be beneficial dataromas.
While high blood pressure is quite common, it is easily treatable. If you have just been diagnosed with hypertension, your therapy will vary based on various factors. These variables include the seriousness of your hypertension and the drug your physician believes will be most effective. Luckily, hypertension is often treatable with lifestyle adjustments, such as dietary changes, reduced alcohol consumption, enhanced physical activity, and more. Unfortunately, because hypertension frequently does not present noticeable symptoms, you should have your blood pressure checked during annual physicals.
