Blood pressure and its prevalence in United States

by Max Jones | May 30, 2015 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

About one third of the Americans are suffering from high blood pressure and it is the leading cause of death in United States. The deaths caused due to hypertension or high blood pressure has increased in past 13 years. These numbers have been reported by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This article pinpoints the various causes, symptoms of high blood pressure and some of the remedies for the same.
High blood pressure is also known as Hypertension. It is commonly referred as ‘silent killer’. In US nearly one out of three individuals is struggling from this health condition. Blood pressure means the force with which the blood flowing in the body pushes against the wall of the arteries. If this pressure remains too high for a long period of time then it might cause problems and might damage the body.

Although there is a decrease in the cases of deaths due to stroke, heart attack, congestive heart failure and end-stage kidney disease, but still the major condition behind most of these problems is Hypertension which is still very prevalent in United States.

Some fast facts of high blood pressure in US:

One out of three adults in US have high BP (that’s 29% of American adults)
Only half (50%) of those of 29% people suffering from hypertension have their BP under control
About one-third of the individuals in US have prehypertension

Common causes of High Blood Pressure:

There are various factors that can cause hypertension namely:

Family history (chances of getting High BP increases if the condition runs in families)
High intake of salt
Use of large amount of dietry sugar
Lack of exercise
Smoking
Being overweight or obese
Drinking large amount of alcohol
Some underlying helath conditions like diabetes, kidney problems, cushing syndrome etc. may also cause secondary hypertension
Use of nsaids, oral contraceptives, recreational drugs like cocaine and some herbal supplements can also lead to hypertesnsion

Some common symptoms of High Blood Pressure:

Hypertension usually does not have any symptoms and many people might have it without even having a hint of its presence. The only way to make sure that you have it is through a BP test. All adults should check their BP atleast once in 5 years.
In rare cases BP may have following symptoms:

Headaches
Blurred vision
Shortness of breath
Nose bleeds (often stated as a myth)
In addition to the above mentioned symptoms the patients may also complain of:
Severe headaches
Anxiety
Shortness of breath
Fascial flushing etc.

BP is largerly considered to be a symptomless disease, the above mentioned symptoms are thought to be myths by most of the doctors and researchers. Hence, one should never wait for symptoms to occur to warn you; instead you should carry the blood pressure test regularly to proetect yourself from the other ailments attached.

Some common remedies for high blood pressure are:

Watch your waistline and lose those extra pounds. Losing weight will make the medications for BP more effective and it will be easier for you to keep the blood pressure in a heathy range.
Do regular excersise to control BP. Doing workouts for 30-60 minutes 3-4 times a week can bring a great change in the blood pressures. Even some moderate and mild activities like walking and jogging can also help you in controlling your weight and thus your BP.
Reducing your sodium intake can bring down the elevated blood pressure. Limit sodium to 2,300 mg a day or less.
Limit your alcohol intake as it may reduce your blood pressure levels by 2-4 points
Cut down your caffeine intake to lower your hypertension and to bring the levels to normal. Some people sensitive to caffeine can check their sensitivity by checking the blood pressure within half an hour of drinking coffee.
Reducing your stress levels is yet another best remedy for hypertension because stress or anxiety may temeporarily increase your BP and reducing stress will reduce your anxiety levels too. To reduce the stress you can opt for yoga, meditation and massage etc.

Conclusion:

If your blood pressure is not in control, and medications are also failing then you must consult your doctor to make the adjustments in your diet and medications.The above given information including the causes and remedies about blood pressure might prove helpful for you.