What you need to know about high-blood pressure

Many of you might have heard of hypertension which is better known as high blood pressure. But what exactly is it ? It is a long-term medical condition where your blood pressure which is the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels, is consistently too high.

Your blood vessels are flexible – it relaxes and constricts to keep blood flowing smoothly. Due to the heart pumping mechanism, the blood vessels constantly receive forces pushing against the sides of the vessels. Your blood pressure is determined both by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.

In the long run, even if you do not feel anything externally, the constant abnormal high blood pressure can lead to the damage of organs such as the kidneys, heart and brain. Fortunately, it can be easily detected and managed properly with help from doctors. 

Most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms, even if their blood pressure readings are at dangerously high levels. Those that do will sometimes experience:

• Severe headaches
• Fatigue
• Vision problems
• Chest pain
• Difficulty breathing
• Irregular heartbeat
• Blood in the urine
• Pounding in the chest, neck, or ears

A variety of factors can put you at a greater risk for developing high blood pressure and understanding these risks can help you be more aware of how likely you are to develop it.

• Family history 

If your parents or other close blood relatives have high blood pressure, there is an increased chance that you will get it too.

• Age

The older you are, the more likely you are to get high blood pressure because as we age, our blood vessels gradually lose some of their elastic quality, which can contribute to increased blood pressure. But there have been recorded cases of high blood pressure afflicting younger people as well. 

• Lifestyle

One of the factors that you can change to improve your odds against high blood pressure is your lifestyle. Unhealthy habits like a diet full of sodium and high cholesterol can strain your heart, clog up your blood vessels and increase blood pressure. Smoking and drinking too much alcohol can cause heart failure, stroke and an irregular heartbeat which affects your blood pressure as well.