In life, normal blood pressure is important. There would be no oxygen or nutrients distributed through our arteries to the tissues and organs without the friction that causes our blood to circulate throughout the circulatory system.
What is blood pressure?
The calculation of the force of blood pressing against the walls of blood vessels is called blood pressure.
At the beginning of its path from our heart, our blood pressure is highest (when it reaches the aorta) and it is lowest at the end of its path through increasingly smaller artery branches.
What allows blood to circulate through our bodies is this pressure difference.
Why blood pressure is important?
- It is an essential power, because without blood pressure, oxygen and nutrients will not be moved across our circulatory system to nourish tissues and organs.
- Blood pressure is also important since it supplies immunity to white blood cells and antibodies, and hormones such as insulin.
How blood pressure is measured?
A sphygmomanometer is a device used to measure blood pressure.
- It consists of a rubber armband known as a hand or computer pump cuff that is inflated.
- A reading is taken, either electronically or on an analogue dial, until the cuff is sufficiently inflated to avoid the pulse.
- The reading is expressed in terms of the tension it takes to transfer mercury against gravity around a tube. This is the rationale for the pressure being measured using the unit of mercury millimetres, abbreviated to mm Hg.
- A stethoscope detects the exact point when the sound of the pulse returns and steadily releases the pressure of the cuff.
Using the stethoscope helps the person to listen to the blood pressure measurement at two separate points.
1. Systolic pressure
During the brief ‘resting’ time between heartbeats, the systolic pressure is the higher figure induced by the heart contraction,
2. Diastolic pressure
The diastolic number is the lower pressure in the arteries.
Categories of blood pressure
Blood pressure can get excessively high and too low, too.
1. Normal blood pressure
The standard blood pressure or normal blood pressure cited by the The National Institutes of Health is:
Systolic: Below 120 mm Hg
Diastolic: 80 mm Hg.
2. High blood pressure
High blood pressure or hypertension is a common disorder in which the blood 's long-term force against your artery walls is high enough to potentially cause health complications, such as heart disease. Blood pressure is measured by both the amount of blood pumped by your heart and the amount of blood flow resistance in your arteries. The more your heart pumps blood and the thinner your arteries, the higher your blood pressure will be.
3. Low blood pressure
Low blood pressure or hypotension is a condition in which the blood pressure becomes so low that symptoms such as dizziness, fainting, nausea , vomiting, and chest pain are caused by blood redistribution to the organs in the body. Heart disease, antibiotics, and dehydration are possible causes.
Blood pressure chart
| Blood Pressure Category | Systolic (mm Hg) Upper# | Diastolic (mm Hg) Lower# | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low blood pressure (Hypotension) | Less than 90 | and | Lower than 60 |
| Normal | 90 to 120 | and | 60 to 80 |
| Prehypertension | 120 to 139 | and | 80 to 89 |
| High blood pressure(Hypertension)Stage 1 | 140 to 159 | and | 90 to 99 |
| High blood pressure(Hypertension)Stage 2 | 160 or higher | and | 100 or higher |
| High blood pressure crisis(Seek emergency care) | 180 or higher | and | 110 or higher |
Symptoms of high blood pressure
Most people with high blood pressure would have no symptoms, which is why people sometimes call it as the “silent killer” hypertension.
It will become a hypertensive crisis, which is a medical emergency, once blood pressure exceeds around 180/120 mm Hg.
At this point, an individual may have:
- Headaches
- Nausea and illness
- By vomiting
- Dizziness, vertigo
- Over- or blurred vision
- Nosebleeds Bleeds
- Palpitations in the heart
- Airlessness
Anyone having these symptoms should immediately see a doctor.
Rest of symptoms vary with the different age groups.
Symptoms among different age groups
1. Symptoms in babies
As a consequence of an underlying health disorder, such as kidney or heart disease, newborns and very young babies may also have elevated blood pressure.
There are signs that may include:
- A failure to flourish
- Cardiac arrest
- Irritability/rashes
- Lethargy: restlessness
- Respiratory Pain/distress
2. Symptoms in children
Kids may be affected by high blood pressure. The risk increases with obesity and diabetes, but it may also be a sign of:
- About a tumour
- Problems with the heart
- Kidney Issues
- Problems with thyroids
- A hereditary disorder like Cushing’s syndrome
3. Symptoms in teens
Owing to obesity or an underlying medical condition, adolescents may experience high blood pressure.
Possible medical reasons include:
- Elements of metabolic syndrome, such as diabetes type 2
- Renal(kidney) disorder
- Endocrine disorder that affects hormones
- Vascular disease that affects the vessels in the blood
- A Psychiatric Disease
4. Symptoms in women
Hormonal causes suggest that in males and females, the risk of high blood pressure can be different.
Factors that may raise the risk of females getting high blood pressure include:
- Having pregnant
- Menopause Rises
- The use of pills for birth control
- High blood pressure during pregnancy may be a sign of preeclampsia, a potentially harmful condition that can affect a woman and her unborn child.
Causes of high blood pressure
When certain changes happen in the body or if a person is born with unique genetic features that cause a health disorder, high blood pressure may occur.
It can influence individuals who have:
- Malnutrition-Obesity
- Diabetes Type 2
- Renal disorder
- Obstructive Apnea of Sleep
- Lupus thyroid problems
- Multiple sclerosis-Scleroderma
- Thyroid underactive or overactive
- Congenital disorders, such as acromegaly, Cushing syndrome, or hypothyroidism
Often, no clear cause occurs. In this case, primary hypertension is diagnosed by a doctor.
The risk is also raised by:
- Eating a high fat diet
- Carrying extra weight
- Drinking a lot of alcohol
- Smoking tobacco
- The use of certain drugs.
Side effects of high blood pressure
For maintaining bodily functions, a healthy blood pressure is important. High blood pressure can affect the human body seriously.
It has a lot of effect on different body functions and parts such as:
1. Effect on cardiovascular system
High blood pressure can cause hardening of the arteries, raising the risk of obstruction(blockage).
2. Effect on heart
Blockage can decrease the flow of blood to the heart, thus raising the risk of angina, heart failure or heart attack.
3. Effect on Kidneys
Kidney damage and chronic kidney disease may result from high blood pressure.
4. Effect on Brain
High blood pressure effects brain severely. Blockage of the arteries can decrease or prevent the flow of blood to the brain, resulting in a stroke.
How to control high blood pressure
There are a lot of ways to control high blood pressure but depending on how serious the hypertension is and if complications occur, such as kidney failure, the options can vary over time. A combination of several different drugs may be needed by certain individuals.
When blood pressure rises, the doctor will prescribe various medications. They may recommend making lifestyle changes and monitoring your blood pressure for slightly elevated blood pressure.
1. Treatment through medications
A number of factors can depend on treatment, including:
- How high the pressure in the blood is
- The possibility of stroke or cardiovascular disease
1. Inhibitors of Renin
The output of renin, an enzyme that the kidneys use, is decreased by Aliskiren (Tekturna, Rasilez).
Renin contributes to the development of a hormone that narrows blood vessels and increases blood pressure. This hormone reduction causes the blood vessels to expand and blood pressure to decrease.
Side effects
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness, vertigo
- Symptoms similar to the flu
- Tiredness
- Uh, a cough
2. Calcium channel blockers (CCBs)
The goal of calcium channel blockers (CCBs) is to reduce blood vessel calcium levels. This will relax the smooth vascular muscle, causing the muscle to contract less forcefully, to widen the arteries, and to decrease blood pressure.
Note
For individuals with a history of heart disease, liver disease, or circulation problems, CCBs may not always be appropriate. A physician may advise on the use of CCBs and which type of CCB is safe to use.
3. Inhibitors of angiotensin converting enzymes
Inhibitors of the angiotensin converting enzyme ( ACE) inhibit the activities of some blood pressure controlling hormones, such as angiotensin II. Angiotensin II induces constriction of the arteries and raises the volume of blood, resulting in elevated blood pressure.
Note
People in the following conditions should not take ACE
- Pregnancy
- Kidney issues
2. Healthy diet
The basis of good health is a healthy , well-balanced diet, combined with physical activity and refraining from smoking.
Maintaining a healthy diet can automatically result in balanced blood pressure and prevents future risks of high BP.
Foods that help in lowering the blood pressure
Following are some of the healthy diets you should add in your routine.
1. Vegetables
Lots of fruits and vegetables, vegetable and omega oils, and high quality, unrefined carbohydrates, such as whole grains, are included in a healthy , balanced diet. Individuals who have animal products in their diet can cut out all the fat and avoid processed meats.
2. The diet from DASH
The DASH diet for individuals with high blood pressure is advised by health experts. A food plan that emphasises whole grains , fruits, vegetables , nuts , seeds, beans, and low-fat dairy products is the emphasis of the DASH diet.
3. Avoiding alcohol
Some studies suggest that it can help lower blood pressure to drink some alcohol. Others, however, report the contrary, noting that even drinking a small amount could raise levels of blood pressure.
People who drink more than moderate amounts of alcohol daily will almost always experience elevated levels of blood pressure. This is why it is important to neglect the intake of alcohol.
4. Less salt intake
In people with hypertension, reducing salt consumption to less than 5–6 gram per day might help improve cardiovascular health and reduce systolic blood pressure by 5.6 mm Hg.
Home remedies to deal with high blood pressure
By using home remedies, high blood pressure can be managed to a great degree without any side effects.
Let us take a look at these natural hypertension remedies.
1. Vitamin D
When individuals spend less time outside, people become deficient in vitamin D, and vitamin D has proven to be the best cure to deal with high blood pressure.
Vitamin D can be found in foods like:
- Egg yolks
- Fish
- Mushrooms
- Cow’s milk
- Orange juice
- Cereal and oatmeal
2. Basil leaves
Basil is another effective remedy that contains systolic and diastolic forms for high blood pressure. In order to reduce blood pressure, the recommended dosage for basil leaf extract consumption is 100-400 mg / kg.
How to prepare
Ingredients
Basil leaves
Water
Directions
- Take some fresh leaves of basil and then finely crush them to remove the juice.
- Take a glass of water and mix it with this herbal juice.
- Only mix it well.
- Drink the concoction here.
- In order to get relief from hypertension, take it daily.
3. Lemon juice
Lemon is well-known for its high content of vitamin C, which will help reduce the potential to get heart disease, particularly when you regularly drink this lemon juice. The higher the amount of lemon juice consumed, the lower the systolic blood pressure. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can neutralise the destructive effects of free radicals in your blood and heart effectively.
How to prepare
Ingredients
Lemon squeezer
Half lemon
Warm glass of water
Directions
- Take half a lemon and remove the juice using a lemon squeezer.
- Add this juice to the hot water and stir well with it.
- Drink this water on an empty stomach in the morning to lower your blood pressure and maintain your body’s correct blood pressure levels.
- Follow this process in the morning, every day.
Note:
Do not add any salt or sugar to it.
4. Garlic
Several studies have shown that garlic is used to effectively minimise hypertension. In regulating hypertension and reducing cholesterol levels, both cooked and raw garlic help. It can also stimulate hydrogen sulphide and nitric oxide production. Consequently, it will allow blood vessels to relax.
How to prepare
Ingredients
Garlic clove
1 cup of milk
Directions
- Take some of the garlic cloves and then you can use your hands to finely grind them.
- In order to cure your blood pressure issues, eat these garlic cloves.
- You should combine these garlic cloves with a cup of milk if you are unable to eat raw garlic or if you have any burning sensations.
- Only mix it well.
- Take this milk daily to get rid of your symptoms of hypertension and improve your heart 's function.
5. Coconut water
It includes potassium and magnesium, both of which are related to the normal operation of muscles, and the heart is a massive giant muscle, of course. While some limited research on the effect of coconut water on hypertension have been performed, several individuals say anecdotally that it has helped lower blood pressure.
Directions
- Drink 8 ounces once or twice everyday.
- If you drink it once a day, morning is perfect, while morning and night fit well if you choose to drink it twice a day.
6. Regular exercise or yoga
Exercise helps in muscle movements and smooth flow of blood which automatically helps in balanced blood pressure level. It also helps in good digestion which is obviously proportional to digestion of fats.
People can do physical activity of moderate intensity for at least 150 minutes a week.
On 5 days of the week, this could be 30 minutes or three lots of 10 minutes a day. For individuals with high blood pressure, this amount of exercise is also sufficient.
7. Weight loss
The efficacy of blood pressure drugs can also be increased by weight loss.
Ways of keeping a healthy weight and sustaining or losing weight effectively it include:
- Exercise daily
- Following a diet that emphasises foods based on plants
- Restrict the consumption of fat and sugar
8. Proper sleep schedule
Hypertension can not be cured by increasing sleep alone, but too little sleep and poor quality of sleep can make it worse.
Sleeping on time helps in:
- Good Digestion
- Mental peace
- Proper blood flow and body functioning
- Lower blood pressure
Frequently asked questions
1. Is blood pressure genetic?
It is likely that the key risk factors for high blood pressure are environmental factors, although genetic factors can play a role. Hypertension can happen in families, and there tends to be a greater risk for people with certain ethnic and racial backgrounds.
2. Is it dangerous to take decongestants during high blood pressure?
When people have a stuffy or runny nose, decongestants are a beneficial over-the-counter treatment, but certain decongestants can boost blood pressure.
3. How much salt intake for people with high blood pressure is recommended?
People should restrict their consumption of salt to no more than 2,300 milligrams( mg) per day, preferably to 1,500 mg per day if they have high blood pressure issues.
4. What are possible complications of high blood pressure if proper treatment is not done on time?
Many health problems may be avoided by pursuing early care and blood pressure control.
Possible high blood pressure risks include:
- Stroke
- Cardiac arrest and cardiac failure
- Clots of blood
- Aneurysm Aneurysm
- Renal disorder
- In the eyes, thickened, narrow, or broken blood vessels
- Syndrome of metabolism
- Brain characteristics and difficulties with memory
5. When to see a doctor?
There are no signs in certain persons with high blood pressure. They need to have regular screening for this purpose, particularly those with a higher risk.
It will become a hypertensive crisis , which is a medical emergency, once blood pressure exceeds around 180/120 mm Hg this is why checkup or screening with a certain period is important specially for the people of age above 40.
Conclusion
A cardiovascular ailment is elevated blood pressure and is also known as hypertension. High blood pressure results from constantly rising blood pressure in the arteries. You are at risk of high blood pressure whether you are overweight , obese, or older than you are. It can lead to eye and brain damage, kidney failure, strokes and heart attacks if left untreated. By bringing in lifestyle improvements, hypertension can be reduced.
You can treat this disease with the natural ingredients, obtainable in your kitchen. Natural home remedies with no side effects to reduce high blood pressure. Although we list the scientific evidence, conventional home remedies are the recipes we’ve concentrated on, so proceed with caution depending on your blood pressure status.
Always consult the doctor and take your blood pressure regularly to know if a remedy is working for you.