What Hypertension Signs and Symptoms Are There?
Hypertension is a sign of impending health problems for the people who experience it, but before it progresses into more serious issues, there are often a collection of negative effects that signal the coming problems.
Sometimes There Are No Signs
In previous decades, doctors made the incorrect assumption that hypertension was something that was always symptomatic.
However, more recent discoveries have revealed that you may not be able to detect hypertension with actually getting checked out.
Check your family history to see if you have any family members who have suffered from hypertension or high blood pressure.
If you have a parent, uncle, or grandparent that has dealt with hypertension, the likelihood that you are susceptible is extremely high.
Signs & Symptoms #1 – Your Hearing Changes Suddenly
Have you ever been sitting and relaxing quietly when your hearing suddenly drops out for a moment?
A lot of times that can be a sign that your blood pressure has changed.
When your heart has to work extra hard to force blood through your blood vessels, the extra pressure it exerts can place extra strain on your ear drum making it less sensitive for a moment.
Fatty plaque can also become trapped in the tiny blood vessels of your ears, making hearing loss a more permanent experience.
Signs and Symptoms #2 – HEAD RUSH, HEADACHE or Blurry Vision
Sometimes when you get up too fast, you may get slightly light headed.
This is a normal occurrence for most people, but if it’s happening often, then you should get your blood pressure checked.
When you are stationary, blood pools wherever it can sit.
This means that when you stand, the blood with rush to reposition itself in your body, then creating a somewhat unpleasant sensation.
This can cause headaches or blurry vision depending on how healthy your arteries are.
If you have experienced any of these types of issues, it would be a good idea to get checked out.
What Are the Potential Causes?
Despite what was previously believed, a person can live with hypertension for quite some time without exhibiting any form of symptoms.
A Glitch In Your Genetics
Over the last few decades, science has begun to finally be able to detangle the threads of DNA to discover what kinds of illnesses or conditions each person may be predisposed to during their life.
Before that, the doctor’s best way to narrow down the list of possible causes for ailments came in the form of simply asking what health problems are common to their family members.
This knowledge allowed them to make better guesses about treatments and eliminate solutions that are unlikely to be of any help.
Your Habits
If you drink or smoke, you will be at high risk for hypertension. Especially if you engage in both activities.
Smoking contributes heavily to the hardening of the arteries, and hard arteries don’t flex as much which exponentially raise the chances of life threatening strokes.
This is because arteries that burst are much harder to fix than arteries that have blockage.
A hemorrhaging artery in or near the brain is life-threatenig.
Not Enough Physical Activity
A sedentary lifestyle can be one of the worst things for high blood pressure.
When you aren’t active enough, the fluids that help to cleanse and pump through your body such as lymph are unable to carry toxins, wastes and other undesirable matter to disposal sites.
Arteries lose their elasticity when you don’t move enough, and it can also lead to the slow buildup of arterial plaque from unchecked cholesterol.
What Happens to Your Body When You Have Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)?
You are said to have hypertension when your heart has to work harder to pump blood through your arteries and veins.
This is often caused by some form of restriction of blood flow due to either the heavy presence of blood borne fat, or by the actual physical constriction of the blood vessels.
How to Measure Hypertension?
When you are getting your blood pressure checked, the most common healthy levels should be under 120 systolic and under 80 diastolic.
If you haven’t been monitoring your blood pressure, and it’s beginning to become unhealthy, you may find yourself at 140-159 systolic or 90-99 diastolic.
This is considered to be stage 1 high blood pressure. If you are at 160 and above systolic or 100 or above diastolic, you would be considered stage 2 blood pressure.
Anything above 180 systolic or above 110 diastolic would be considered a life-threatening emergency, or hypertensive crisis.
See also New high blood pressure guidelines: Think your blood pressure is fine? Think again…
Hypertension Treatment Options
One of the key parts of health is making sure that your body has enough of the important nutrients to fuel you.
Getting the necessary vitamins and minerals can help your circulatory system to reduce inflammation that could be the result of any number of outside influences.
Another important part of nutrition is the ingestion of soluble fats that help to absorb and carry away fats in the blood stream so it can be removed.
The best part about many of the following treatments though, is that there are little to no side effects, so you have fewer chances of a bad reaction.
Fish Oil
This oil comes from fish, and is very high in omega 3 fatty acids.
These amazing antioxidant rich pills help your veins and arteries to stay elastic, and the fatty acids help to break down deposits of plaque and cholesterol.
One or two a day can significantly impact your cholesterol and help the body to eliminate free floating saturated fats.
Green Tea
Tea is an antioxidant rich drink that can help you to improve your health over time.
Studies have shown that people who consumed two cups of tea a day were able to significantly improve their cholesterol levels.
Green tea is also anti-inflammatory, and can help irritated arteries to relax and widen.
One study was able to see that after 3 weeks of tea consumption, arterial diameter was nearly doubled.
Lycopene
Although you can find lycopene in nearly any fruit or vegetable, tomatoes are currently known to have the highest concentration of this amazing chemical.
Lycopene research has concluded that lycopene was extremely effective at breaking down dangerous blockages and deposits of fat in the arteries.
This makes it an excellent way to prevent stroke and reduce the chance of a heart attack.
Garlic
For at least 2000 years, garlic has been used in medicines and remedies of all sorts.
Today we realize that it’s properties and benefits go far beyond flavoring your flavoring.
Garlic is now well known for its ability to lower triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood.
Get Some Exercise
Exercise has always been known to be very effective in fighting high blood pressure.
When you get a chance to engage in vigorous activity, a sustained increase in heart rate strengthens your heart muscle and helps to improve the elasticity of your veins and arteries.
Exercising also helps to push cholesterol and other free-floating fats in your blood to disposal sites in your circulatory system, making it harder for these fats to collect and cause further damage by creating blockages.
Cut Back On Saturated Fats
Another great way to help avoid high blood pressure is to replace saturated fats with healthier unsaturated plant fats.
These types of fats are easier for the body to absorb and have a wide range of health benefits related to the heart and blood pressure.
Cutting back also lessens the amount of work that your heart has to do and gives you less of a chance for any kind of buildup.
Dietary Advice and Tips For High Blood Pressure
If you have high blood pressure and not overweight, here are few tips to control your BP.
Choose A Healthy Balanced Diet
If you want to reduce your blood pressure, your diet should be rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods, while low in saturated and trans-fats.
It should also be low in cholesterol, high in fiber, calcium,potassium and magnesium, and moderately high in protein.
The American Heart Association and U.S. government recommend the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet as a good diet guide to reduce blood pressure.
First thing is to Reduce Your Intake of Sodium (Salt)
How salt intake increases blood pressure. Eating too much salt or sodium-rich foods leads to a greater uptake of fluid and causes greater retension of water inside body, leads to volume overloard and High blood presure.
It also places extra strain on the arterioles (blood vessels that dilate/constrict to regulate blood pressure and blood flow). Both these effects lead to higher blood pressure. The Recoomended daily dose for sodium for most people is 2,400 mg.
You can Reduce Sodium Intake
How can you decrease sodium intake? Eat less pre-cooked or processed food, and eat more fresh food. Sodium is found naturally in fresh foods like grains, fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, and dairy products, but in much lower quantities than in processed foods (eg. packet, bottled or canned food).
High Sodium Foods
These foods typically have a high sodium content. In order not to exceed the RDA, either avoid them altogether, or choose low-sodium varieties.
Sauces: baking soda, barbecue sauce, catsup, garlic salt, mustard, onion salt, Soy sauce, steak sauce, salad dressing, baking powder, mustard, onion salt, seasoned salts like lemon pepper, bouillon cubes, meat tenderizer, and monosodium glutamate.
Salted Snacks: peanuts, pretzels, pork rinds.Tortilla chips, corn chips Soup: instant soups, Regular canned soups.
Pickled Food: Olives, or sauerkraut, Herring, pickles, relish.
Meats: smoked or cured meats (containing sodium-nitrite) such as bacon, bologna, hot dogs, ham, corned beef, luncheon meats, and sausage, Hogmaws, ribs, and chitterlings.
Dairy: Most cheese spreads and cheeses.
Drinks: club soda, saccharin-flavored soda.
Cereals: Instant hot cereals, Regular ready to eat cold cereals.
Ready-to-Eat: boxed mixes like rice, scalloped potatoes, macaroni and cheese and some frozen dinners, pot pies and pizza. Quick cook rice, instant noodles.
Fats: Butter, fatback, and salt pork.
Check Labels of Food Containers: Choose those foods which labeled as low-sodium, very low sodium, or salt-free. Check food labels for words that indicate a high sodium content, including: sodium nitrite, sodium proprionate, disodium phosphate, and sodium sulfate., monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium benzoate, sodium hydroxide.
Lower Sodium Eating Habits
- Do not add extra salt when cooking or preparing meals.
- Cook with more herbs and spices.
- Do not have salt on the table while eating do not add salt on salad.
- If you cook with salt, switch to chili, ginger and lemon juice for flavoring. If you eat cured/smoked meats, switch to fresh cold meats.
- If you eat ready-to-serve breakfast cereal, choose low-sodium types of cereal.
- Rinse before eating, If you eat tuna, salmon, sardines, or mackerel canned in water.
- If you eat soup, switch to low-sodium or fresh soups.
- If you cook with whole milk or fat diet, switch to 1 percent or skimmed buttermilk.
Remember taking less salt diet, Your BP will be in normal Limits.
