THE REAL MEANING OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE (HYPERTENSION)
Your heart is made up of special muscles referred to as cardiac muscles. The muscles of your heart are unique and quite different from other muscles and tissues in your body because they have the exceptional ability to beat and hence pump blood around the body. Your heart never rest. It started to beat while you were formed in your mother's womb and it will go on beating steadily (both day and night) throughout your lifetime
Your heart is divided into 4(four) chambers. The lower chambers are referred to as ventricles while the upper chambers are referred to as atrium or auricles. Connected to these various chambers are vessels or tubes that carry blood away from the heart and those that carry blood to the heart. Biologically, the vessels that carry blood away from the heart are known as arteries. While those that carry blood back to heart are known as veins.
The rate at which your heart beats is under the direct control of the nervous system and nerves connected to the cardiac muscles of the heart. The nervous system is a network of nerves around the body, the spine and the brain.
An individual is diagonised as having a high blood pressure when blood moves through the arteries at a higher pressure than normal. To conclude that someone has a high blood pressure, the blood pressure must be taken at least 2-4 times within a period of 2-3 weeks.
Blood pressure is measured by placing a blood pressure cuff around the patient's arm, inflating the cuff and listening for the flow of blood. In normal individuals, blood pressure normally fluctuates throughout the day. It sometimes rises and sometimes fall. An optimal and normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mmHg. When blood pressure stays high, greater than or equal to 140/90mmHg then it is considered a high blood pressure.
The figures and the slash has an in-depth meaning. The first number (i.e 120 or 140) is the systolic blood pressure. This is a measurement of the peak blood pressure when the heart is squeezing or pumping blood out through the arteries. The second number (80 or 90) is diastolic blood pressure. This measures the pressure when the heart is filling with blood and resting.
The main causes of hypertension can be identified from the perspective point of view of the two major forms of high blood pressure. These major types of high blood pressure include
* ESSENTIAL (PRIMARY) HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Essential high blood pressure is far more common and accounts for 95% of hypertension. A combination of factors has been identified as the major cause of this form of hypertension. That is factors whose combined effects produce hypertension.
* SECONDARY HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
This accounts for 5% of hypertension. This form of hypertension has an underlying cause. It is usually caused by a specific abnormality in one of the organs or systems of the body.Sometimes, secondary hypertension may be as a result of the medication a patient is taking.
The risk factors analysed below has been identified and regarded as causes of essential high blood pressure.
- ALCOHOL INTAKE : Medical research has shown that people who take alcohol regularly and those who often drank in excess have a higher or elevated systolic blood pressure compared to people who does not. Excessive intake of alcohol has always been regarded as a bad news for the heart. Alcohol intake may lead to a lot of health problems such as liver cirrhosis, carcinoma of the liver (hepatoma), disruption of liver functions and an elevated blood pressure.Please read more. . . . . .
- PHYSICAL INACTIVITY : A sedentary lifestyle, a state of inactivity and lack of exercises may lead to a high blood pressure.
- SMOKING :Smoking tend to cause the narrowing of blood vessels. As a result blood pressure increases. Smoking also decreases the percentage of oxygen in the blood. Hence the heart is forced to pump blood faster in-order to compensate for the shortfall. Smoking has a serious negative effect on the body. Cigarettes contain substances that can actually increase blood pressure. Please learn more . . . .
- HIGH SALT INTAKE:Scientific research has shown that a high intake of salt can easily make an individual become highly susceptible to a high blood pressure. The lower the salt intake, the lower the blood pressure.
- ETHNIC BACKGROUND: The origin of an individual may be an important indicator of the probability of such an individual developing a high blood pressure. Scientific evidence has shown that people with African and/or South Asian ancestry have a higher risk of developing hypertension compared to people with predominantly Caucasian or Amerindian (indigenes of Americas) ancestries.
- GENDER: Generally more men tend to develop a high blood pressure when compared with women of the same age group. This fact or trend is particularly noticeable in men and women below the age of 60years. After the age of 60 years, this gender difference or tendency to developing high blood pressure becomes less noticeable.
- OBESITY/OVERWEIGHT:An individual is described as been obese when he or she has excess or an extra amount of body fat. While an individual with excess body mass resulting from the weight of muscles, bones, fat and water is described as been overweight. Both overweight and obese people have a high tendency to develop high blood pressure compared to people of normal weight.
- AGEING: As a result of physiological and biochemical changes taking place in the body due to ageing, aged people have a higher tendency to develop high blood pressure compared to the younger ones. The older, the higher the tendency to develop a high blood pressure.
- MENTAL STRESS AND WORRIES: Mental stress resulting from negative environmental pressure may lead to a high blood pressure. Likewise, worries, a state of being upset and nervousness may also lead to a high blood pressure. Generally, when stress is not properly managed for a prolong period of time, high blood pressure may set in.
- AMBIENT TEMPERATURE: This factor is more significant in the temperate and cold regions of the world. Scientific studies has shown that systolic and diastolic blood pressure values vary across the four seasons of the year. Low blood pressure was often associated with warmer climate. Blood pressure was lower when it got warmer and rise when it got colder.
FAT IN DIET: The role of fats in your diet cannot be over-emphasised. Fats is an energy-booster as well as a source of fat soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E and K. The two major source of fats include animal fats and fats from plant sources. Animal fats are saturated fats. Hence, a diet rich in animal fats may lead to a high blood pressure. Plants however, consists of unsaturated fats. Fats sourced from plants such nuts, avocados, olive oil and omega oil from fish are good for your heart.
FAMILY HISTORY: Closely related member of your family developing hypertension is a pointer to the fact that you may also be susceptible to high blood pressure. The reason is simply because there is a high possibility of sharing almost the same genetic quality with him or her.
LOW BIRTH WEIGHT: Scientist at the Tulane center for cardiovascular health, New Orleans recently discovered that there is a significant link between weight of a child at birth and the possibility of developing hypertension later in life. This important link applies more to the white males as opposed to females and males and females of Afro-Americans.It was discovered that white males have a high tendency to develop hypertension later in life if they have a low weight at birth.
PREGNANCY: Pregnant women have a high tendency of developing high blood pressure when compared to non-pregnant women of the same age group. High blood pressure complicates about 2-3% of all pregnancies. There are different forms and presentations of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. These include chronic hypertension, pre-eclampsia eclampsia, pre-eclampsia super-imposed on chronic hypertension and gestational hypertension.
PSORIASIS: Psoriasis is essentially an immune system condition that usually appears on the skin in the form of thick red scaly patches. A recent research carried out in the U.S has revealed that there is a link between psoriasis and high blood pressure. It has been positively demonstrated that having psoriasis might lead to the onset of high blood pressure.- DIABETES: The incidence of hypertension is common in people with diabetes. There are two types of diabetes. There is diabetes type 1 which is also known as hyperglycemia (or high blood sugar). The second type is diabetes type 2 which is caused by a combination of hyperglycemia as well as other factors such as overweight or obesity, certain medications and some cardiovascular diseases. The incidence of hypertension in people with diabetes type 1 could be corrected by an intensive administration of insulin.
SYMPTOMS OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
The incidence of high blood pressure often occur unnoticed in people with the problem. In most cases such individual often lives a normal life without any noticeable symptoms. This is simply because they are not aware of the fact that they have a high blood pressure unless this is actually measured. Hence high blood pressure is sometimes refferred to as "the silent Killer".
However in certain instances, the following symptoms may sometimes be noticed
- NAUSEA: This is essentially a sensation of discomfort and unease in the stomach with an urge to vomit.
- HEADACHE: This is a pain in the head. The pain often extends towards the eyes and ear regions.In people with high blood pressure, the pain may sometimes last for several days.
- DIZZINESS: Dizziness is often associated with fatigue and tiredness. The individual with high blood pressure experience fainting or a near fainting state while standing for too long.Also, lightheadedness, unsteadiness and vertigo are often associated with dizziness.
- BLURRED OR DOUBLE VISION: This is also known as diplopia.People with high blood pressure sometimes experience lack of sharpness of vision. Hence they lack the ability to see the fine details of an object or image.
- EPISTAXIS: This is hemorrhage of the nose. Simply stated it means bleeding from the nose. Epistaxis is regarded as one of the symptoms of high blood pressure.
- PALPITATIONS: This is an abnormal awareness of the irregular beating of the heart. It is a disagreeable sensation of irregular and forceful beating of the heart. Nearly everyone experiences an occasional awareness of their heart beating, but when it occurs frequently, it can indicate a problem. Palpitations is sometimes associated with high blood pressure (hypertension).
- DYSPNEA: This simply means shortness of breath. The patient experience difficulty in breathing. Dyspnea is a symptom often associated with a high blood pressure.
EFFECTS OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Most organs of the body perform perfectly at the normal and ideal blood pressure. When organs such as the Eyes, kidney, Brain and the liver are functioning perfectly in an individual, check out the blood pressure of such an individual. Definitely the blood pressure must be low and normal. Most of the organs within the body function normally when blood pressure is low and normal. As people get older, arteries throughout the body "harden" especially those in the heart, brain and kidney. High blood pressure is associated with these stiffer arteries. This in turn causes the heart and kidneys to work harder.
An elevated or high blood pressure usually result in an abnormal physiological function of body organs such as the Brain, Eyes, Heart and Kidney. A high blood pressure may also lead to sexual dysfunction in men. These side effects are elucidated below.
EFFECTS ON THE BRAIN:Very high blood pressure can lead to stroke. As a result of high blood pressure, the arteries in the brain may become weakened and burst. Hence bleeding will result. The blood from such bleeding may clot and block one of the narrowed arteries. Ultimately, this will result or lead to stroke.
EFFECTS ON THE HEART:
High blood pressure may lead to a sudden heart attack. The cardiac muscles of the heart require a lot of oxygen in order to function maximally. Arteries supply the oxygen-rich blood to these muscles. If the cardiac nuscles did not receive enough oxygen, chest pain Known as "angina" may occur. However, if the flow of blood within the heart is blocked heart attack may result .
EFFECTS ON THE ARTERIES:
As a result of old age. arteries throughout the body get "harden" or stiffer. There is a direct relationship between the hardened arteries and high blood pressure. That is the higher the blood pressure, the stiffer the arteries. This may ultimately affect the heart and kidneys negatively.
EFFECTS ON MEN SEX DRIVE (ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION):
There is often a direct relationship between blood pressure and erection in men. A high bloodpressure often lead to erection problem. A recent study and analysis published in the journal of American genetics society found that about 49% of men whose age ranged between 40-79 with high blood pressure had erctile dysfunction problem.
Moreover, in accordance to a recent publication in the journal of urology, 68% of men with high blood pressure had a certain degree of erectile dysfunction problem. Within the aforementioned group, 45% of the men had severe erectile dysfunction problem.
In men with high blood pressure, the arteries that carry blood into the penis usually fail to dilate properly. Also, the smooth muscles in the penis lose it's ability to relax. The ultimate result of these shortcomings is that enough blood will not flow to the penis. Hence the inability of the penis to become erect or become fully turgid.
A more recnt study has also shown that men with high blood pressure may also have a low testosterone level. Testosterone is essentially a unique male hormone responsible for sexual arousal and libido (i.e sex drive) .
EFFECTS ON THE EYES
An elevated or high blood pressure may affect blood vessels in the eyes adversely. When blood pressure is high, blood vessels in the eyes may burst. Hence vision may become blurred or impaired. A condition Known in medicine as hypertensive retinopathy. The blurred or impaired vision may ultimately result in blindness.
PREVENTION OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Prevention of high blood pressure should be encouraged in families with a history of hypertension and in individuals that has a tendency to develop a high blood pressure. Remember prevention they often say is better than a cure or treatment after the onset of the disease. Prevention of high blood pressure could be achieved through two basic means. These include lifestyle control and type of food eaten. It is very important that a healthy eating pattern should be followed.
- Lifestyle
To prevent a high blood pressure, the following lifestyle and activities should be encouraged in individuals that has a predisposition to a high blood pressure.
- Physical activities
To avoid a high blood pressure, the affected individual should not be sedentry. Individuals should be physically active. Excercises such as jogging, swimmming,walking and other forms of active physical activities should be encouraged.
"Alcohol intake should be avoided or limited to the barest minimum.
"Smokers have a high tendency to develop a high blood pressure. Smoking should be totally avoided.
FOODS OR DIET THAT HELPS TO PREVENT HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
The following foodstuffs should be taken regularly to prevent the incidence of hypertension. These include :
" Fruits - Oranges, grapes, pawpaw and other forms of fruits.
"Vegetables
"Low fat dairy products
"Whole grains
"Fish and fish oils
"Chocolate drinks and black coffee
Recent research has shown that regular intake of the food or products listed above could help tremendously in preventing the incidence of hypertension. Saturared fats should be avoided altogether. These fats are common in meat and meat products such as fatty meat, dairy product such as butter, cheese and ice-cream. Eggs are especially a source of cholesterol which could be harmful to the heart. It is advisable to take more of fish and fish oil instead of meat. Research has proven and confirm fish oil as having an exceptional ability to control and reduce high blood pressure. Please learn more . . . . . .. Cocoa has also proven to be a powerful substance against high blood pressure. Global research has given full credence to this fact. The ability of cocoa to lower blood pressure is not unconnected with the presence of special substance in cocoa known as flavonols. It has been discovered that flavonols helps to increase the natural formation of endothelial nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is known to have a relaxing effect on the wall of the blood vessels and hence lower blood pressure. Please read more . . . . .- The use of soft liquid margarine, olive oil and vegetable oil should be encouraged. However one should be mindful of the fact that all fats have a large amount of calories. Hence the use of fats should be limited to avoid weight gain.
TREATMENT
Basically, hypertension could be treated in two ways. These include the use of orthodox drugs or herbal treatment. The main focus of this write-up is to encourage herbal treatment over the usage of orthodox medical drugs that has a lot of discouraging side-effects.
THE HERBAL ADVANTAGEHerbs are generally more ideal for the treatment of high blood pressure compared to orthodox medical drugs. Most orthodox drugs for the treatment of hypertension have a lot of negative side effects. These include drowsiness and depression. In men, most of these drugs often lead to lower hormonal production and a low sex drive (low libido). In extreme cases, the prolong use of these drugs may lead to other serious medical condition such as malignant diseases or cancer.Herbal treatment of high blood pressure is often not associated with the side effect mentioned above. There has been reported cases of elevated sexual desire in men after a period of herbal therapy.
THE HERBAL TREATMENTThe herbal treatment mentioned in this write-up may not necessarily correspond with other forms of herbal traetment mentioned elsewhere. However the efficacy of the two treatment methods mentioned below has been proven beyond reasonable doubt.
METHOD 1This method involves the use of a particular plant known as Talium triangulare (water leaf). Water-leaf is a very common plant in the tropical vegetative region of West Africa.The roots of this plant should be cut into pieces. About 10-12 handfuls of these roots should be added to 10 litres of water. The mixture should then be brought to boil.DOSAGE: About 120 mls (half of a glass cup) of this mixture should be taken daily for two months.
METHOD 2This method involves the use of garlic and coconut water. Mix about 2 litres of coconut water to 4 litres of water. This mixture should further be mixed with about 10-12 bulbs of blended garlic.DOSAGE : 1 shot of this shold be taken thrice daily for a period of two weeks.
A FULLY MATURED EXAMPLE OF
GARLIC BULB
COCONUT
NB: It should be noted that the above recipe may be modified or improved with the addition of adjuncts or preservatives. However the efficacy of the recipe is not in doubt.
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