Monday, October 7, 2013

What Causes High Blood Pressure?

By Jewel Chesson


Lots of people have high blood pressure, and this can be a deadly problem. People who have undiagnosed high blood pressure often end up suffering from serious illnesses because they allowed the problem to get worse without addressing it. The purpose of this article is to identify some of the known causes of high blood pressure.

While people of any age can have high blood pressure, the risk increases as you age. Men are more at risk for high blood pressure around their mid-forties, and with women it's closer to fifty. The fact is, however, that anyone can develop high blood pressure at any age, and this is increasingly true as more younger people become overweight. So everyone should have their blood pressure measured regularly, but it's especially important if you are forty or above. Aside from your age, there are many other elements that can be risk factors for hypertension.

Unfortunately, there are many instances when the cause of high blood pressure cannot be identified. High blood pressure with no known cause is called essential hypertension, and the majority of cases actually fit into this category. While many factors, such as age, diet, smoking and stress can contribute to it, even experts have not identified a specific cause in the majority of cases. Since the causes are hard to pinpoint, you have to have your blood pressure checked to know if it's high. There are many changes you can make to lower your risk, and ways to treat it when it's been diagnosed, but doctors are still doing research on the exact cause of high blood pressure.

High cholesterol is usually something that accompanies hypertension, so controlling your cholesterol is one way to approach high blood pressure. When it comes to controlling your cholesterol, you have to know the difference between "good" and "bad" cholesterol. LDL is the harmful type of cholesterol, and this causes blockages in the arteries which is bad for the heart. On the other hand, HDL is the good kind of cholesterol, and this actually reverses the damage done by bad cholesterol. Good cholesterol levels are maintained by exercising regularly and eating fruits, vegetables and healthy fats. The main way to reduce bad cholesterol is to avoid unhealthy fats, processed foods, sugar and junk food. If you focus on lowering your cholesterol, you will probably lower your blood pressure as well, and both are factors you have to watch for the sake of your health.

No matter what is causing hypertension, you should not underestimate how dangerous it can be. As long as you watch your blood pressure and listen to your doctor's recommendations, you should be able to keep it under control. The above causes of high blood pressure are only some of the factors that can be responsible for this condition. When you know you have high blood pressure, there are many methods to reduce it, but you have to be willing to make some changes.




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