What Every Man Should Know About Hypertension

thacker@watkinsonline.com (Melody Thacker) — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 11:32:01 -0700

The American Medical Association now says that normal blood pressure readings for a healthy adult should be 120/80. This figure was lowered from what used to considered within normal range for systolic and diastolic pressure. High blood pressure or hypertension in men is a serious and often fatal disease. Just as water pumped into a pipe exerts pressure on its surface, your heart pumps blood through your arteries, and the force of the blood flow exerts pressure on the arterial walls. Therefore, just as too much water pressure is bad for the life of a pipe, too much blood pressure eventually damages your arteries. High blood pressure can lead to heart failure; kidney failure; or stroke.

The combination of hypertension and being overweight increases the chances of developing one or more conditions. In fact, the older you are, the more likely you will develop hypertension unless you take steps to prevent it. If you are overweight when you are young, you may develop hypertension at an earlier age. However, it has been suggested that hypertension is also inherited, which doesn't help the situation either.

The scary thing is that you may not even realize you have this condition, as the symptoms do not reveal themselves. However, you should assume you are a candidate for hypertension if you are over 40; if there is a history of this condition in your family; and you are overweight.

Here's what every man should know about hypertension:

While smoking is not a cause of hypertension, it certainly is a contributing factor. We know there is a definite link between smoking and heart disease, thus the combination of smoking and high blood pressure increases the risk of developing a heart attack. Quit smoking!

The first thing you need to do if you are in any way susceptible to this condition is to reduce or remove sodium from your diet. High salt intake increases this condition as well.

Being overweight is another cause of hypertension. It is important to find an appropriate diet regimen and exercise program to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. While there may be a connection between weight and hypertension, research reveals people who are at their ideal weight have less tendency to develop hypertension than those who are overweight.

Type A personalities may be more prone to hypertension than others. Stress is evident in our lives every day; but the key is to not let it take over your life. While we all work hard and try to live comfortably, the pressure to succeed rapidly is taking its toll, physically, emotionally and mentally. It is also a contributing factor to hypertension. If you have a highly stressed job, or find that you cannot fill the demands placed upon you, you might want to find another job that is not so stressful. If this is not an option; use meditation to maintain an inner balance. Don't sweat the small stuff. Your health is more important than any job.

Try not to drink alcohol in excessive amounts. Alcohol increases blood pressure and if you are taking medication; the two can cause severe side effects. Recently, however, an eminent heart surgeon suggested that a glass of red wine a day is preferred for a healthy heart. The debate continues, and while it does, it seems that wine instead of other alcoholic beverages may yield the best results.

Have your blood pressure checked at least once a month, and avoid stress.

Whether it's your job; money problems; smoking; overweight; alcohol; and other social and psychological factors which may contribute to the condition, it is important to understand it is not a curable disease, nor one which is tangible. Also keep in mind; hypertension is not exclusive to any one group. It affects people from all walks of life. To what degree it can cause damage to your heart, kidneys and brain depends on its severity.

If you find that you have taken every precaution and your blood pressure is still high, your doctor may prescribe medication only if he or she feels it is absolutely necessary. Some of the drugs have side effects, while others can be tolerated. While on any type of medication, do not fall under the assumption that because you may feel better you can stop taking the drugs. This is a dangerous scenario as mentioned earlier; hypertension is a symptom-less disease.

If you follow a proper diet that does not contain sodium; if you alter your lifestyle in order to ease the stress and other factors which contribute to hypertension, it can be controlled. Nothing in life is more important than your health; certainly nothing to cause physical or psychological elements which can raise your blood pressure. Hypertension in men is prevalent; yet over fifty percent of men do not realize they have the condition. Take care of your health and it will take care of you.

Watkins Heritage Remedies - Men's Health

What Every Man Should Know About Hypertension