High blood pressure, or more known as hypertension, affects around 70 million adults only in the United States, that is, every 1 of every three Americans. This condition is quite common and it can be controlled if you know the symptoms and treat it properly and on time.

High blood pressure can cause many other serious health problems, like stroke, chronic heart failure, heart attacks, and kidney diseases.

Many people are not even aware that they have hypertension, since they don’t experience none of its symptoms. The statistics show that one of five adult Americans suffer from high blood pressure but doesn’t know about it.

Luckily, many experts say that we can prevent and effectively treat hypertension with regular exercises and a healthy diet.

This common disease is in fact flowing of the blood through arteries and blood vessels at a pressure higher than the normal.

The U.S costs about high blood pressure are $64 billion per year, and they include health care services, off-days at work, and medications.

The standard medical recommendations for hypertension are reduced intake of salt, harmful beta-blockers, diuretics, and ACE inhibitor drugs.

Although these methods give some relief, they don’t treat the actual cause of hypertension, and can even provoke other health problems. For example, the recommended salt reduction for this treatment is controversial and questionable.

Blood pressure is actually the blood force that pushes it against arteries’ walls when the heart pumps blood. If this pressure is high, it causes hypertension.

There are two numbers in the blood pressure measurement. They present different pressures. The first one is the systolic pressure, which is the pressure during the beating of the heart while blood pumping, and the second is the diastolic pressure, or the pressure of the blood between heartbeats when the heart is resting.

Here are the blood pressure ranges:

• Normal blood pressure: Lower than 120/80
• Prehypertension: 120–139/80–89
• Hypertension stage 1: 140–159/90–99
• Hypertension stage 2: 160 and above/100 and above

Most of the time, patients don’t experience signs of raised blood pressure. But some common symptoms include: chest pain, confusion, vision problems, irregular heartbeat, nosebleeds, headaches, buzzing, and fatigue.

Once you notice some of these symptoms, you must react quickly in order to control the blood pressure. This is important since the life expectancy of people with high blood pressure at the age of 50 is 5 years shorter than those with normal blood pressure.

In 2013, there were more than 360,000 Americans who died as a result of high blood pressure as major or contributing factor.

In 2013, there were more than 360,000 Americans who died as a result of high blood pressure as major or contributing factor.

Moreover, hypertension can increase the risk of numerous other health problems, such as:

• Chronic heart failure: It was discovered that 7 out of 10 patients with this condition have high blood pressure.
• Metabolic syndrome: Symptoms of high blood pressure increase the risk of this syndrome, which includes 3 or more of the next health problems:  high blood sugar, low HDL cholesterol, abdominal obesity, high triglyceride levels, and high blood pressure.
• Vision problems: Loss of vision can be caused by thickened, narrowed, or torn eye blood vessels as a result of hypertension.
• Aneurysm: Hypertension can cause weakened or bulged blood vessels, resulting in aneurysm. If it ruptures, aneurysm can cause death.
• First heart attack: One out of every ten people who had undergone first heart attack have hypertension.
• First stroke: Eight out of every ten people who had a first stroke have shown to suffer from high blood pressure.
• Memory problems: Hypertension can obstruct the ability to think, learn, memorize, remember, and understand concepts.

Hypertension vs. Hypotension

Along with other health changes, aging also causes elevated risk of both blood pressures, high (hypertension), and low (hypotension).

You can check out the values which set the boundaries of the normal, low, and high blood pressure above in this post.

Hypertension

Here are some of the most important hypertension facts and symptoms:

• One of every three American adults suffer from high blood pressure, or that’s about 70 million American adults
• Just half of the people suffering from hypertension manage to control it
• About one of three adults in the United States suffer from prehypertension, or higher than normal blood pressure levels, but not in the range of high blood pressure
• The hypertension cost in U.S is $46 billion a year, and includes medications for the treatment, off-days from work, and health care services.

Usually, as the blood pressure levels raise, the person does not feel any specific symptoms. Nevertheless, some of the most common signs are:

• Irregular heartbeat
• Confusion
• Headaches
• Ear noise or buzzing
• Tiredness
• Vision changes
• Chest pains
• Nosebleed

Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)

Here are some of the most important facts about hypotension:

• In most cases, chronic low blood pressure, which doesn’t cause any symptoms, is not serious
• Usually, the person has a sudden blood pressure drop as soon s/he stands up from a lying position or vice versa. Another hypotension type appears when a person in in a standing position for a long time, known as mediated hypotension.
• About 10-20% of people older than 65 have postural hypotension.
• If the blood pressure has a sudden drop, the brain is prevented from getting the proper blood supply and can lead to dizziness and lightheadedness, and this is the case when you should be concerned
• Aging impedes the proper blood flow to the brain and heart muscle, resulting in plaque accumulation in the blood vessels.

Your condition is not serious at all if you don’t feel some symptoms of hypotension. Many doctors state that it will become dangerous once the chronic hypotension causes symptoms like the following:

• Fast, shallow breathing
• Blurred vision
• Dizziness
• Dehydration and strange thirst
• Cold, pale, clammy skin
• Lack of concentration
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Fainting (called syncope)
• Nausea

Also, this health problem can appear with:

• Endocrine problems
• Severe infection (septic shock)
• Neurally mediated hypotension
• Allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) — the signs are breathing problems, hives, itching, swollen throat, and a sudden, dramatic drop in the blood pressure. Occasionally, it can be fatal allergic reaction in people highly sensitive to foods like peanuts, bee or wasp stings, or drugs like penicillin.
• Pregnancy
• Some medications, like diuretics and some other drugs prescribed for hypertension treatment; tricyclic antidepressants; drugs for Parkinson’s disease; drugs for erectile dysfunction, specifically combined with nitroglycerin; heart medications like beta blockers; narcotics and alcohol. It can as well be caused by other over-the-counter drugs if combined with HBP medications.
• Decreases in blood volume
• Heart problems
• Prolonged bed rest
• Nutritional deficiencies — A deficiency in the vitamins B12 and folic acid which can cause anemia and its symptoms, which lead to hypotension.

Diet in case of Hypertension Symptoms

We should agree that hypertension is a very serious health problem that requires full attention as soon as possible, since 2/3 of the population suffer either from prehypertension or hypertension. Healthy diet is one of the most effective natural methods for hypertension treatment.

These foods worsen the symptoms of hypertension and you should definitely avoid them!

• Sugar —increased sugar intake aggravates the condition in case of hypertension. Many studies have actually shown that sugar consumption can be more bad than salt in case of high blood sugar.
• Trans fats and omega-6 fats — they are contained in packaged foods and conventional meats. They cause inflammation and high blood pressure.
• Alcohol — since it narrows the arteries and increases the blood pressure, alcohol intake should be moderate. Healthy men and women over the age of 65 can consume 1 drink a day, and men younger than 65 can consume up to 2 drinks.
• High-sodium foods —Usage of high-quality salts is fine, but canned and processed foods with high concentration of soda should be most strictly avoided.
• Caffeine — since excessive caffeine intake can increase the blood pressure, if you have hypertension, you should lower the daily coffee intake, as well as of other drinks with high amounts of caffeine.

Foods that are beneficial for the treatment of hypertension:

• Foods rich in Omega-3– these include grass-fed beef, wild -caught salmon, flaxseeds, and chia seeds which reduce the inflammation.
• Foods rich in fiber— Base your diet on unprocessed high-fiber foods, such as seeds, fruits, vegetables, and beans.
• Mediterranean diet —it includes foods beneficial for the treatment of hypertension like fruits, healthy omega-3 fat oils, seafood, olive oil, vegetables, and wild-caught fish
• Tea — the most beneficial one for hypertension treatment is the white tea, since it thins the blood and drastically improves the function of the arteries. The best way to consume this tea is a few times a day in order to reduce the blood pressure and prevent other serious health problems, such as stroke.
• Dark chocolate — the most beneficial dark chocolate contains at least 200 milligrams of cocoa phenols which cause reduction of the blood pressure.
• Foods rich in potassium —  Incorporating a diet rich in potassium is a crucial part of blood pressure control since it diminishes the side effects of sodium on the body, stated by the American Heart Association. These foods include bananas, melons, avocados, and coconut water
• Apple cider vinegar — this vinegar is rich in potassium, it naturally alkalizes the body and lowers the blood pressure.

Supplementation is another important part of the hypertension treatment.  The most important supplements include:

1. Magnesium- It naturally relaxes the blood vessels and lowers the blood pressure. The recommended beginning daily dosage is 500 mg before bedtime.

2. Coenzyme Q10- CoQ10 is a crucial antioxidant which supports heart health and is beneficial if you take or have taken drugs for reducing of the cholesterol or blood pressure. To lower your blood pressure in a natural way, take 200 to 300 mg a day.

3. Fish Oil- According to many studies, fish oil consumption lowers the inflammation of the arteries, which lead to hypertension. This oil is especially rich in EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acid forms, and supports the heart health. The recommended daily dosage of fish oil for reducing of the blood pressure is 1,000 mg.

4. Garlic- It naturally increases the nitric oxide amounts in the blood and widens blood vessels since garlic is a natural vasodilator. Besides raw, you can consume it as a supplement in a liquid form or as a pill.

A2016 study found that aged garlic reduces the central and peripheral blood pressure in cases of uncontrolled hypertension. It’s also beneficial in cases of arterial stiffness, inflammation etc.

5. Cocoa- This is another natural vasodilator. You can consume it in the form of powder since it increases the flavonols amounts which lower the blood pressure and enhance the blood flow to the heart and brain.

The most effective natural methods for treatment of high blood pressure:

1. Essential Oils- They lower the emotional stress and possess potent antioxidant properties, thus dilating arteries and lowering the oxidative stress, so they are great in reducing the blood pressure. Some of the best essential oils for this purpose are neroli, lavender, sweet marjoram, frankincense, and clary sage.

Add couple of drops of one of these oils to your carrier oil or lotion and massage your body. You can also use the oil in a diffuser.

2. Reduce Stress- You should do frequent relaxation methods like deep breathing, mediation, healing prayer, walks in nature etc. since stress causes high blood pressure.

3. Exercise and Physical Activity- By regular exercising and physical activity, you will lose excess weight but also lower your blood pressure. 20 minutes of any physical activity on a daily basis will be enough to obtain results, whereas children and adolescents should involve in longer exercises, of about 1 hour.

High Blood Pressure Risk Factors & Root Causes

• Family history —hypertension can often be a problem that runs in the family
• Age — this condition increases with age. The most common sufferers are men over the age of 45, and women over the age of 65.
• Excess body weight — People with higher body weight require more blood in the supplying of tissues with oxygen and nutrients. Increased volume of blood circulating through blood vessels means increased pressure on the artery walls and blood pressure.
• Race — Hypertension is most usually among African-Americans and they experience serious health problems such as heart attacks, stroke, and kidney failure.
• Tobacco use — The chemicals contained in the tobacco damage the artery walls’ lining, resulting in narrowing of the arteries and high blood pressure. This is why smoking or chewing tobacco elevates the blood pressure right away, though temporarily. High blood pressure can be as well provoked by secondhand smoke.
• Physically inactivity — People who are physically inactive have higher risk of high heart rates, which means the force on the arteries will as well be stronger, and the heart will work harder with every contraction.
• Excessive consumption of alcohol — it harms the heart health over time. More than 2 drinks a day for men and more than 1 drink for women, negatively affect the blood pressure.
• Deficiency of Potassium— potassium balances the sodium amount in the body cells. Consequently, the deficiency of this mineral leads to accumulation of sodium in the blood stream.
• Pregnancy —sometimes it is possible to contribute to high blood pressure
• Stress — High stress levels can result in a momentary rise in blood pressure.
• Some chronic conditions — diabetes, sleep apnea, and kidney disease may increase the risk of high blood pressure.
• Diet rich in Sodium— Exaggerated intake of foods rich in sodium or salt can cause fluid retention which increases the blood pressure.

Conclusion:

• Systolic blood pressure  increases the risk for other dangerous health problems, such as heart attack, stroke, chronic heart failure, memory issues and aneurysm, metabolic syndrome, and vision problems.
• High blood pressure affects about 70 million U.S. adults, which is one in three American adults.
• Sufferers of high blood pressure should avoid alcohol, sugar, trans fats and omega-6 fats, caffeine, and high-sodium foods. Useful foods for the treatment of hypertension are high-potassium foods, omega-3 foods, Mediterranean diet foods, high-fiber foods, tea, dark chocolate and apple cider vinegar. Lifestyle changes and supplements can aid a lot in this case.
• The warning signs of very high blood pressure include: nosebleeds, vision changes, chest pains, headaches, ear noise or buzzing, confusion, irregular heartbeat, or tiredness.

source:healthyfoodhouse.com