by Jennifer Hall

Created on: April 23, 2008   Last Updated: April 29, 2008

Hypertension is often called high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against blood vessel walls. Your heart pumps blood into the arteries, which carries the blood throughout the body. Hypertension is very dangerous because it makes the heart work harder to pump blood to the body. It can also contribute to the hardening of the arteries and the development of heart failure. Hypertension is a very common disease in many Americans.

Several factors may cause the development of hypertension, including:

Smoking
being overweight
not enough exercise
stress
to much salt in one's diet
genetics

Hypertension is usually treated by a change of lifestyle. These changes include such things as; losing weight, stopping smoking, more exercise, and less sodium in ones diet. These changes may seem hard at first, but they are worth it in the long run.

There are alot of different type of drugs used to treat hypertension, including:

ACE Inhibitors
diuretics
beta blockers
calcium

The normal range in blood pressure is 120/80. If a persons blood pressure is above the normal range, they should see their doctor immediately about lowering it. Do not take this lightly. It could mean life or death.

Hypertensive heart disease is the number one cause of death associated with hypertension.

Hypertension in the pulmonary circuit, may be primary or secondary, to pulmonary or cardiac disease. Some symptoms of pulmonary hypertension are; shortness of breath, chest pain, and fainting spells. If you experience any of these symptoms consult your doctor as soon as possible.

Primary pulmonary hypertension is a rare, progressive disorder. It is characterized by high blood pressure of the main artery of the lungs.

In closing, it is wise to keep a check on your blood pressure. Hypertension is very dangerous. It can cause strokes and heart attacks also. Hypertension is also referred to as the silent killer. Be smart and be safe. If you have any of the above symptoms consult your doctor.

Resource: webmd.com

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