by D. P. Noe

Created on: November 17, 2009

The medical definition of hypertension is a sustained elevation of your resting arterial pressure. Most resources use the numbers of greater than 140/90 as a definition of hypertension. The top number is known as the systolic number and the bottom numbers is known as the diastolic number. The impact on your health if you are hypertensive, is the danger that you can suffer a fatal heart attack or stroke. Blood pressure is correctly called the silent killer because often you have no symptoms until you suffer a major medical crisis.

Early treatment includes changes in your lifestyle. If you are overweight, it is important to get rid of the extra weight. If you have watched any of the reality shows on TV about overweight individuals and the positive impact on their health with significant weight loss, this is a testimony to the value of losing weight. Many of these individuals were taken off all their blood pressure medications or had a reduction in the amount of medications they take.

Other lifestyle behavioral changes include keeping daily alcohol consumption to less than 1 ounce a day. If you have been diagnosed with hypertension, it will be recommended that you limit your daily intake of sodium to 2 to 3 grams a day. Smoking is a big factor that needs to be addressed with a diagnosis of hypertension. Smoking damages the lining of the coronary vessels that supply blood to the heart. Smoking also damages all of the lining in your peripheral vessels. Because smoking constricts the vessels, it increases the workload of the heart. Adding a regular exercise regime has shown to help maintain a regular blood pressure level.

Many individuals with a history of elevated and untreated blood pressure damage their kidneys permanently. Hypertension may have gone on for years or many of these individuals choose not to take their prescribed blood pressure mediations. The damage to the kidneys is so severe that they lose all their function. The only choice for these individuals is kidney dialysis where you are hooked up to a machine three times a week and hope for a kidney transplant.

There are many medications available based on your current health status and if you have other health issues like diabetes or heart problems. Your medical regime for taking care of you elevated blood pressure will be closely defined by your physician. This silent killer is quietly damaging your vessels and organs and as stated before there are often no symptoms. If you choose not to follow the medication regime and make necessary lifestyle changes, you are placing yourself at a higher risk of having a stroke, heart attack and permanent kidney damage. it is very foolish to ignore your physician because in the end the hypertension will win and destroy your health. It is your choice to choose what quality of life you want to maintain.

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