High blood pressure can cause serious health problems like heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. Even though it is common, many people do not realise how dangerous it can be and fail to take steps to control it. Knowing about blood pressure and its effects is important for staying healthy and avoiding long-term issues. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 1.28 billion adults aged 30–79 have high blood pressure. In India, nearly one in three adults has high blood pressure, making it a major health problem. As a responsible adult, you must be aware of the health risks associated with high blood pressure. Let’s review what blood pressure is, why it matters, and the steps you can take to manage it effectively.

What Is Blood Pressure?

The force of blood pressing against your artery walls is known as blood pressure. Systolic pressure, or the pressure at which your heart beats, is greater than diastolic pressure, or the pressure at which your heart rests between beats. It is measured in millimetres of mercury (mm Hg).

Why Does Blood Pressure Matter?

Your general health depends on keeping your blood pressure levels within normal ranges. Excessive blood pressure, known as hypertension or low blood pressure, known as hypotension, can cause serious health complications.

Maintaining normal blood pressure levels is vital for overall health. Abnormal blood pressure can lead to severe health issues:

• Heart Disease: High blood pressure, or hypertension, makes the heart work harder by pushing blood through narrow arteries. This extra effort can make the heart muscle thicker and cause heart problems like heart disease, including coronary artery disease, heart failure, and irregular heartbeats.
   
• Stroke: High blood pressure can damage blood vessels in the brain, increasing the risk of stroke. About 1.8 million people in India have strokes each year, with high blood pressure being a leading cause.
   
• Kidney Failure: High blood pressure can damage the blood vessels in the kidneys, impairing their ability to filter waste and fluids from the blood. This can lead to kidney failure. Therefore, controlling blood pressure is essential for kidney health.

Low blood pressure, or hypotension, can cause various health issues due to inadequate blood flow to organs. 

• Orthostatic Hypotension: This condition causes dizziness upon standing and is related to factors like dehydration, bed rest, pregnancy, or medications.
   
• Neurally Mediated Hypotension (NMH): Common in younger people due to miscommunication between the heart and brain, leading to dizziness and fainting.
   
• Shock: is a critical condition where blood pressure drops drastically. It includes hypovolemic shock (severe blood loss), cardiogenic shock (heart problems), septic shock (infections), and anaphylactic shock (severe allergic reactions). 
   
• Other Causes: Includes adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease), which leads to chronic low blood pressure, and heart conditions such as bradycardia, heart valve problems, heart attack, and heart failure.

Understanding What Causes High Blood Pressure?

Several factors can lead to high blood pressure (hypertension), each contributing in different ways to increase the strain on your heart and arteries. Understanding the causes of high blood pressure can help manage and prevent hypertension or hypotension.

Genetics: If your family has a history of high blood pressure, you're more likely to develop it, too. This is because of inherited traits that affect how your body handles sodium and stress.

Unhealthy Diet: Eating too much salt, fat, and cholesterol can raise blood pressure. Too much sodium makes your body hold onto water, increasing blood volume and pressure. Saturated and trans fats can cause plaque buildup in arteries, narrowing them and raising blood pressure. A balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins helps manage blood pressure.

Lack of Physical Activity: A lack of physical activity increases the chances of developing high blood pressure. Regular physical activity helps maintain a healthy weight, strengthens the heart, and improves blood flow, all of which help keep blood pressure in check. Not exercising enough can cause weight gain and raise the pressure in your arteries, which makes your heart work harder to pump blood.

Stress: Chronic stress can contribute to high blood pressure. When stressed, your body produces hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, temporarily increasing blood pressure by causing your heart to beat faster and your blood vessels to narrow. Long-term stress can lead to consistently high blood pressure levels and may also encourage unhealthy habits like poor diet, physical inactivity, and smoking.

Smoking and Alcohol: Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption have harmful effects on blood pressure. Chemicals in tobacco harm artery walls, causing them to narrow and increase blood pressure. Nicotine also raises blood pressure and heart rate. Likewise, drinking too much alcohol over time can raise blood pressure, add to weight gain, and affect how well blood pressure medications work.

Symptoms of Blood Pressure Issues

High blood pressure symptoms often go unnoticed and are, therefore, known as "silent killers." However, some people may experience headaches, shortness of breath, or nosebleeds, especially if their blood pressure is extremely high. Regular monitoring is the best way to detect high blood pressure. Low blood pressure, or hypotension, can cause dizziness, fainting, and blurred vision, particularly when standing up quickly.

Understanding Blood Pressure Ranges

Blood pressure levels are categorized as follows:

• Normal: Less than 120/80 mm Hg
   
• Elevated: 120-129/<80 mm Hg
   
• Hypertension Stage 1: 130-139/80-89 mm Hg
   
• Hypertension Stage 2: 140/90 mm Hg or higher
   
• Hypertensive Crisis: Higher than 180/120 mm Hg (requires immediate medical attention)

Managing Blood Pressure

Managing high blood pressure involves making lifestyle changes and taking medications. Important lifestyle changes include eating a balanced diet, reducing salt, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, and managing stress. As part of blood pressure treatment, doctors may also prescribe medications like diuretics, ACE inhibitors, or calcium channel blockers to help control blood pressure. This combined approach helps effectively manage and reduce high blood pressure.

Conclusion

Understanding blood pressure and its implications is essential for maintaining good health. Regular check-ups and a healthy lifestyle can help manage blood pressure symptoms and reduce the risk of complications associated with it. For more information on managing blood pressure and the treatments available, consult our specialists at MASSH. We specialise in preventative and functional medicine that focuses on lifestyle and dietary modifications to help you keep your blood pressure levels in check. Feel free to check out our website or visit us today to consult with our specialists at MASSH.