Hypertension Blood Pressure Facts
As you get older and start to pay more attention to your body, it’s important to know hypertension blood pressure facts as you make health decisions. Hypertension is the scientific term for high blood pressure and it is more serious than you might know.
Fact 1: High blood pressure is the most common form of heart disease. You might not realize it, but when your blood pressure is too high you’re already considered to be traveling down the road of heart disease.
This road leads to possible chest pain, enlarged heart, heart attack, and stroke. If you allow blood pressure to go untreated you’re putting yourself at great risk for these illnesses and even death from one of these events.
Fact 2: High blood pressure is known as the “silent killer”. This is because many people often have high blood pressure, but don’t have any symptoms. So, how do you know what your blood pressure is? You have to have it checked.
You can check your blood pressure on your own at many pharmacies, you can purchase a machine to check it at home, or you can make sure to have your doctor check it regularly at your appointments.
Fact 3: High blood pressure can be inherited. If you have a family history of heart disease or high blood pressure, you’re much more likely to have it yourself. It’s a good idea to participate in regular blood pressure screenings if you know someone in your family has had hypertension.
Fact 4: African American people have a higher incidence of high blood pressure. No one is exactly sure why this is, other than genetic inheritance. But if you’re African American it’s important to stay on top of blood pressure screenings and pay attention to your blood pressure.
Fact 5: High blood pressure can lead to kidney failure. One of the little known facts about hypertension is that it’s directly related to kidney function. If your blood pressure is too high, your kidneys don’t do as good of a job filtering out toxins and removing fluid from your body.
Some people are required to go on dialysis or even receive a kidney transplant due to the damage caused by high blood pressure. Your kidneys play an important role in managing your blood volume and blood pressure.
When they don’t work well, you can have problems with swelling and fluid retention. You can also have difficulty keeping your body free from byproducts that can be toxic if they build up in the blood.
It’s important not to ignore high blood pressure because it can have devastating effects on the body. Understanding hypertension blood pressure facts can help you to be realistic when you’re confronted with your own high blood pressure.