How high blood pressure can impact the health of a person- Is a query of many of us. It is estimated that 1.13 billion people suffer from high blood pressure worldwide. It is the major cause of premature deaths all over the world. Hypertension is considered – a silent killer. High blood pressure creates damage to arteries carrying blood and nutrition to various parts of the body. It is a cardiovascular system disorder. If remain undetected and uncontrolled for a long time. High blood pressure may increase the risk of coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease (stroke), Kidney failure, and eye damage.
What is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is created by the pumping of the heart. It is the force on the walls of arteries created by circulating blood. Blood pressure is measured by taking two measurements. Systolic pressure is measured when the heart muscles contract while beating. it is the highest measurement. Whereas Diastolic pressure is the lowest when the heart muscles are between beats.
What is high blood pressure?
High blood pressure also called hypertension. When the force created by circulating blood becomes excessive it is called high blood pressure. Blood pressure is considered normal when systolic pressure is between 90 and 120 mmHg and Diastolic pressure is between 60 and 80 mmHg. Blood pressure is considered high when the blood pressure is greater than 95% for age weight and height and it may impact health.
What are the symptoms of high blood pressure that may impact health?
There are no major symptoms of high blood pressure. Most of the people suffering from high blood pressure feel fine and do not know, that their blood pressure has increased. It may take years for symptoms to appear. but then too the symptoms are attributable to other health conditions. However, symptoms of severe high blood pressure that can impact health may be:-
- Headache
- Shortness of breath
- bleeding through nose
- Dizziness
- Chest pain
- Visual changes
- Blood in urine
How high blood pressure impacts the health of a person?
High blood pressure is a silent health condition. If remain undiagnosed and untreated for a long time, high blood pressure may lead to a serious impact on health with complications that may be fatal. A few of the health impacts may be:-
Heart Attack.
As the blood vessels become hard and narrow. It increases the workload of the heart. When the heart pumps harder. The pumping chamber(left ventricle) becomes enlarged and thick. On remaining untreated it may lead to Coronary artery disease or heart attack.
Kidney Failure
High blood pressure on remaining untreated, may cause damage to arteries in the kidneys. The arteries become narrow affecting the supply of blood and nutrients to the kidneys. Kidneys normal functioning is impacted, resulting in kidney failure.
Stroke
Prolonged uncontrolled high blood pressure can harm arteries carrying blood to the brain. The blood vessels become weak and may burst to cause bleeding in the brain resulting in a stroke. The other cause of brain stroke can be that arteries may become narrow or blocked. The nutrients and blood can not reach all parts of the brain resulting in a stroke.
Damage to Eye
Uncontrolled blood pressure can cause damage to the eye. The arteries carrying blood and nutrients may get narrow or blocked due to high blood pressure. This may result in damage to the eye and vision.
High blood pressure impacts the health of school-going, children.
As per a survey conducted in parts of India, it was found Two out of every Ten school-going children suffer from hypertension. In most cases, hypertension in children is found to be mild. But if due attention is not paid, it may worsen with age and can be a reason to cause diabetes, heart diseases, or stroke.
Possible reasons for hypertension among school-going children are:-
- Sedentary living habits.
- High salt intake due to the consumption of junk food.
- Lack of regular physical exercise.
- Overburden / over-expectation to perform in studies.
However, the same can be corrected with modification in lifestyle as:-
- Physical activities.
- Reduced intake of salt.
- Weight corrections in obese kids.
What needs to be done is:-
- Periodically checkup of blood pressure in school-going children.
- Those with high B.P. Should be referred to specialists for proper treatment.
- Parents and schools should stress the importance of a healthy lifestyle, healthy eating habits, cutting down on junk food, and regular physical activities.
Ten natural suggestions to control high blood pressure and its impact on health.
A healthy lifestyle plays a major role in controlling high blood pressure. By making lifestyle changes high blood pressure can be controlled naturally and the need for medication can be delayed or reduced. Following are Ten lifestyle changes that may help control high blood pressure.
- Optimizing body Weight:- Weight loss is one of the most effective ways of reducing high blood pressure. Blood pressure often increases as the body weight crosses the normal weight limits. In general, a reduction of one kg (about 2.2 pounds) of body weight leads to a decrease of one mmHg of elevated blood pressure. Being overweight may also cause sleep apnea. which further leads to an increase in blood pressure. For more reading about sleep apnea please click the link https://maansisurvivalaidfoundation.com/sleep-apnea-may-be-due-to-fat-tongue/
- Regular exercise:- High blood pressure can be controlled by regularly exercising. By exercising regularly 150 minutes per week or 30 minutes per day, high blood pressure can be controlled app. 5 to 8 mmHg. However, if exercise is stopped the blood pressure increases again to higher values.
- Eating Healthy Diet:- Diet containing whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and skimming saturated fats and cholesterol adding foods may reduce high blood pressure to the app. 11mmHg.
- Optimizing Sodium consumption:- Optimizing the consumption of Sodium in diet can improve heart health and regulate high blood pressure. The effect of sodium consumption on blood pressure varies from person to person. In general, the optimum limit of sodium consumption is 2300mg per day.
- Limiting Alcohol intake:- Drinking alcohol in moderation(one drink for women and two drinks for men in a day) may help in lowering blood pressure. Drinking more than the moderation value can lead to an increase in blood pressure. One drink is equal to 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.
- Quitting smoking:- Quitting smoking can reduce the risk of heart disease and improves overall health. Each cigarette that a person smokes leads to an increase in blood pressure for many minutes after finishing smoking. On quitting smoking blood pressure returns to normal.
- Reducing caffeine consumption:- Caffeine consumption leads to an increase in blood pressure. The reason for the spike in blood pressure is not clear. Some researchers are of the opinion that caffeine blocks the hormone that helps keep arteries widened.
- Reduce Stress:- Long-term stress can increase blood pressure. Research is needed on the effects of long-term stress on blood pressure. Occasional stress may also lead to an increase in stress levels as people tend to consume unhealthy food or indulge in drinking or smoking due to stress. Adopting yoga or meditation processes can help in relieving stress levels.
- Regular blood pressure monitoring:- Regularly monitoring blood pressure at home and consulting health care providers for optimizing doses can help.
- Family Members Support:- Family members’ support plays a vital role in the management of blood pressure. They may encourage to improve health by suggesting and supporting healthy living habits.
Wishing all to be in a good state of health.
Please consult your health care provider for treatment. (For public awareness only).

Surinder Bhalla
Blogger & Marketing Consultant
40+ Years of experience in the healthcare industry.
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