What is high blood pressure?
It is basically the pressure of your blood against the inside of your arteries. How much blood your heart pumps and how much resistance your arteries have in pumping throughout your body determines the pressure level.
How do you know you have high blood pressure?
Most people don’t know until it is diagnosed on a visit to a healthcare provider. Sometimes a headache, nosebleed or shortness of breath can be a tip off that you have high blood pressure, but not always, and these symptoms could indicate another health issue entirely.
You should check your blood pressure every couple of years when you are 18 and older. When you are 40 you should check every year. If you are not regularly having a check up with a healthcare provider (and you should!), there are blood pressure units you can buy or find at pharmacies to test your own blood pressure. Anything that is considerably over or under 120/80 is reason for concern and a discussion with your healthcare provider.
Why would you get high blood pressure?
It can develop over a long period of time. Sometimes it is inherited through your parents.
You know those long carnival balloons that you can twist into shapes like dogs or giraffes? Well the balloon looked normal when it was deflated and before it was blown up. Once blown up fully, it looks like a long smooth hot dog before it is shaped. Then pressure is put on it to make the shapes. You can even see some areas are darker and lighter on the balloon because the darker areas are thicker and the lighter areas are thinner. When you deflate the balloon, it doesn’t look anything like it did before it was blown up because pressure extended the walls to make the shapes. It is kind of like that on the walls of your arteries. They can get weakened in some areas and misshapen because of the pressure in them.
See High Cholesterol page. Also, the more cholesterol lining your blood vessels, the narrower your arteries are and the higher the pressure can be.
What happens if I am told I have high blood pressure?
There could be an increased risk of heart attack and stroke with high blood pressure. Exercise, weight loss (if needed) and medications can often control high blood pressure, as determined by a healthcare provider.
For more information please visit this site:
Mayo Clinic – High Blood Pressure
There is also some good information at Positive Health Wellness about Everything You Need to Know About High Blood Pressure.
Too, I love a good infographic and this one might help you with your foodchoices, courtesy of Positive Health Wellness. However, IF you are metabolic… beets, bananas and oatmeal have to be in very limited quantities, if at all. However, there are many other alternatives on the list to indulge in!
#lowcarb4ever
