Introduction
Hypertension is a common medical condition that causes no obvious symptoms and poses a risk to people from all walks.
Since you do not notice if you have high blood pressure does not know under what conditions does your heart, maybe not quite understand why your doctor is concerned and what you do.
Fortunately, there are long-term treatments for your problem, including modern drugs such as the doctor has prescribed.
But to feel comfortable with their medication probably want to know more about it: what it does and how it works.
Some drugs, such as that prescribed by your doctor, are effective for more than one disorder.
These pages provide information that will help you learn hypertension and heart, and how to adapt to their condition and treatment required.
What is blood pressure?
Every time it beats, the heart pumps blood, which carries oxygen and nutrients through the miles of arteries and veins of the body.
Blood pressure is the force exerted by blood against the artery walls.
Everyone should have some degree of blood pressure for the blood to the organs and muscles of the body.
How to measure blood pressure?
Blood pressure is expressed by a pair of values: 140/90 or “140 over 90″. This is because the pressure of blood against the arteries is not always the same.
It reaches its maximum pressure when the heart pumps. Between beats, when the heart is at rest, the pressure drops to its lowest level.
Both the maximum and minimum pressure are important, and therefore the measurement always has two components. The doctors called “systolic pressure” to the highest, and “diastolic” to the lowest. Normal healthy blood pressure is below 140/90.
What’s wrong with having high blood pressure?
When blood pressure gets too high and stays that way, over time can damage the delicate arteries and internal organs of the body: kidneys, heart, brain or parts of the eye. High blood pressure also forces the heart to work harder, which can end up editing.
Young people may also have hypertension. Although many cases of hypertension are not diagnosed until after age 60, most are developed before age 45.
Hypertension = high blood pressure
High blood pressure (the medical term is “hypertension”) exerts its detrimental effect of making the lining of the arteries, which is usually smooth as glass, become rough.
When this occurs, it is easier than fat and cholesterol on the artery walls fall and reach block.
Does this mean I’m sick?
Having high blood pressure, or hypertension, does not mean being sick. But it means you’re in a situation where you can get sick if not taken appropriate action.
Untreated hypertension is an extra risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke.
Why do I have to take medication?
The right treatment for you can be very different from another person. Some people control hypertension only with changing your diet and exercise.
Maybe some friend who suffers from hypertension only need to lose weight and reduce salt intake.
While important changes in lifestyle, in many patients is not enough. Your doctor has decided you also need medication.
On the following pages you will learn what you can do to control their blood pressure (and keep it under control).
My doctor told me I have mild hypertension Can I forget her?
Most people diagnosed with hypertension have it in grade “mild”. But we should treat any hypertension, however “mild” that is.
Mild hypertension damages the arteries a little every day. Eventually, perhaps be faced with a serious problem that could have been avoided.
When you lock one of the arteries feeding the brain, the result is known as “stroke”. When it blocks an artery that feeds the heart muscle, the result is a “heart attack”.
How to control: diet and exercise
To control unnecessary risks, think about the overall health of your heart, reduce the efforts to put and keep you healthy.
Exercise: Keep your heart in shape
His heart is a muscle. Like any other muscle, need to be active. That is one reason why exercise is so important to be healthy.
Ask your doctor for the right exercise program for you. Exercise is often recommended that moderate exercise for 20 minutes three times a week.
Many people find that at first do well with exercise, but after a time find reasons to quit. You’ll find that it is easier to maintain an exercise program if it includes an activity you enjoy and that fits your daily routine.
The variety will also help you keep: perhaps for a long walk once or twice a week and play tennis with a friend on weekends. Find the range, do what you like, do not start too bruscamente.Y, above all, enjoy!
Losing excess weight
If you weigh more than they should, their hypertension may worsen. The body is forced to move more blood, so the heart must work harder.
If your doctor thinks you should lose weight, but you would have a hard time losing it on some previous occasion, ask your doctor for advice about diet and exercise and what is more important, follow it!
Tips for eating less
- Take cooked or grilled, not fried. Avoid creamy salad dressings (mayonnaise, etc.).
- Do not take on cheese snacks
- Have you put the sauce on the side of the plate
- Controlling fat: Double Award. The reduction of dietary fat, especially saturated fats, helps in two ways:
- Facilitates weight loss
- Helps reduce cholesterol
- Fruits and vegetables
- Pasta no fat and no cholesterol
- Unsalted crackers
- Popcorn or low-fat microwave
- Juices
- Sherbet and non-fat yogurt
- Avoid excess salt
As anyone who has eaten a bag of crackers, the salt makes the body require water. When sodium salt reaches the blood, carries water with it. This excess fluid causes increased blood pressure and forces the heart to work harder than it should. The trick is to “watch the sodium.”
- Watch for hidden salt
- Read labels of prepared foods like canned soups, sauces and frozen foods.
- Find alternatives low in salt or sodium.
Some people can eat huge amounts of salt and have a normal blood pressure, sometimes with very little salt, were hypertensive. There is no way to know who has a blood pressure sensitive to salt or sodium without first testing a diet low in salt. If your blood pressure is sensitive to sodium, must maintain a reduced salt intake.
Other spices that can flavor the food. The key is to monitor the salt in the food preparations used in cooking such as canned soups. Not to be left to eat well to live well.
How to control it: medication
In some people (indeed, 80% of hypertensives) are not sufficient diet and exercise. Like you, I need medication while diet and exercise program.
The drugs work in different ways to help control hypertension. Two important ways are:
- Making the arteries to relax
- Preventing the heart to beat too strong
Your body needs some help to balance workloads and pressure heart blood vessels. So his doctor prescribed medication for hypertension.
If the socket properly, can keep blood pressure under control. Remember that the medicines do not cure hypertension and antibiotics cure an ear infection.
But most people are critical to maintaining controlled hypertension.
What does “control”
The use of glasses does not change his eyes, but while the bears look good and can make normal life.
Controlling hypertension is virtually the same: so long the treatment will keep the blood pressure where it belongs and can lead active lives.
All at once
- In most people with hypertension, the key is the joint effect of good nutrition, healthy exercise and medication.
- Some people believe that by taking a drug no longer have to exercise or weight monitoring. Others do not fancy having to take medication every day.
- But in doing “everything at once”, can control blood pressure.
- Remember Medication
- Take advantage of everyday events, as dinner or bedtime, to remember to take medicine, instead of being guided only by the clock.
- Store the medicine in a safe place, but where you will not forget.
- Keep a spare bottle of medication at work, in your handbag or briefcase
- If in doubt, consult your doctor.
- Keep your blood pressure at the appropriate level
- Keep your cholesterol level where appropriate
- Maintain proper weight for your body
- Find an exercise program that you can enjoy the
- If you smoke, try to quit
- Ask your doctor how you can reduce your risk for heart and blood vessel disease.
