High Blood Pressure Explained: What is it all about?

High blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension, is not just a set of numbers that appears on a monitor; it’s a hidden danger that can significantly affect your total well-being.

Now, imagine a growing threat, calm and secretive, quietly stalking you through life. Unfortunately, it leaves no obvious notification, whispers, or visible scars, yet influences to silently damage your heart, stroke your brain, and devour the liveliness of your very being.

Guess what? This is the chilling fact about high blood pressure, a silent giant hiding within, usually not detected until it’s too late.

However, because of the threat high blood pressure poses to human health, it is important to deeply understand what it is and why it matters.

High Blood Pressure Explained

In essence, blood pressure is the force exerted by the blood against the walls of the blood vessels. Imagine your circulatory system as a busy highway, with the heart as the center of activity ensuring a smooth flow. When the force is too high, we enter the realm of high blood pressure.

According to the 2023 definition by the American Heart Association (AHA), high blood pressure is when your blood pressure, the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels, is consistently too high.

It is good to know that the 3 main blood vessels include arteries, veins, and capillaries.

These vessels are the channels through which blood is distributed to your body tissues. Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood away from your heart to your body tissues and organs.

Veins carry deoxygenated blood back toward your heart from your body’s tissues and organs. They collect the already “used” blood which is now low in oxygen and high in carbon dioxide, and return it to the heart.

The heart, therefore, pumps the blood to the lungs, where it is re-oxygenated and sent back out to the body through the arteries. Capillaries, the smallest blood vessels, connect arteries and veins.

As the heart beats, it creates a force that pushes blood through a network of these tube-shaped blood vessels.

So, therefore, high blood pressure or hypertension is when the blood is using unusually high force to pass through these blood vessels.

Blood Pressure Chart

Before we dive into the blood pressure chart, let us quickly look into the 2 blood pressure numbers and what they mean. These numbers are used to know if your blood pressure is high or low

The first number (top number) is called the systolic blood pressure while the second number (down number) is called the diastolic blood pressure. They both occur as a result of the weight of the force by which the blood passes through the blood vessel. It is important to note that blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).

Systolic blood pressure is the force with which blood pumps out of the heart and into the arteries.

Diastolic blood pressure is the force in the arteries when the heart is resting between beats.

Having explained what these numbers mean, let us quickly view and explain the blood pressure chart by the American Heart Association.

Blood Pressure Chart according to the American Heart Association.

From the above chart, you can see the five blood pressure ranges as identified by the American Heart Association.

Normal: Blood pressure numbers of less than 120/80 mm Hg are regarded to be within the normal range. However, a reading of less than 90/60 mm Hg is considered low blood pressure, also known as hypotension.

Elevated: Elevated blood pressure is when readings consistently range from 120-129 systolic and less than 80 mm Hg diastolic.

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) Stage 1: Hypertension Stage 1 is when blood pressure regularly ranges from 130 to 139 systolic or 80 to 89 mm Hg diastolic.

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) Stage 2: Hypertension Stage 2 is when blood pressure steadily read 140/90 mm Hg or higher.

Hypertensive (High Blood Pressure) crisis: This stage of high blood pressure requires urgent medical attention. If your blood pressure readings suddenly exceed 180/120 mm Hg, then you are likely experiencing a hypertensive or high blood pressure crisis.

If you find yourself in this case, do not hesitate to contact your healthcare professional immediately. 

Signs and Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

Most people, whose blood pressure is high, are likely not to experience any significant signs and symptoms, especially at the beginning, hence the name “The silent killer disease”

However, do not allow fear to keep you from being the best version of yourself because of the name given to high blood pressure, it can be managed without stress.  It is important to check your blood pressure consistently and also be alert for any of the signs and symptoms below.

• Dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Occasional headaches
• Shortness of breath
• Nosebleeds

World Health Organization (WHO) pointed the below, to be the symptoms for people with very high blood pressure (usually 180/120 or higher):

• Chest pain
• Nausea
• Abnormal heart rhythm
• Confusion
• Blurred vision
• Anxiety
• Difficulty in breathing
• Severe headache
• Nosebleeds
• Buzzing in the ears
• Dizziness
• Vomiting

Causes and Risk Factors

High blood pressure is being triggered by the factors listed below. Though, it can be managed and controlled. Do not panic or allow the name to get into you. Everything is under control. Read up on how you can take charge of the health condition at 7 Natural High Blood Pressure Control Strategies.

Overweight or obesity

Overweight or obesity can put additional strain on the heart, making it work harder to pump blood throughout the body.

Lifestyle

The major targets here are those who live a sedentary lifestyle. People in this category perform very little or no physical activity daily.

Unfortunately, some jobs push one to live a sedentary lifestyle like sitting down in a particular spot for a long period. Regrettably, this type of lifestyle has serious adverse effects on human health, including high blood pressure.

 A sedentary lifestyle can lead to a buildup of plaque in the arteries, which can restrict blood flow and increase pressure.

Smoking

Smoking can harm the lining of the blood vessels, causing them to narrow and increasing blood pressure. It also damages the kidney, which plays vital role in regulating blood pressure.

Stress

Many people don’t know how to manage stress, hence the breakdown once being subjected to any form of stress. When one is stressed up, hormones like adrenaline and cortisol will be released from the adrenal gland.

These hormones can cause the heart to beat faster and the blood vessels to constrict, resulting in a temporary spike in blood pressure. Gradually, chronic stress can result in more long-term changes in the body which can cause blood pressure to remain elevated.

Salty Diet

There was a friend who was addicted to salt, especially in her meals. She made it clear to me that her taste bud recognizes salty diets as the only tasty foods that ever existed.

This is funny, right? Well, it took a whole lot of time to convince her that the adverse effect this salt has on her health is way more than the benefit, hence why she should not consume it in excess.

Funny enough, she already has high blood pressure but ignorance wouldn’t let her see that her love for salty meals contributed to it.

Luckily, after much persuasion, she agreed with me and started managing her blood pressure with both medication and lifestyle.

A diet high in salt can lead to hypertension by increasing the amount of sodium in the body, causing the body to retain more water. This can increase the quantity of blood in the bloodstream, subjecting the heart to work harder to pump the extra blood.

In addition, high levels of sodium can damage the walls of the blood vessels, making them to be stiffer and less elastic.

Chronic diseases

Certain chronic conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease, can also lead to high blood pressure. They cause changes in the body that impact blood pressure regulation.

 For instance, diabetes can destroy the blood vessels, thereby causing inflammation. Kidney disease on the other hand can result in the building up of fluid and salt in the body.

Age

In older adults, the heart and blood vessels become less elastic, leading to an increase in pressure.

Gender

American Heart Association stated that men are more likely to get high blood pressure at 64 years of age and below than women but from 65 years and above, women are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure.

Family history

Some people may innocently inherit genes that make them likely to develop high blood pressure. This is sad though.

Dangers and Side Effects

Blood pressure should be regularly monitored. You can purchase the high blood pressure checking instrument (sphygmomanometer) for your personal use.

High blood pressure, if not detected early, can cause the following:

• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Kidney damage
• Vision problems
• Sexual dysfunction
• Headaches
• Sleep problems
• Anxiety

Do not forget to always check your blood pressure, adopt a healthy lifestyle, and speak to your doctor once you observe any unusual signs or symptom in your body. Start the journey of living well with a healthy heart today– your heart will thank you tomorrow. Read up how to control high blood pressure without medication at 7 Natural High Blood Pressure Control Strategies.