Blood pressure is the pressure or force exerted on the arteries by the blood as it flows or travels through them. It is usually measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) with the aid of a sphygmomanometer.
Two readings are important and should be noted while taking blood pressure measurement: they are the systolic and the diastolic pressure. Systolic is the pressure produced when the heart contracts, while diastolic is the pressure produced when the heart is at rest, and as the ventricles dilate and are refilled with blood. Systolic is therefore the upper reading while diastolic is the lower reading.
The normal range of blood pressure readings for a young adult is 100-120/70-80mmHg, though this may vary with age. Sometimes the formula 100±20/70±10 could be used to determine the normal pressure for a young adult.
How is it measured?
Usually the individual is made to sit down for at least 2-3 minutes before readings are taken. The cuff of the sphygmomanometer (Analogue or digital) is wrapped around his upper arm (whichever arm you choose) with the bottom of the cuff about ½” above your elbow. Place the earpiece of your stethoscope on your ears and place the diaphragm over the brachial artery (at the inside of the elbow) and inflate, Listening as you inflate (if using the analogue sphygmomanometer). Take the upper reading where you start to hear the heart beat and then the lower reading where the beating stops and record them. If the upper reading is heard at 120 and the lower at 70, the blood pressure is then 120/70mmHg. If you are using the digital sphygmomanometer, follow same procedure but without using the stethoscope. Press the button and the cuff is inflated automatically. The readings are displayed on the monitor, including the pulse rate.
Note that some factors affect the blood pressure. Some of the factors include Age, Drugs, Exercise, Position, body surface etc. For instance blood pressure slightly increases with age and in a person with a larger body surface.
Some terminologies you should know:
1. Normotension: this refers to normal blood pressure. It is the ideal for an individual, depending on his or her age.
2. High blood pressure: this is when the blood pressure is elevated above normal. Normally it is elevated above 140/90mmHg.
3. Hypertension: this is the persistent elevation of blood pressure above 140/90mmHg.
4. Hypotension: It is an abnormally low arterial blood pressure. This could be a reading of below 80/60mmHg.
An abnormally high blood pressure is dangerous just as an abnormally low one is. There should therefore be a balance. The best desired blood pressures should then be the normotensive pressure.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Am I Experiencing Hypertension?
I woke one morning feeling very terrible; my head banged as though there were people dancing masquerade inside my cranium. I tried to take my mind off the pain but just couldn’t: the more I tried to relax the worse the pain became. Several things began to race across my mind. Have I become hypertensive? I asked, talking to no one in particular. I finally decided to see my doctor and after series of tests I was told what I had was just malaria.
The doctor took time to explain to me what I should ask myself if I thought I was experiencing hypertension. So what are those questions to ask yourself?
1. Am I having a terrible headache? One thing that could be a warning signal that you may be experiencing hypertension is if you have severe occipital headache (at the back of your head) especially in the mornings.
2. Am I losing sleep? Losing your sleep or suffering from a medical condition known as insomnia could be a warning that you may be having hypertension especially if you have no other way of explaining the cause of your sleeplessness.
3. Do I have any difficulty breathing? One other way you could know if you may be experiencing hypertension is if you suddenly begin to suffer shortness of breath. This should serve as a signal that you may be having a mild form of complication already setting in.
4. Am I dizzy? This is a feeling of unsteadiness or haziness and is usually accompanied by anxiety. If you are sure that that describes the symptom you have you need to see the doctor to find out if you are having hypertension.
5. Any palpitation? Do you have any rapid and forceful contraction in your heart? Then there is need to ask if you are becoming hypertensive. It could just be a warning sign or it could also be another condition. You need to see a doctor to be sure what it is.
6. Chest pain? Is there any chest pain or any heaviness on your chest? They are a warning that should not be overlooked. Find out what exactly might be responsible for such pain or heaviness.
7. Am I urinating frequently? That you urinate frequently could be a sign that your kidneys are experiencing some kind of distress as a result of hypertension which may have affected the vessels of your kidneys
8. Do I see clearly? If you are no longer seeing clearly or you feel there is reduction in your visual acuity this might well be a warning to you too. Don’t play with it; inquire further by visiting your doctor.
9. Sexual difficulty? Are still enjoying sex with your spouse the way you use to some years back? A sudden or gradual decline in your sexual capacity or libido may just tell you that hypertension is already with you. Don’t conclude you have it, you need to see the doctor for proper investigation.
10. Buzzing in your ears? Has there been buzzing, ringing or roaring sound in your ears of recent? If there has then there is the possibility that you may be experiencing hypertension. You need to be concerned even if the ringing or roaring is mild
11. A feeling of rotation? One more question you need to ask yourself is if you have a feeling of rotation inside you or in your surroundings. This could mean that there is serious problem somewhere in your system.
However, you should not conclude that you are experiencing hypertension because you have one or more of the afore-mentioned symptoms. You need to see a doctor for investigations to be carried out before you make your conclusions.
The doctor took time to explain to me what I should ask myself if I thought I was experiencing hypertension. So what are those questions to ask yourself?
1. Am I having a terrible headache? One thing that could be a warning signal that you may be experiencing hypertension is if you have severe occipital headache (at the back of your head) especially in the mornings.
2. Am I losing sleep? Losing your sleep or suffering from a medical condition known as insomnia could be a warning that you may be having hypertension especially if you have no other way of explaining the cause of your sleeplessness.
3. Do I have any difficulty breathing? One other way you could know if you may be experiencing hypertension is if you suddenly begin to suffer shortness of breath. This should serve as a signal that you may be having a mild form of complication already setting in.
4. Am I dizzy? This is a feeling of unsteadiness or haziness and is usually accompanied by anxiety. If you are sure that that describes the symptom you have you need to see the doctor to find out if you are having hypertension.
5. Any palpitation? Do you have any rapid and forceful contraction in your heart? Then there is need to ask if you are becoming hypertensive. It could just be a warning sign or it could also be another condition. You need to see a doctor to be sure what it is.
6. Chest pain? Is there any chest pain or any heaviness on your chest? They are a warning that should not be overlooked. Find out what exactly might be responsible for such pain or heaviness.
7. Am I urinating frequently? That you urinate frequently could be a sign that your kidneys are experiencing some kind of distress as a result of hypertension which may have affected the vessels of your kidneys
8. Do I see clearly? If you are no longer seeing clearly or you feel there is reduction in your visual acuity this might well be a warning to you too. Don’t play with it; inquire further by visiting your doctor.
9. Sexual difficulty? Are still enjoying sex with your spouse the way you use to some years back? A sudden or gradual decline in your sexual capacity or libido may just tell you that hypertension is already with you. Don’t conclude you have it, you need to see the doctor for proper investigation.
10. Buzzing in your ears? Has there been buzzing, ringing or roaring sound in your ears of recent? If there has then there is the possibility that you may be experiencing hypertension. You need to be concerned even if the ringing or roaring is mild
11. A feeling of rotation? One more question you need to ask yourself is if you have a feeling of rotation inside you or in your surroundings. This could mean that there is serious problem somewhere in your system.
However, you should not conclude that you are experiencing hypertension because you have one or more of the afore-mentioned symptoms. You need to see a doctor for investigations to be carried out before you make your conclusions.
Why You Should Take Hypertension Seriously
Hypertension is such a dangerous health problem that should not be taken for granted or toiled with; it should be handled with the seriousness it deserves and everything should be done to prevent the nasty experiences that come with it. Anyone who wants to live long and enjoy life to the fullest must take his health serious and show concern when it comes to incurable conditions especially.
You should take Hypertension seriously because of the following reasons:
1. It is crippling: Some of the complications of hypertension are crippling e.g. Stroke or cardiovascular accident. This deadly complication can render a man who has been very active and agile completely helpless to himself, his family and the society at large. Inability to move a particular part of the body makes one dependent on others for hygiene, feeding, mobility, and sometimes speech. In order not to experience this state of complete dependence you must take this health monster serious and do all you can to lead an independent life.
2. Blindness: the worst thing that could happen to a man is for him to be blind; then he is unable to admire the beauty of his surrounding environment, the beauty of his wife, his new clothes, the faces of his new born children, the beautifully coloured flowers in his compound, his beautiful bed spread, just name them. Blindness is one of those things hypertension could cause and so in order not to live in perpetual darkness for the rest of your life you need to take it serious and if you are hypertensive you do your best to prevent this ugly complication from setting in by having your eyes examined from time to time.
3. Kidney damage: Have you ever thought of the possibility of living on a dialysis machine for life? Have you also thought of getting someone who is compatible to donate a kidney for you? Does the possibility of tissue rejection strike any fear inside you? Then think of taking your health serious. Visit your doctor and seek his help to prevent you from losing your priceless kidneys to hypertension.
4. Heart failure: Just like stroke, heart failure could make you live like vegetable if it ever happens to you (especially the serious type). What happens then? You feel tired all the time, you are no longer able to do those physically challenging things you could do before – no more football, boxing, cycling, sex, marathon, etc. Life would no longer make any meaning to you if you just exist but are not imparting your environment. Take your hypertension serious because it could really harm you and make you debilitated for the rest of your life.
5. Myocardial infarction: How about having an excruciating pain on your heart that could make you feel terrible all times, and living on drugs to kill the pain? A dead portion of your heart ensures that your heart is not able to carry out its normal duty of pumping blood to the rest of your body.
Hypertension must be taken seriously for the afore-mentioned reasons, especially because of the fact that once these complications set in they are very difficult or almost completely impossible to reverse.
You should take Hypertension seriously because of the following reasons:
1. It is crippling: Some of the complications of hypertension are crippling e.g. Stroke or cardiovascular accident. This deadly complication can render a man who has been very active and agile completely helpless to himself, his family and the society at large. Inability to move a particular part of the body makes one dependent on others for hygiene, feeding, mobility, and sometimes speech. In order not to experience this state of complete dependence you must take this health monster serious and do all you can to lead an independent life.
2. Blindness: the worst thing that could happen to a man is for him to be blind; then he is unable to admire the beauty of his surrounding environment, the beauty of his wife, his new clothes, the faces of his new born children, the beautifully coloured flowers in his compound, his beautiful bed spread, just name them. Blindness is one of those things hypertension could cause and so in order not to live in perpetual darkness for the rest of your life you need to take it serious and if you are hypertensive you do your best to prevent this ugly complication from setting in by having your eyes examined from time to time.
3. Kidney damage: Have you ever thought of the possibility of living on a dialysis machine for life? Have you also thought of getting someone who is compatible to donate a kidney for you? Does the possibility of tissue rejection strike any fear inside you? Then think of taking your health serious. Visit your doctor and seek his help to prevent you from losing your priceless kidneys to hypertension.
4. Heart failure: Just like stroke, heart failure could make you live like vegetable if it ever happens to you (especially the serious type). What happens then? You feel tired all the time, you are no longer able to do those physically challenging things you could do before – no more football, boxing, cycling, sex, marathon, etc. Life would no longer make any meaning to you if you just exist but are not imparting your environment. Take your hypertension serious because it could really harm you and make you debilitated for the rest of your life.
5. Myocardial infarction: How about having an excruciating pain on your heart that could make you feel terrible all times, and living on drugs to kill the pain? A dead portion of your heart ensures that your heart is not able to carry out its normal duty of pumping blood to the rest of your body.
Hypertension must be taken seriously for the afore-mentioned reasons, especially because of the fact that once these complications set in they are very difficult or almost completely impossible to reverse.
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