What Is Hypertension



             


Wednesday, January 28, 2009

What You Should Eat If You Have Hypertension

Hypertension, also referred to as high blood pressure, is a common ailment in adults. Stress, improper diet and lack of exercise are some of the causes of hypertension. Dietetic management plays an integral role in helping people with hypertension stay as healthy as they can. What you eat is basically who you are and good food contains nutrients that your body needs to function normally.

Hypertension is also associated to people who are overweight. In this case, intake of high-calorie food should be minimized. For people with average weight, it is best the check a daily-recommended calorie diet that is best suitable for your age, gender and lifestyle.

Eating protein-rich foods like meat and chicken should also be restricted. People with hypertension should have 20 grams per day at a maximum. It can also be calculated as 1 gram per 1 kilogram of one?s body weight. To give a more concrete example, if for instance your weight is 70 kilograms then 70 grams of protein would be enough for one day.

Animal fats are also a no-no. Eat fatty foods pose a greater risk for people with hypertension. An increase intake of fatty foods can even lead to arteriosclerosis but not all fats are bad. You may be allowed to eat foods containing vegetable oils but not oily foods like liver or egg yolk.

One way to lower down blood pressure is to have a low fat and low sodium diet. Two to three grams of sodium would be enough per day. Keeping your potassium level high would also improve your condition. Good sources of potassium include celery, watermelon, tomatoes, bananas and other leafy vegetables. Get enough fluids everyday. If you have hypertension and oedema at the same time, then that?s the only time you need to limit your water intake.

Remember that you should always have a healthy lifestyle to combat hypertension. Manage your hypertension diet by quickly writing down your meal plan on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Smoking and drinking alcohol should never be in the list of the things you should do. With enough vigilance with the food you eat, in no time you can ease away from hypertension and live a better and healthier life.

Jason Rickard is the owner of Your Favourite Shop - Offering White Noise and Relaxation CDs - Visit Hapa Health for more articles.


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Thursday, January 15, 2009

The Causes And Effects Of Hypertension

The state of having high blood pressure is also referred to as hypertension. You are a possible candidate for hypertension if your blood pressure is higher than 140/90 mmHg.

Hypertension can originate from a lot of things. For one thing, improper diet with increased intake of fatty and high-cholesterol food can cause hypertension. Emotional disturbances can also heighten the risk of hypertension. Sometimes, doctors cannot point out the root cause of hypertension but for those which reasons are determined the solution is more apparent.

If you have some problems with your kidney's blood vessels then the chances of acquiring hypertension is higher. Renal parenchymal and renal vascular diseases are the two most common kidney ailments that can cause hypertension.

A pregnant person is also susceptible to hypertension as during pregnancy, major changes happen in a woman?s body. When a body adapts to the baby growing inside her, even though these changes are all regarded as normal, some of these activities can eventually lead to hypertension. Expectant moms that have a record or a lineage of heart problems are advised to be extra careful during the entire pregnancy stage.

Using birth control pills can also be a factor as these pills are known to have some side effects. The change in the body?s blood pressure is the primary side effect of taking pills.

If you any heart problems, chances are, your blood pressure becomes erratic. Your blood pressure can either be low or high, depending upon the reaction of your heart and your body.

If hypertension persists, there are different problems that could arise out of it. People with hypertension can contract a stroke at anytime. The chances of stroke are very high.

Hypertension can also cause faulty vision. When the fine blood vessels of the eyes break because of high blood pressure you could have blurry vision, which can even lead to blindness. Hypertension can also damage the kidneys as the kidney?s blood vessels can thicken with high blood pressure.

A way to be free of hypertension is to regularly check your blood pressure. Doing that is very essential for a fuller, healthier life!

Jason Rickard is the owner of Your Favourite Shop - Offering White Noise and Relaxation CDs - Visit Hapa Health for more articles.


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