Home | Health
High blood pressure is the most diagnosed condition in the US today and it is now estimated that it affects almost 72 million US citizens, including 1 out of every 3 adults. But, while we talk about high blood pressure, were you aware that there are actually two different types of high blood pressure? The vast majority of individuals suffer from what is officially termed essential or primary high blood pressure which often has few, or no, symptoms and often develops gradually over several years. A smaller, but nonetheless still significant, number of individuals suffer from secondary high blood pressure which arises out of an underlying medical condition and may sometimes present with an extremely rapid onset. The medical conditions which can give rise to secondary high blood pressure are many and varied but here are some of the more common causes: Kidney Problems. Your kidneys contain millions of tiny blood vessels and other structures which are designed to filter waste products from the blood. Whenever this filtering process is upset, in the case of polycystic kidney disease or hydronephrosis, one consequence is secondary high blood pressure. Sleep Apnea. The frequent interruption to your breathing arising from sleep apnea results in oxygen deprivation which causes damage to the lining of your blood vessels and affects the elasticity necessary in those vessels to control your blood pressure. Dietary Supplements. Many readily available dietary supplements, like ginseng and St John's wort, are capable of producing high blood pressure. Thyroid Problems. Excess or inadequate hormone production within the thyroid gland, seen in conditions like hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, can, directly or indirectly, lead to a rise in your blood pressure. Obesity. Rising weight is not infrequently accompanied by an increase in your heart rate, as your heart comes under pressure to pump a growing amount of blood around the body, and a consequently increased pressure on the walls of your arteries. Of course this list is not exhaustive and could also have included such things as prescription and over-the-counter drugs, preeclampsia, diabetes, Cushing's syndrome and more. High blood pressure, whether primary or secondary, is a serious medical problem which can result in the development of other life-threatening conditions like heart disease, cardiovascular disease and kidney failure.
Article Source: http://blisspublisher.com
TheBloodPressureCenter.com provides information on a variety of topics including the cause of high blood pressure, the importance of blood pressure monitoring and finding the best Omron blood pressure monitor
Please Rate this Article
5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
Not yet Rated
