High Blood Pressure Causes

According to the American Heart Association's website one in three adults has high blood pressure but only 78.7 percent of them were aware of their condition.

The website went on to point out that even though many times the cause of hypertension isn't known, it is easily detected and usually controllable. Note that they said easily detectable, that is if you go to a doctor or health clinic and have your blood pressure checked.

You could be one of the 73.6 million people in the United States age 20 and older that have high blood pressure. One of the most alarming and dangerous things about hypertension, is that initially there are often few or no symptoms. In fact, it can be difficult, if not impossible to know that you have it unless you make regular routine visits to your doctor. If you can't make it to your doctor go to the health clinic in your neighborhood.

These visits are extremely important, because hypertension can lead to all types of very serious and life threatening complications. It can worsen diabetes sometimes, but even more commonly, can put you at risk of heart disease or stroke. Although I have heard conflicting reports, I believe that my father was in denial about his high blood pressure for years before it finally caught up to him, causing him a severe stroke. His stoke nearly crippled him and caused him to live in pain for the last ten years of his life. This is why you need to get your medical checkup. Because, even though it is dangerous, the common causes of hypertension are easily treated.

One of the most common causes is excessive salt consumption. Some people have high sensitivity to sodium (salt), and their blood pressure goes up when they use salt. When these people reduce their sodium intake it goes down. According to many experts, taking in too much salt is common among Americans. It is estimated that we consume 10 to 15 times more salt than we need.

Diets of fast and processed foods contain particularly high amounts of sodium. To reduce your sodium intake levels read labels carefully to find out how much sodium is contained in food items and then avoid those with high sodium levels. Although this is only one of the high blood pressure causes for certain salt sensitive people, it can't hurt to decrease your salt consumption, and may help prevent your risk of heart attack.

Even more common among causes of hypertension is obesity. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m2. It is very closely related to high blood pressure. Obesity causes hypertension because it puts a strain on your circulatory system. This means that your heart has to work harder to pump blood, resulting in higher pressure in your veins and arteries.

Medical professionals strongly recommend that all obese people with high blood pressure lose weight until they are within 15% of their healthy body weight. This leads to the next cause, the lack of exercise. When you don't do cardiovascular exercise your heart atrophies. This means that it needs to pump harder to circulate your blood. Using exercise to lose weight, you can treat both of these causes at once.

Be careful what drugs you put in your body. Certain drugs, such as amphetamines (stimulants), diet pills, and some pills used for cold and allergy symptoms, tend to raise blood pressure. Also, people that drink too much alcohol have a tendency to develop hypertension. For those that are sensitive to alcohol, drinking more than one to two drinks of alcohol per day tends to raise their blood pressure.

Some causes are not so easily treatable. For example, it appears that there is a genetic component, that make some people simply more prone. Along with this, there is a process called arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, which can occur with age.

Diabetes, which can be treated through diet and exercise, but not necessarily completely eliminated, is another one of the causes which can't completely be improved through conscientious treatment.

So the facts remain that you can reduce your chance of high blood pressure by getting your checkup, exercising, and eating right. Start today. You owe it to yourself and your loved ones.

Hypertension - Causes and Symptoms

With a rapid change in lifestyles, work pressures, a fast paced life or even personal habits, hypertension has come across as a medical issue of significant magnitude and serious concern.

The condition is vastly prevalent in both, developing and developed countries. In United States, 67 million people are afflicted by hypertension, which is nearly one in every three adults, and only half of these people (47%) have the condition under control. Some other medical disorders which are equally risky are also attributed to the condition. Around 7 in 10 people who have their first heart attack are afflicted by hypertension. And the same stands true for stroke as well. Around 8 in 10 people who suffer from their first stroke have high blood pressure. Moreover, hypertension is very often linked with kidney ailments, and if one is suffering from a kidney disease, his chances of contracting hypertension are higher.

What is hypertension?

When our heart beats, it pumps blood through the entire body by means of arteries, and blood pressure is defined as the force of blood on the vessel walls. Hypertension is another name for high blood pressure.

When one's blood pressure is higher, the heart is required to pump harder, and the condition is called hypertension. This is a condition that has many effects on our body. It could cause damage to organs and many illnesses as well, such as kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke or aneurysm, which is swelling of arteries or cardiac chambers.

Normal levels of blood pressure should be below 120/80, wherein 120 is the peak blood pressure in arteries and 80 is the minimum blood pressure in arteries. When blood pressure reaches the limit of 140/90, the condition is known as hypertension.

If one suffers from high blood pressure due to unknown causes, it is known as essential blood pressure. But hypertension may be caused due to secondary causes, such as kidney disorders or tumors, and the same is known as secondary hypertension.

The condition is more prevalent in adults and seniors, but even those younger, teens and children could be at risk. About two million teens and children in United States are afflicted by hypertension.

What causes hypertension?

There are some factors which are known to enhance the risk of occurrence of hypertension. These include smoking, being obese or overweight, not getting regular exercise in everyday life, or even high levels of salt intake.

Similarly, insufficient consumption of calcium, magnesium or potassium from our diets, a deficiency of Vitamin D or higher alcohol consumption increase the chances of prevalence of hypertension. Stress makes one more vulnerable to hypertension, and even genetics, or a prior family history of hypertension makes one more likely to contract the condition. Kidney ailments, some thyroid problems or tumors also make one more vulnerable to hypertension.

How can one find out if he has hypertension?

Some symptoms of hypertension include severe headaches, chest pain, dizziness, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, nausea, problems with breathing, or blood in the urine. However, it very often happens that a person suffering from hypertension does not have any of these symptoms. This is common, and one in three people who are afflicted by hypertension do exhibit any of the symptoms of hypertension. So one must try and make sure that he goes for periodic blood screening tests, even if no symptoms of high blood pressure are prevalent.

Lower Blood Pressure Naturally - How Nitric Oxide (NO) Lowers Blood Pressure

High blood pressure (sometimes called hypertension) is also known as the silent killer because there aren't any real symptoms. Nearly one of every three American adults (65 million people) suffer from this condition and in 2002 it was implicated in almost 50,000 deaths. Hypertension is the 13th largest cause of death in the United States (American Heart Association 2005). Furthermore, studies have estimated that a 55-year-old person whose pressure is normal has a 90-percent lifetime risk of getting high blood pressure. High BP has resulted in damage to blood vessels in the eyes, heart, brain, and kidneys.

As bleak as this may seem, the good news is that high blood pressure can be controlled by prescription drugs or by natural methods.

Many people prefer lowering blood pressure naturally because you avoid the unpleasant side effects that can accompany prescription drugs.

Two of the best natural ways of lowering blood pressure naturally are exercise and diet. You don't have to join a gym to get the exercise you need. Simply committing to walk for 20 to 30 minutes at least 3 times a week can have a positive effect on blood pressure. In addition, there are other benefits for the joints, bones and muscles.

A few modifications to your diet can also do wonders for your blood pressure. Start with reducing the amount of salt. If this is hard for you to do then reduce the amount gradually until you have eliminated it completely. Be aware that processed foods are often high in salt (sodium) so read the label.

Recently another method of lowering BP naturally has emerged. This is called nitric oxide therapy and is the result of the research by Nobel® Laureate Dr. Louis Ignarro. Dr. Ignarro and his team of researchers knew that nitrogen in the form of nitro-glycerin had been used for years to help relieve angina or heart distress but they didn't know how it worked. They discovered that the nitric oxide molecule has a profound effect in dilating arteries and blood vessels which could reduce blood pressure and support cardiovascular health.

The next step was to determine how to create nitric oxide in the body. They found that the amino acid, arginine or L-arginine, causes nitric oxide to be produced in the arteries and blood vessels. They also learned that exercise will have the same effect.

In addition, they discovered that nitric oxide has other beneficial effects, which impact the immune system and the nervous system. The popular prescription drug Viagra was developed as a direct result of Dr. Ignarro's nitric oxide research.

The question then was what foods provide a source of arginine. There were many on the list including nuts, red meat, and certain vegetables. Although these were a natural source, there wasn't enough arginine to make a major difference. Dr. Ignarro realized that he would have to create a supplement, which would provide enough arginine in significant quantity. The result is a proprietary product called Niteworks(TM). Those who are able to use Niteworks(TM) have found that they not only are able to control their hypertension but have realized other benefits including a more restful sleep and greater stamina. More information is available at Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally

® The Nobel Prize is a registered trademark of the Nobel Foundation

Hypertension Medication Side Effects - Do You Know What Your Drug Can Do to You?

Hypertension medications have made improvements over the past years and that's good news for people who have been prescribed those antihypertensive drugs. Some drugs have improved potency which means lower doses are required. Others work in ways that did not exist several years ago and also allow for lower dosages or more effective combinations of drugs.

So if there have been so many improvements, why do you feel so lousy?

These drugs still come with side effects. Understand that hypertension treatment is a numbers game. Your doctor will start with a low dosage on one or two medicines and will continue to adjust both type of drugs and dosages until a combination is found that controls your condition. At least it controls it for now. If you condition changes, or you develop intolerance to the drug, the mix and match process begins again.

Here's a sample of what you can expect in the way of side effects for a few of the classes of drugs:

Diuretics are the oldest and least expensive form of treatment for high blood pressure. Diuretics flush sodium and excess fluids from the body reducing blood volume. The less blood in the system, the less pressure required to pump it. Thiazide diuretics can also prevent sodium from being reabsorbed in the body. Side effects include:

• Thirst, potassium depletion, frequent urination, weakness, impotence, muscle cramps, lightheadedness, constipation and confusion.

Anti-adrenergics work by limiting the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine which have a stiffening effect on the blood vessels. Without this effect both the vessels and heart are more relaxed and less pressure is required to pump blood. Side effects:

• Depression, fatigue, wheezing, insomnia, impotence and a decrease in good cholesterol HDL can occur as a result of taking this class of drug. The very scary part is do not miss taking your pill as prescribed. Sudden withdrawal can trigger an angina or heart attack.

ACE Inhibitors. This class is one of the most effective in controlling blood pressure. This drug works by deactivating angiotensin-converting enzyme which prevents the kidney from absorbing sodium and retaining water. Left unchecked, these enzymes can stiffen blood vessels and increase pressure. Side effects include:

• Cough, rash, fluid retention and loss of taste. May also cause fetal abnormalities.

So that's the popular line up of hypertension medications and their side effects. Is there an alternative to these?

The answer is yes, if you want to make some changes in the way you live your life.

The American Heart Association endorses changes in diet, exercise and stress management as the best way to control hypertension. If you are fed up with the side effects, the expense, or simply the fact that you will be reliant on daily medication for the rest of your life, then you need to learn about the alternatives.

Natural approaches can not only control your high blood pressure, it can cure it and reverse much of the damage that has already been done. Take responsibility for your health and learn how to live without the drugs.

Blood in Stool - 7 Reasons Found in the Colon

Blood in stool is often discovered with some perplexity, accompanied appropriately by exclamations of 'bloody' (not expletive). Dots of blood, scarlet red, stand out unmistakably on excrement. Maroon red blotches of blood besmirches the toilet tissue. Bright red spots of blood dribble into the toilet bowl or down the legs. Quite naturally, a sudden bout of fear causes our hearts to jump a beat or two.

No undue alarm is warranted yet as the hemorrhaging (technical word for bleeding) could be any one of 7 possible causes arising from the colon. Mindful attention to ensure early diagnosis and correct treatment will reduce any unsettling lifestyle changes as the best part of the 7 causes are treatable. Do not be unconcerned. Commence close monitoring. Without delay, consult your doctor if bleeding and pain lingers for more than a week.

Appropriate treatment following proper diagnosis can often quickly resolve the problem. More critically, blood in stool may be the consequence of some type of cancer.

Melena or Hematochezia

Hematochezia (maroon or bright red colored blood) or melena (black sticky or tarry stools) are two medical categorizations for the less technical term rectal bleeding. Whilst recognised as rectal bleeding as the exit is the rectum, the origins of the blood may be any of 7 causes in the colon (large intestine). Cancer, colon polyps, diverticulosis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, intestinal ischemia and peptic ulcer are the 7 known causes in the colon.

Colorectal Cancer

This is the third most frequent form of cancer on earth and the third most frequent reason for of cancer-related death with a fatality toll of around 640,000 annually. It is the reason why one should see a medical specialist for continual blood in stool.

Tumours in the colon, appendix and rectum are classified as colorectal cancer. Colonoscopy (visual inspection by micro-camera inserted via the anus) is the chief means of ascertaining colorectal cancer. Treatment focuses on surgical excision and chemotherapy. Timely discovery often leads to a total cure. Those over 50 and those with family history of cancers are classified under the higher risk group. Colorectal cancer is gender blind, affecting both women and men, with no conspicuous bias for either sex.

This next point bears taking note. Quite in contrast to what is reported elsewhere, colorectal cancer commonly produces occult (not visible to the naked eye) blood in feces i.e it is NOT a regular reason for visible blood in stool! According to the University of Michigan Health System, colorectal cancer does cause bleeding but special tests are requisite to confirm the presence of occult blood. Crucial accompanying symptoms to watch out for are diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, weight loss, appetite loss and incessant fatigue.

Colon Polyp

Affixing on the walls of the intestines or the rectum, polyps are frequently benign and may be raised or flat. Those above 50 years of age and with a family history of polyps and colorectal cancer are prone to polyps. Contributory factors include lack of exercise, obesity, alcohol and smoking. It would seem that no one knows the real cause.

Whilst benign, polyps are usually excised during colonoscopy as they can become malignant. Polyps do not usually cause noticeable symptoms. But in others, blood in stool is present.

Diverticulosis

Pouches (diverticula) stretching from the colon wall is distinctive of diverticulosis. Diverticula growth is postulated to be a result of abnormal colon pressure, the causes of which are not entirely distinct. Contributory factors include deprivation of dietary fiber. If food gets embedded in diverticula, infection may set in leading to diverticulitis. Complications from diverticulitis can ensue if an infected diverticulum ruptures and disseminates bacteria to the abdominal cavity lining. The possibly deadly peritonitis can materialise.

Diverticulosis do not cause distinct symptoms in most people. Mild cramps, constipation and bloating are some noted symptoms. Yet others suffer more acutely, including nausea, vomiting and rectal bleeding as the most common symptoms. The peril of peritonitis emphasizes the need that blood in stool should first be examined by a doctor. A CT (computed tomography) scan is 98% efficacious in diagnosing diverticulitis.

Ulcerative Colitis

IBD or inflammatory bowel disease, under which colitis is classified, affects the large intestine (colon) and the small intestine. Inflammation by itself is a healthy bodily response to heal damaged tissue. Like a tap that must be turned off, inflammation sets off curing of injured tissue but must terminate thereafter or greater tissue harm may ensue. Ulcerative colitis is caused by ulcers which are erosion of the mucous membrane lining.

Apart from other symptoms, blood in stool is frequent. The risk of peritonitis from colitis is the key reason for diagnosing it as the cause of rectal bleeding.

Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease is an auto-immune disease whereby the body's immune system provokes harmful inflammation by assailing the gastrointestinal tract. It can develop in any part of of the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the anus. But it usually affects the small and large intestine (colon).

Smoking, genetic makeup and industrial environmental exposure are believed to be contributory causal factors even though definitive causes are unknown. The symptoms are blood in stool, abdominal cramps, severe bloody diarrhea, blood on toilet tissue or in the toilet bowl, fever and weight loss.

Often termed as granulomatous colitis, Crohn's disease can go into abeyance and happen again periodically throughout life. Currently, there is no known surgical or pharmaceutical solution for Crohn's disease. Early detection is important for efficacious control of the symptoms and checking recurrences.

Intestinal Ischemia

Ischemia is a suppression in blood supply to any part of the body. Dysfunctional arteries result in tissue damage due to the deprivation of blood nutrients and oxygen. Intestinal ischemia is the depletion blood supply causing inflammation of the large intestine; a result of blood clots, blood vessel constriction and general high blood pressure.

Symptoms include blood in stool, urgent and violent bowel movements, weight loss, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramps, abdominal bloating and fever. Urgent medical attention is needed to rejuvenate intestinal blood supply if there is serious consistent pain. It may be crucial to surgically circumvent blocked blood vessels and remove blood clots and damaged tissue. To arrest clots and infections, respective medication includes anticoagulants and antibiotics.

Peptic Ulcer

An exceedingly painful ulcer, this is located in the gastrointestinal tract. An erosion of the mucosal membrane that is at least 0.5cm in diameter is an ulcer. Commonly mistaken to occur in the stomach, peptic ulcers are actually prevalent in the duodenum (initial part of the small intestine). Peptic ulcers are largely presumed to be caused by a bacterium that inflicts chronic gastritis.

Symptoms include blood in stool (melena), abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, appetite and weight loss, vomiting of blood and at the extreme, perforation of the intestine. This can lead to possibly deadly peritonitis and requires emergency surgery. Antibiotics and antacids can be used to cure milder cases.

Hemorrhoids

The above 7 causes is the rationale why rectal bleeding demands the skills of a medical doctor who can render a precise diagnosis. Appropriate treatment and medication, possibly including surgery, can accelerate the path to recovery.

Lest you be too distressed by the above narrated causes, blood in stool is most usually due to the relatively innocuous internal or external hemorrhoids.

What is Resistant Hypertension?

Resistant hypertension is stubborn blood pressure that is controlled but requires four or more medications. Resistant hypertension is generally found in overweight and elderly people.

Overweight people tend to carry more fat and less muscle in their body. The increase in fat relates to the cholesterol theory of plaque build up in the arteries leading to narrowed blood vessels through out the body. This causes the heart to pump harder because of the resistance of the smaller space that blood must move through. This leads to high blood pressure.

In the elderly resistant hypertension occurs because the walls of the artery become harder losing its ability to widen. Again with a hardened artery the heart must pump stronger to create blood flow through out the body. This stress placed on the heart may lead to an enlarged heart.

Four different types of hypertension medication is given to lower blood pressure. Doctors want this pressure to be below 140 / 90. This range is pre-hypertension. Any blood pressure over 140 /90 is considered to be hypertension.

Blood pressure medication for resistant hypertension is given to do a few things. Beta-Blockers slow the heart rate, ACE inhibitors reduce hormone release to prevent narrowing of the arteries and diuretics help to remove excess fluid by reducing fluid retention. The problem with diuretics is that vital nutrients needed to help with normal breakdown of food and increased metabolism are flushed out of the body.

Let's face it, uncontrolled hypertension can cause some very serious health problems such as heart disease, kidney failure, stroke and eventually pre-mature death.

Traditional lifestyle changes such as salt reduction, weight loss and reduced alcohol consumption may help to control resistant hypertension. However a program that has specific guidelines for nutrition, exercise and breathing is more effective.

Resistant hypertension is definitely controllable if you are willing to take the necessary steps to lower your high blood pressure. Further more, over time as you progress with your lifestyle changes, the possibility of living with out hypertension medication may exist.

Naturally Lower Blood Pressure Without Medication - 7 Steps to Take

To naturally lower blood pressure is possible if some lifestyle changes are made. If a doctor has diagnosed you with high blood pressure, probably the first thing he/she will want to do is to put you on medication. But then the question arises, is this the best alternative? Is it possible to naturally correct hypertension?

For some people, yes, there may not be any other ways to lower their pressure. But for other is it possible to naturally lower their pressure if it is too high? For a lot of people, yes, you can lower hypertension naturally without drugs by taking some sensible steps as outlined below.

1. 
   Lose Weight - if you are overweight, lose the pounds. A study by the British Blood Pressure Association says that decreasing your weight by 22 pounds can lower pressure by 5 to 10 points.


2. 
   Get Moving - Exercise! Once you start an exercise routine, it becomes a habit.


3. 
   Eat Healthy - Cut out processed food and start eating whole grain products, fish poultry and nuts.


4. 
   Decrease Stress - Worrying has shown to significantly raise pressure


5. 
   Less Alcohol - This can lower your pressure 2-4 points. One to two drinks a day is ok, but any more can raise your blood pressure.


6. 
   Take your vitamins - Many vitamins have shown to have a positive effect on high .


7. 
   Other Nutrients that have shown to have an effect on blood pressure include, but are not limited to, potassium, magnesium, calcium and garlic.

To lower your pressure naturally, is going to take some some and effort. After all, getting to this point did not happen overnight.

What is an Average Blood Pressure?

You may be surprised to learn that blood pressure ranges can actually differ throughout the world. This is why your doctor will not only look for how closely you come to the average pressure range, but also take into consideration such factors as your age, race, health, gender, and more.

Blood pressure is defined as the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. Each time your heart beats, it pumps blood through the arteries. It is at its peak when the heart beats, forcing blood into the arteries. This is called systolic pressure and it's a significant measurement which reveals the compression capacity of cardiac tissues in a person's body coupled with the free flow of blood in their arterioles and arteries. When your heart is at rest, between beats, pressure falls. This is the diastolic pressure.

In general, a healthy person should have a systolic pressure reading no higher than 130 mm of Hg and a diastolic pressure reading of approximately 80 mm of Hg. The average pressure of an average person is generally considered to be 120/80.

What's a high blood pressure reading?

Well, much like other conditions, there are different stages of hypertension. Stage one occurs when your systolic reading ranges between 140 mm of mercury to 159 mm, combined with a diastolic reading ranging from 90 mm to 99 mm. The next step in the hierarchy of stages is a systolic pressure of 160 or higher, along with a diastolic blood pressure of 100 or higher. This is the point at which you're considered to be in stage two.

Similarly, you can experience low pressure, though it may be more difficult to define. This is because some people feel light-headed, sluggish and experience headaches when their pressure gets too low, but other people may experience no symptoms at all and may not even be aware of their condition.

You only require one number, either systolic or diastolic, to be low to be considered in the low range. This is true even if the other number is perfect. So what's generally considered the starting low mark? Most experts consider anything lower than 90 systolic or 60 diastolic to be a warning sign.

The real danger occurs when your blood pressure takes a sudden plunge or if you've been experiencing long-term low range readings that are resulting in noticeable symptoms.

All of these ranges need to be considered closely by a physician. A high reading, for instance, may be the result of temporary anxiety or excitement. This is why it's helpful to have a regular doctor who has a history of your readings. He'll be able to determine if you're falling within an average range or if there is reason for concern.

How to Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally - Definitely Without Drugs

So many people suffer from hypertension these days. Unlike other diseases, hypertension often has no symptoms. The sufferer becomes unaware, and he usually does not take any precaution until one day he gets a heart attack or a stroke. Strokes and heart attacks are the first leading cause of death for many people all over the world. If hypertension's left untreated, it could also result in a congestive heart failure, kidney diseases, and even blindness. This deadly disease has been very familiar among doctors as 'the silent killer'.

Some people, including most doctors, believe that lowering hypertension naturally without drugs is impossible. They agree that maintaining an ideal weight by exercising and leading a healthy lifestyle is good for your health indeed, however, to lower your hypertension you will still need one or two kinds of drugs such as calcium channel blocker, diuretics, alpha-blocker, or beta-blocker. Unfortunately, they do not tell you that those drugs may have some negative side effects, and once you consume those drugs, you will depend on them for the rest of your life because once hypertension develops, it usually lasts a lifetime.

How to lower your hypertension naturally, effectively and quickly, is available now. Almost in every health problem, when you could discover the underlying causes and deal with them, you would be able to eliminate the main problem permanently. But most medications only deal with the symptoms and not the underlying causes. This could create more health problems than the main illness.

Because of this concern, especially after many medical reports are exposed regarding the negative side effects of hypertension drugs, many people are looking for a natural way to lower their blood pressure. Even some doctors agree that there has to be another way, a safer way, to deal with hypertension, and start advising their patients to adopt natural ways to lower their hypertension.

Need to Lower Your Blood Pressure Fast Before Your Next Employment Physical?

Do you need to lower your blood pressure fast? There are all kinds of reasons why people want to get to a normal blood pressure reading quickly. Often times it really doesn't have anything to do about their concern with health but rather about how a high blood pressure reading will affect some other part of their life. Like work.

Any number of jobs has a requirement for an annual physical that is a condition of employment. This runs the gamut of over the road truck drivers to airline pilots to police and firemen and almost anyone who is involved in physical exertion. If you know you have high blood pressure and you're scheduled for a physical by your employer, then you are obviously concerned.

What happens if you fail that exam? How long will they keep you on and what kind of work will they provide while you get your blood pressure under control? What does this mean financially?

Well if your exam is at least three weeks off and your pressure isn't greater than 20 points above normal then there is good news. You can get down to normal if you want. And you can do it without drugs.

It will be a challenge but once you have the knowledge and you act on it, you'll be able to achieve the results you want.

Let's start with what the principal objective is. Nobody really knows what causes high blood pressure but we know plenty about its effect on the body and the blood vessels in particular. The vessels are designed to expand when the heart pumps blood and then contract after the pulse passes. A person with high blood pressure has lost some or all of this elasticity so the vessels are stiff or contracted at all times. When the vessels are contracted they have a smaller diameter handling the same force from the heart. This is what high blood pressure is.

Our job is to loosen up those vessels to allow them to more efficiently handle the flow from the heart. The steps that follow are designed to do just that.

* Step 1. Hydrate. If you had gone to a doctor he may have prescribed a diuretic to flush out salt and excess fluids. That's fine but the diuretics come with side effects. You can accomplish much the same thing by drinking enough water. As a rule you should drink at least half your body weight expressed in ounces each day. So if you weigh 150 pounds you need 75 ounces of water. Don't skimp on this.

* Step 2. Exercise. This is the fastest way to temporarily reduce blood pressure. Do at least 30 minutes a day of mild aerobic exercise like walking, swimming laps or riding a bike. Not only will this lower your pressure, it works off stress which is another big concern. With a little luck you might also lose a pound or two in 3 weeks. Make absolutely sure you don't skip exercise on the day of the exam.

* Step 3. Diet. This is probably what got you your condition in the first place. Starting today, no more fast food joints for lunch. You don't have to go hungry; you just have to watch what you eat. Don't use any table salt; you get way more than you need from processed foods and eating out. Cut way back on red meat and fried food Substitute poultry, cold water fish or lean white meat for beef. Eat a handful of almonds or pistachios before each meal. This gives you some good cholesterol, fiber and also fills you up. Include fresh fruit and vegetables every day. And then there's the magic garlic clove. Try to include 1 clove a day. It not only reduces cholesterol, it works as a vasodilator and expands the blood vessels.

* Step 4. Watch what you drink. Cut back on caffeinated drinks like coffee, soda and iced tea. Limit your alcohol to a single drink a day. Hey it's only for 3 weeks right?

* Step 5. Lower stress. This will be a challenge because you're already stressing out over the physical but you have to get control. First of all, don't use any medication or sleeping pills. You'll just mess up your liver and set back the progress you've made in lowering your pressure. Find at least 15 minutes a day that you can call your own. Do some deep breathing exercises or listen to some relaxing music. Try to include things you really enjoy doing during these three weeks. The more enjoyment you can experience, the lower the stress.

That's a good start. It can be done and has been done by thousands. I know right now you're just concerned with the job but I'll guarantee that after 3 weeks you are going to experience a new freedom from hypertension. You're going to like what you did and you are going to feel so much better. So while this is all about the job, don't give up the effort once you've passed the exam. Your heart will thank you.

The Value Of Blood Pressure Monitoring And Making Use Of A Blood Pressure Chart

Alterations to our lifestyle and diet mean that an increasing number of people suffer from hypertension and it is crucial for us to get into the habit of monitoring our blood pressure on a regular basis. Happily this no longer means that we have to trek to the doctors surgery and the large and growing range of simple to use and relatively inexpensive monitors on offer nowadays permits us to monitor our blood pressure in comfort at home. But, though measuring our pressure may be easy enough, interpreting the resulting figures is quite another matter.

Blood pressure varies from one person to the next and also varies according to such things as what we eat and the time of day. Because of this we cannot say that normal blood pressure is a fixed set of numbers and that should you be more than so many points below or above these you should consult your doctor. What we can do however is to draw up a series of bands which correspond to varying degrees of low and high blood pressure in relation to a pair of baseline readings that are representative of the majority of people and that is exactly what a blood pressure chart does.

A traditional blood chart is a pictorial representation of a range of blood pressure readings both above and below the norm together with an indication of what each band tells you about your blood pressure.

For instance, if you take your blood pressure and come up with a high systolic figure of 134 and a lower diastolic figure of 87, this possibly will not mean a great deal to you, except that it may seem a bit high. But, if you draw a line on a blood pressure chart between the higher number on the left of the chart and the low diastolic number on the right of the chart you will discover that the line lies in a band that is a little above normal and that, while it is close to the borderline for hypertension, it is still within acceptable limits.

Likewise, if you came up with a reading of 146 over 94 this would be classed as a mild case of hypertension. Nevertheless, the chart would also show that this reading on its own should not be a cause for worry and may merely be the result of measuring your blood pressure first thing in the morning when your pressure is generally slightly raised or of recording it after eating something with a high fat content or which is salty.

Charts of this nature are very useful for providing you with a snapshot of your pressure at any given moment but possibly a better picture would be given by a daily blood pressure chart that is filled in over a reasonable period of time.

The majority of modern blood pressure monitors can store your readings and these can either be printed out and plotted by hand on graph paper or can be used in conjunction with one of several widely available software packages to plot a full-color picture of your blood pressure over the past few days.

Whichever method you pick there is little question that having a visual representation of your blood pressure readings over time will certainly make monitoring your health very much easier.

Natural Supplements to Lower Your Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, or hypertension, occurs in one out of every three adults and 30 percent of these people don't know they have it. This is why it's called the "silent killer". It often comes with no symptoms, yet it can lead to heart attack or stroke; two of the top three killers of adults in America. It's advisable to test your blood pressure regularly and know what lifestyle is likely to keep you away from this insidious killer.

Blood pressure is expressed as a number or a ratio of your systolic over diastolic pressure. The systolic number measures the pressure during a heartbeat, while the diastolic represents the time when your vessels are filling back up.

Blood pressure is never consistent. Your blood pressure changes often during the day. It changes due to physical activity or lack thereof. It changes due to stress or emotional excitement. It changes due to food substances entering the blood stream. When one is diagnosed with blood pressure that is too high, it means that it is consistently too high.

But what is too high?

Normal blood pressure, numbers that doctors would not worry about, would be 115/75. This is the condition of young healthy arteries that have maintained their elasticity and remained unclogged, no matter what their age. Older arteries can maintain or re-gain these conditions through healthy diet and exercise. This will help avoid plaque buildup. Plaque buildup results in a smaller vessel to carry the same amount of blood. This makes the blood flow faster and faster, raising the blood pressure and eventually leading to organ damage.

If you've made all the diet changes that have been recommended and you've begun your fun exercise regimen but your blood pressure remains high, there are some natural supplements that may do the trick. The main ones are fish oil, CoQ10 and garlic. They are very effective at lowering mostly systolic pressure. If you need to lower both systolic and diastolic, there's a supplement combination that is very effective when used together:

Dandelion leaf extract has a strong combination of vitamins that have a diuretic effect. This lowers blood pressure by removing liquid and salt from the system through the urine, relaxing the blood vessels.

Lycopene is a great antioxidant and free-radical scavenger. It's used for lowering LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) and has a property that reduces the ability of platelets to stick to the sides of the vessel walls.

Stevia extract helps reduce any calcium buildup on the blood vessel walls, keeping them flexible, healthy and reducing blood pressure. In addition, it's been found as a good controller of blood sugar levels and shows great promise as a treatment for Type-2 diabetes. It's also a fairly good sweetener.

Olive leaf extract has many of the same properties of those above and adds to their effectiveness. It's an antioxidant, it relaxes the blood vessels and prevents buildup of plaque in them, all of which lower blood pressure.

Hawthorn extract is an ancient herb used to promote a healthy heart for centuries. It improves blood vessel elasticity and has special improvements for arteries around the heart. In those it improves blood flow and the heart muscle's contractions. It is also used for anxiety issues, blood sugar control and as an antioxidant.

All these items can be found at your local health food store or, if you live in an area without one of those nearby, the Internet makes every neighborhood your own! After taking them, you may notice a few more trips to the bathroom due to the diuretic effects of the dandelion extract, however, there should be no other adverse side effects.

You can monitor your blood pressure improvement with a home monitor. You can buy a satisfactory one in the $30 to $50 range in the United States. There are also drug stores that have good monitors available for free use for their customers. Since blood pressure numbers are such important numbers for everyone to know, many clinics offer free or very reasonably-priced blood pressure checks either periodically or every day.

Take advantage of these resources and be the first point of responsibility for your own health. Keeping track of your blood pressure is a critical part of this plan!

Can Quartz Crystal Silica Lower and Regulate High Blood Pressure?

When most people hear the word silica, some of the common images that come to are sand or even Silicon Valley. Some people even think of glass or computer chips or even breast enhancements. The truth is silica is present in all these elements and much more. It is present in abundance in sand, in rocks and in a variety of gemstones. Moreover, according to the recent reports, Silica is present in our bodies as well!

Till recently, no one could imagine that silica was not just a building block of the planet but also our bodies. No one could imagine that this element is an important ingredient to maintain good health for the young and the old alike. However, now things have changed and the verdict is out!

Silica is as important to the body as calcium and magnesium. It helps in the proper functioning of the bones and all the elements of the human skeletal system. In fact, most doctors feel that silica plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Silica helps in enhancing the strength of the bones while calcium helps in making them denser.

Most people think Silica and Silicon is the same thing. They do belong to the same category but they are different. The naturally occurring element is known as Silicon. However, when exposed to the atmosphere, silicon combines with oxygen to form silica or silicates. Organic silica is when silica combines with hydrogen and carbon. This organic silica is safe for consumption while naturally occurring silica is not.

Foods like strawberries, avocados, green vegetables, and rice and wheat hulls contain silica. Horsetail is also a rich source of silica. Most of the silica in these foods gets lost while processing them. Silica is also found in beer and bones in meats. These days a lot of health supplements also contain silica.

Silica is required for good bone growth. It is also needed to maintain healthy hair and nails. Deficiency of silica can retard growth and even cause brittle nails and hair fall.

Another big benefit of silica is it can help many people in the world that have high blood pressure. Research has shown that it can help regulate high blood pressure in people who are at risk. It helps promote and maintain proper levels throughout the circulatory system by lowering the pressure. In doing so, it will help bring any abnormal circulation back to normal.

Some people are of the opinion that supplements containing silica may cause some or other types of side effects. However, no side effects or toxic effects have been reported till now. The only way silica can harm humans is by prolonged inhalation of silicon dust while working in some kind of an industry. This may lead to a respiratory disease known as silicosis.

How to Lower Blood Pressure Quickly - 3 Steps to Lower Your Blood Pressure Quickly

Hypertension develops over many years of being deficient in a healthy diet and lifestyle habits. The good news amidst such gloom is that there are ways how to lower blood pressure quickly.

A note of caution: You must not expect the following methods to lower blood pressure fast to have a permanent effect on your condition. The effects are temporary at best. If you want to make their impact permanent, more or less, you must adopt these methods on a regular, proper and consistent basis.

Your first answer to the question of how to reduce blood pressure quickly is to engage in vigorous aerobic exercise. Any cardiovascular exercise like brisk walking, jogging or bicycling can quickly lower blood pressure by a few points. You will then be able to regain your sense of equilibrium.

Exercise as a way to lower hypertension fast can be incorporated on a regular basis into your lifestyle. Don't even think about giving the excuse that time is scarce in your busy professional career and social life. Short bursts of exercise when done daily can have a positive impact on hypertension even when it means simple things like taking the stairs or walking the remaining blocks to the office.

And while you are at this first of top three ways how to lower blood pressure quickly, you might as well sneak in a few relaxation techniques. Take deep breaths, think positive thoughts and even visualize your hypertension going down.

But when exercise is out of the equation at the moment, you can stash a few foods proven to lower hypertension fast in your bag. We are talking about dark chocolate, garlic and bananas, among others.

Dark chocolate contains flavonoids that dilate blood vessels but make sure to eat just a small portion - about 30 calories per day will do. Garlic has long been known to lower blood pressure levels while bananas are rich in potassium, which helps in maintaining healthy blood vessels.

The last effective way how to lower blood pressure quickly is to drink water. Yes, proper hydration is important as its opposite - dehydration - causes hypertension to rise like a rocket.

You must drink at least 8 glasses of water per day, more during hot days or during exercise. And do eliminate those caffeine-laden drinks as these can dehydrate the body.

Lower Blood Pressure Fast, Naturally and Quickly

Recently I visited my doctor and as he looked as me and said your blood pressure is on rise and you have to control it. I mentioned to him the ways to  lower it naturally rather than by medicines. He gave some tips and I did a lot of research online to lower blood pressure quickly and fast naturally without using drugs. This article is a summary of what is learned in the process.

What is high blood pressure ?

It is  is a medical condition in which the  pressure of blood against arteries is chronically elevated. 

What is considered as  high ?  -  In individuals older than 50 years  BP  of least 140 mmHg systolic or 90 mmHg diastolic. Patients with BP over 130/80 mmHg along with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, or kidney disease need additional treatment. The HBP ranges in children are different.

High Blood Pressure Readings

Pressure             Systolic Pressure    Diastolic pressure
Normal                         90-119         60-79
Pre Hypertension              120-139         80-89
Hypertension Stage 1          140-159         90-99
Hypertension Stage            2 >=160         >=100

Lower blood Pressure naturally and quickly

Follow a healthy eating plan to lower it naturally and quickly. This includes limiting the amount of sodium (salt) and alcohol that you consume, and it can lower it  fast. The above factor is the main factor to quickly  bring BP down naturally.

Other factors that you can control to lower BP  naturally are:

- Maintain a healthy weight for your Lose weight if you're overweight or obese.

- Do enough physical activity.

- Quit smoking.

- Manage your stress and learn to cope with stress

- If you are prescribed medication, take it as directed.

Foods that lower blood Pressure 

Foods that are part of DASH diet  can lower the BP. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH). DASH eating plan has more daily servings of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods and lower sugar and fatty foods than you may be used to eating. Because the plan is high in fiber, it can cause bloating and diarrhea in some persons. To avoid these problems, gradually increase your intake of fruit, vegetables, and whole grain foods.

Lower blood pressure diet

DASH diet, which  includes whole grain products, fish, poultry, and nuts. It is reduced in lean red meat, sweets, added sugars, and sugar-containing beverages compared to the typical American diet. It is rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium, as well as protein and fiber.

Lower Blood Pressure Herbs

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna [Latin]), also called haw, mayblossom, and mayflower has been used for thousands of years in Asian, European, and Native American cultures to treat heart disease. Hawthorn contains several proanthocyanidins and flavonoids, which increase the heart's ability to pump blood and oxygen to all parts of the body by dilating coronary blood vessels and strengthening the heart muscle.

As you can see if you are diagnosed with HBP  you can lower it  naturally and quickly with diet and lifestyle changes but since this is not a doctor advice you can  get a complete plan with steps and details to normalize your high Blood Pressure. It is an e-book with you can download in minute and start following it up.