You can develop heart disease from uncontrolled hypertension because it puts too much strain on the artery walls and damages the blood vessels. As time goes by, high blood pressure can potentially seriously harm important organs. The severity of hypertension and how long it remains untreated determine the degree of the resulting damage.
Your risk of experiencing hypertension might increase due to a number of causes and circumstances. Knowing these risk factors will enable you to recognize minute variations in blood pressure that signal physiologic abnormalities. The following are some of the main causes of high blood pressure you should be aware of:
1. Age
Generally speaking, your chance of having high blood pressure increases as you age. You should keep a careful eye on your blood pressure if you’re over 40 and experience additional risk factors.
2. Obesity
More blood is needed to provide oxygen and nutrients to your body when you gain weight. Obesity and hypertension are associated because of this. And hypertension is linked to a wide range of illnesses that can have an impact on your overall health and quality of life. You should start taking medication as soon as hypertension is identified. Also, there could be a noticeable improvement when medications are used in combination with weight loss.
3. Family history
Your risk of having hypertension is greatly increased if you have close relatives who have the condition. Genetics and lifestyle choices are partly to blame for this. You should take preventive measures to prevent developing similar health problems if hypertension runs in your family.
4. Nutrition
The risk and reduction of hypertension are greatly influenced by your nutrition. Regular drinkers have a greater blood pressure than non-drinkers do. Consuming excessive amounts of saturated fats and salt can also raise your blood pressure. It has been proven that eliminating and avoiding these factors lowers blood pressure.
5. Smoking
Smoking narrows your blood vessels, raising blood pressure as a result. Additionally, it lowers the amount of oxygen in your blood, forcing your heart to beat more quickly in order to compensate for it, which in turn raises your blood pressure.
6. Stress
Learning how to manage and reduce your stress might practically save your life in today’s fast-paced world of rising demands. The deterioration caused by mental stress over time can have a significant effect on blood pressure and overall health. It’s common to feel your heart rate increase under intense stress. Your heart rate, however, never returns to normal when you are under constant stress. If you don’t take action to control your stress levels, ongoing stress might result in serious consequences.
7. Diabetes
High blood pressure affects around 25% of those with Type 1 diabetes and 80% of those with Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes increases the risk of renal disease, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Additionally, these risks are also increased by high blood pressure. Your chance of developing significant health issues is increased if you also have high blood pressure. Your doctor will want to closely monitor and regulate your blood pressure if you have diabetes.
The bottom line
If you think you might be having high blood pressure, don’t let the issue be ignored. It’s a good idea to learn about high blood pressure and steer clear of stressors if you have more than one of the aforementioned risk factors. For instance, if you smoke and have diabetes running in your family, consider making health improvements now before severe consequences develop. Participate in a program to help you quit smoking, eat less salt and fat, and visit your doctor frequently.
