High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a common condition in which the force of the blood against your artery walls is high enough that it may eventually cause health problems. Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood the heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in the arteries. The more blood the heart pumps and the narrower the arteries, the higher the blood pressure. An individual can have high blood pressure for years without any symptoms. There can be a several factors that causes hypertension I will only discuss a few. The first thing that I will discuss is obesity. The more weight an individual weighs, it takes more for the blood to supply oxygen and nutrients to the body tissues. The second thing is the lack of physically activity. Individuals that are not physically active have higher heart rates. The higher the heart rate, the harder the heart has to work which causes damage to the heart arteries. The lack of exercise also contribute to obesity as well. The third thing is high sodium intake. We all know that to much sodium in the diet can cause hypertension. High salt intake causes the body to retain water fluid, in return causes the blood pressure to increase. The fourth thing is cigarettes/tobacco use. Individuals that uses tobacco causes the heart arteries to narrow which cause an increase in blood pressure. The chemicals in tobacco can damage the lining of the artery walls. The last and final thing I will discuss will be alcohol. Having more than two drinks may cause the body to release hormones that increases the blood flow and heart rate which can damage the heart.

Excessive pressure on the artery walls caused by high blood pressure can damage the blood vessels, as well as other organs in the body. The higher an individual blood pressure is and the longer it goes uncontrolled, the greater the damage. That is why it is important the individuals take the necessary steps to maintain a healthy blood pressure. I will...