One-third of the Americans with hypertension don't even know they have it. To test for high blood pressure, as it's commonly called, the doctor will place a cuff around your arm and gently tighten it through a pump so it feels a bit like a python hugging your bicep. Yet most people don't continue with annual check-ups after their childhood due to the rising costs of medical care. You may get severe headaches, have difficulty breathing at times, feel tired or confused, and suffer vision problems or chest pains. Before the condition progresses into something more serious, like congestive heart failure, you'd better get it checked out!
If you are hypertensive, then it can be caused by many lifestyle choices. For instance, a 2005 study found that women who took 500 mg of Tylenol each day for headaches or pains were more likely to develop high blood pressure than women who did not. Users of cocaine and amphetamines, as well as smokers, were also more at risk. High body fat, high salt intake, low potassium intake, high cholesterol levels, inactivity, excessive alcohol consumption and high stress are often linked to hypertension as well. Health experts say that this condition isn't so cut-and-dry, that poor lifestyle choices aren't always the culprit. Some people are just at risk because they're aging, pregnant or born into a family with a history of high blood pressure.
People with hypertension may have to undergo several tests to determine the severity of their situation. The most basic test of heart health is the old inflatable arm cuff we've been seeing at every check up for our entire lives, no big deal. A urinalysis where you pee into a cup is a very non-invasive way of checking the blood for abnormalities. In rare cases, an electrocardiogram will measure your heart's electrical activity, but generally, the little tests are enough to determine whether your cardiovascular health is poor or not.
What are the dangers of high blood pressure, you may ask? If left unchecked over a long period of time, hypertension will inevitably take its toll on your internal organs. Blocked or ruptured blood vessels leading to the brain can cause a stroke and weakened or narrowed blood vessels can cause kidney failure. Some people develop glaucoma from narrowed or torn blood vessels leading to the eyes, while others develop a thickened heart muscle from too much exertion, resulting in heart failure. Atherosclerosis or aneurysms happen when the arteries sustain damage and diabetes or heart disease are the result of metabolic failure. The good news is that, unlike cancer or other conditions, simply changing one's lifestyle can go a long way for the person with high blood pressure.
As we start to get older there are key numbers that begin to weigh heavily upon us. We have to worry about our blood pressure, weight and our cholesterol level. Things we may have ignored our entire lives now all of a sudden have great importance. But these are some of the thing that should never have been neglected. A lifetime of mistreatment on the body renders only damaging things when left unrestrained.
Your cholesterol level is absolutely important if you wish to remain in good health and your body working in good order. High levels has the ability to lead lead to heart attacks as well as stroke, both of these things you do not want to have to deal with. Being concerned about your cholesterol level is not just for the elderly. It is something both younger people as well as old have to worry and be aware of if they want to conduct a healthy life. In this article we will cover the fundamentals of cholesterol and hopefully you will understand just how important a healthy level is to your body as well as peace of mind.
What is bad cholesterol?
LDL cholesterol is bad. All cholesterol is carried by lipoproteins but the low-density lipoproteins moves in the blood stream and allows the cholesterol to begin to accumulate. If there is too much LDL then the cholesterol begins building up on the walls of the arteries. It begins to form plaque which makes the arteries hard and not as flexible. When clots form and block the artery a heart attack or stroke can occur.
What types of medicines are given for high cholesterol?
Obviously the first choice of physicians is exercise and a healthy diet low in trans fats. But when that does not work or there is a high level of LDL present then medications must be brought in to help. There are many different types of medicines currently being used to treat high cholesterol. The goal of each type of medicine is to lower the amount of LDL present in the blood stream and to help remove blockage and build up that has occurred. Some of these medicines are statins, bile acid resins, and nicotinic acid and fibric acid derivatives.
How is the obstruction from the arteries withdrawn?
The first stage is through medicines but if there is a crucial constrictive or closure in the artery or blood vessel then a somewhat more aggressive operation is necessary. The actual processes might vary however one popular method is through a balloon angioplasty. The mechanical device is entered into the artery and then naviagted to the blockage where the build up of plaque has happened. The balloon is then inflated to clear the passage. Nowadays the procedure is minimally intrusive and most patients are able to going home that day.
How do I know what my cholesterol is?
Well in order to know what your cholesterol is you should have a blood cholesterol testing performed at least every five years. The most recommended test is a fasting lipoprotein blood profile. This test measures not only your total cholesterol but it also specifies the LDL and the HDL levels. It is a great idea to be knowledgeable about where your numbers are and to ensure that they are in the proper healthy range.
To find out additional information head on over to Basics Of Cholesterol also Healthy Cholesterol Levels as well as Ldl Cholesterol
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