Hypertension is a serious condition that doesn’t have any symptoms until it’s extremely advanced. There are many people who might have hypertension (or high blood pressure) without even knowing it! People whose parents have hypertension have a higher risk to develop hypertension than those whose parents have normal blood pressure. Its very helpful if people have hypertension. People who are diagnosed with hypertension should start treating it immediately because it can cause a heart attack, stroke, and kidney problems, among other things.

Hypertension is commonly known as 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, such as heart disease. Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries” (mayoclinic.org). Blood pressure has to do with peoples hearts and how much blood their heart pumps. You use an instrument called a sphygmomanometer to measure your blood pressure (teenshealth.org). This machine is used to measure your blood pressure; this machine is wrapped around your arm and on the screen it will give you two different numbers that represents your blood pressure. “The top number is called systolic it represents the peak of your heart beat. The bottom number is called diastolic and that represents when the heart is resting between each beat” (teenshealth.org). Blood pressure is measured by the peak of your heart beat and when you heartbeat restes. Your normal blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg (mmHg means millimeters of mercury because that is how blood pressure is measured).You can find a sphygmomanometer at the doctors office when you go to the doctors or at some stores in the pharmacy area. Hypertension has to do with the heart and the blood it pumps so, this tells you its really important to know if you have hypertension.

(Example of a sphygmomanometer)

Depending on what type of hypertension a person has, there will be different reason as to what causes them to have it. “There are two types of high blood pressure. Primary hypertension is the first kind of high blood pressure and it is mostly in adults and it develops gradually over the years” (mayoclinic.org). Primary hypertension is more on older people. “Secondary hypertension is the second kind of high blood pressure you get this if
•
you have any kidney problems

•
anyone in your family has it (hereditary)

•
being overweight

•
not being physically active

•
people who drink or take in drugs like cocaine or amphetamines

•
if you take any medication like steroids or birth control pills


these are some of the ways you can get secondary hypertension” (mayoclinic.org). Depending on that person's health history they can develop secondary hypertension. If a person has a clean health history, they shouldn't worry just keep eating healthy and doing what's right for their body. There are only two types of high blood pressure, and its helpful if you know which one you have. Most young people over 18 will get secondary hypertension, but for older people they will have primary hypertension because they'll just get it over the years.

There are certain people who are more at risk of getting high pertension, people who are obese, people with alot of stress, people older than 18, are at risk of developing hypertension. In fact, african american are at higher risk of getting this disease. “Hypertension is more severe and more prevalent in blacks than in whites. By an overall ratio of two to one” (brown michael j), because of this high risk factor, people of african american descent should take extra percautions. Knowing what race people are they can see if they have a higher risk to develop high blood pressure or is they are at a lower risk.

Hypertension can affect the body in many different ways. “Hypertension can cause you to have a heart attack, kidney failure, strokes, loss of vision, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). In rare cases severe hypertension can sometimes cause headaches, visual changes, dizziness, nosebleeds, and nausea” (teenahealth.org). Some people get headaches everyday but this does not mean you have hypertension. Headaches are sometimes caused by not getting enough sleep, a lot of stress, not eating right, and other reasons, too.

To prevent hypertension you should:
•
“maintain a normal weight for your height

•
exercise regularly

•
eat healthy

•
dont smoke or drink too much alcohol

•
dont stress out alot

•
check your blood pressure

•
decrease how much salt you take in

•
increase potassium you take in”


(teenshealth.org). If people can learn to do all this and live a healthy life they can prevent hypertension. All we need to prevent hypertension is to live a healthy life and eat a lot of fruits, and vegetables and exercise regularly.

Its hard to know if you have hypertension because the symptoms are rare. “Hypertension produces no symptoms until dangerous complications occur. For example, it can cause an artery in the brain to burst, producing a stroke. High blood pressure also forces the heart to work harder, and so it may cause a heart attack. The disease can cause kidney failure by reducing the flow of the blood to the kidneys” (world book,inc). Symptoms are really rare and dangerous because a lot of these symptoms can cause death. Until hypertension gets really advanced, then you will start to see the symptoms will be apparent; until then, it’s best to just keep healthy and monitor your body on check.

When a person has hypertension it is important to work closely with a doctor to work out a plan to keep you blood pressure normal. “Hypertension can be a temporary or lifelong disease” (teenshealth.org). The only way to prevent hypertension is by keeping their blood pressure on check changing their lifestyle like plenty of exercise, eating healthy, avoiding drinking smoking drugs, and being at a health weight for you height.

Hypertension is very common and dangerous condition in adults. “About 1 in 3 U.S. adults—or 67 million people—have high blood pressure” (cdc.gov). Anyone who suspects they have hypertension should start checking their blood pressure to make sure its normal and it doesn't get any higher than 120/80 mmHg. Hypertension can cause heart problems, so be sure to eat healthy, be at a healthy weight for your height, exercise and make positive life choices. If someone thinks they have hypertension they need to go see their doctor as soon as possible.

work cited

samuel s. gidding md, hypertension (high blood pressure), teenshealth.org, nemours foundation, april 2011, web. april 14,2014

mayo clinic staff, high blood pressure (hypertension), mayoclinic.org, mayo clinic, web, april 14,2014

hypertension, the world book encyclopedia, volume 22, 2007, print

high blood pressure, cdc.gov,april 25,2014,web april 20, 2014