Hypertension

For those unfamiliar with the term, hypertension is simply another way of saying 'high blood pressure'. Like any pump, the heart works by forcing a liquid, your blood, around a network of pipes. The narrower the pipes, or the harder the pump works, and the higher the pressure of the liquid. Too much pressure, and something is bound to break.

When hypertension occurs, the risk is that the high pressure of the blood rushing through the arteries in your body can cause them to rupture. In the worst case, the heart can even become put under such strain that it stops working altogether, causing a heart attack.

Many people suffer from high blood pressure, up to 20% of the UK population, for example, suffer from an elevated pressure. This might not necessarily mean that they are at risk, but it is an indication of something that, if not investigated, might be the symptom of worse to come.

If you have just returned from the doctor, the chances are good that you have had your blood pressure taken, and given two numbers which reflect it. If you are like the vast majority of people, and have no idea what those numbers mean, then here is a short explanation.

Blood pressure is expressed as the maximum pressure reached as your heart beats (systolic pressure), over the minimum pressure present when it relaxes (diastolic pressure). A normal figure for blood pressure is 120/80. A figure such as 160/100 would be considered to be high, although there is a tendency for blood pressure to rise with age.

The problem with hypertension is that there are very few symptoms, and some very nasty consequences; from strokes to eye damage, heart failure to expansions of the main arteries. Some of the more common symptoms include sleepiness (constant), severe headaches or confusion.

Lifestyle changes can reduce the chances of suffering from hypertension, in particular, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, diabetes, smoking and steroids can all cause blood pressure to rise, and a combination of these can lead to sever hypertension.

Clearly, the first steps in treating non-extreme high blood pressure will involve lifestyle adjustments which will also be helpful in avoiding problems in the future. More severe cases will require treatment using medicines designed specifically to expand arteries (or at least prevent them from narrowing), and in some cases relax the heart so that it pumps less forcefully.

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