Blood pressure
Introduction
Usually
referred to as arterial blood pressure
is defined as the pressure exerted through the circulation of blood upon blood
vessels and their walls. It varies between systolic which is the maximum blood
pressure and diastolic which is the minimum blood pressure.
This
pressure depends highly on blood flow from one place to another in the entire
circulation and eventually this determines the flow resistance offered by blood
vessels. As blood circulation furthers away from the heart through capillaries
and arteries, the mean blood pressure reduces due to loss of energy.
Other forces that affect pressure of blood include gravity
through hydrostatic forces, breathing and valves in the veins.
As skeletal muscles contract and causes pumping of blood,
pressure of blood is also altered. This pressure can be measured at an
individual’s upper arm and thus generally pressure measurement in the major
artery in the upper arm called the brachial artery.
This pressure is quantified in terms of systolic over diastolic
pressure and its units are in millimeters of mercury usually appearing as mm-Hg.
An example is 130/90 indicating 130mmHg of systolic pressure and
90mmHg of diastolic pressure.
Pressure of blood is usually controlled by the endocrine and
nervous systems. If it is at a low value, pathologically, it is expressed as hypotension while when it is pathologically high, it is known as hypertension.
The table
below indicates the classification of pressure of blood for healthy adults.
Category Systolic(mmHg)
diastolic(mmHg)
Hypertensive
emergency above or
equal to 180 above
or equal to 110
2nd
Stage Hypertension
160-179
100-109
1st
Stage Hypertension
140-159
90-99
Prehypertension 120-139
80-89
Hypotension
below 90
below 60
Desired
(Hypotension) 90-119
60-79
Types of hypertension
There are
a variety of blood pressure types,
which include:
·
Malignant
hypertension.
·
Renal
hypertension.
·
Secondary
hypertension.
Causes of
hypertension
There are different causes of
hypertension, in which, more than 50% is caused by lifestyle traits. They are
the following:
·
Obesity.
·
Excessive
smoking.
·
Excessive
intake of dietary salt in food.
·
History
in the family as having hypertension.
·
Lack
of proper or any physical activity.
·
Old
age.
·
Stress.
·
Chronic
disorders such as kidney disease, thyroid and adrenal disorders.
Prevention of
hypertension
Although
these are day to day attachments and are rare to avoid, there is a number of practices
one can take to prevent and cure high blood
pressure. They include:
·
Undertaking regular, adequate exercise or
physical activity for more than 30 minutes.
·
Proper screening and regular check-ups by your
physician.
·
Healthy dietary practices such as eating fruits
and vegetables amidst meals.