Drugs and Medicines to Treat High Blood Pressure Posted By : Crown

Tag : Blood Pressure Sphygmomanometer
What is Blood Pressure?

All the tissues and organs of the body need nourishment in the formof oxygen, glucose, and minerals for their normal functioning. Thisnourishment is carried by the blood to various sites through theblood vessels by the pumping action of the heart. With eachcontraction of the heart, blood is pushed into the arteries. Inhealthy persons this pressure is normal, but in some it may be morethan normal. This above normal pressure in the arteries is calledhigh blood pressure or hypertension. In some cases it may be lessthan normal and is then termed low blood pressure or hypotension.Blood pressure has two components - Systolic (upper) and Diastolic(lower). It is written as 120/80 mm Hg which means 120 mm Hgsystolic and 80 mm Hg diastolic. The abbreviation 'mm Hg' standsfor millimeter of mercury.

Correct Way to Measure BP: Routine office BP measurement is done ina sitting position. One has to sit quietly with back supported for5 minutes and arm placed at the level of heart. Coffee tea orsmoking are not allowed in the preceding hour. For establishinghypertension at least three readings, one week apart must be taken.At each sitting two readings should be taken to confirm diagnosis.Readings are taken in both arms and if there is a significantdifference then the arm with higher reading is selected forsubsequent measurements.

In diabetics, BP is taken in supine or lying down position andrepeated, 2 minutes later, in upright position. This is done todetect any fall in BP in upright position. This is very importantin diabetics and elderly lest they may fall under the effect ofmedicines used to control hypertension. In a number of cases BP ishigher in the physician's clinic than at home. This is due to astress in the presence of doctor and is called as 'white-coathypertension'. This phenomenon is more common in females.Self-check provide useful information on blood pressure response totreatment, may improve adherence to therapy and is useful inevaluating the extent of 'white-coat' hypertension. Homemeasurements can be done by 'dial type' variant of BP instrument,electronic self-inflating sets or by miniature versions which areplaced on wrists. These instruments are reasonably accurate.However, they must be calibrated from time to time.

This can be determined by measuring the blood pressure with aninstrument called sphygmomanometer (BP measuring instrument).Normally, blood pressure varies from individual to individual,depending upon factors such as heredity, age, sex, nutrition, andbody weight. A diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or above isclassified as hypertension and requires medical consultation.

The treatment of BP is generally determined by the rise of systolicand diastolic BP. However, one should not get apprehensive if theBP goes above the normal limit once in a while.

Types and Causes of Hypertension: Hypertension has been dividedinto two categories: essential or primary hypertension, andsecondary hypertension. The exact cause of primary or essentialhypertension is not known but there is generally a narrowing of theblood vessels. In secondary hypertension, there is involvement ofother organs or systems such as the kidney, adrenal glands, anddisorders like toxaemia of pregnancy. In secondary hypertension,the cause can be treated and blood pressure brought to normal.Primary hypertension lasts a lifetime and needs continuoustreatment. Almost 90% cases of hypertension are of primary variety.Syndrome-X is given to a constellation of obesity, high BP, insulinresistance and raised blood lipids. It is commonly seen in ourcountry.

When Does Blood Pressure Become High?

BP depends upon three important factors: force of contraction, therate of beating of the heart, and the resistance to blood flowcaused by the inner diameter of the blood vessels. Besides these,the volume of blood may also affect the BP. It is a commonexperience that emotional trauma or excitement, physical exerciseor exertion increase the heart rate, which is experienced in theform of palpitation (bouncing or beating of the heart against thechest wall), resulting in a rise in BP. This is generallyshort-lived and does not require any treatment. The dangerous formof high BP is one which persists on repeated examinations.

What Happens When the Blood Pressure Is High? The symptoms of highblood pressure may be related to elevated pressure itself, adisease of the blood vessel, or some other underlying diseasesresponsible for elevation of blood pressure. The most commonsymptom of elevated blood pressure is headache, specially in theback portion of the head. This is usually more

severe when the person wakes up in the morning. Other symptoms aredizziness, giddiness, palpitation, and easy fatigability. In moresevere cases the symptoms are bleeding through the nose or blood inthe urine, blurring of vision due to changes in the arteries of theretina (screen for vision in the eye), incidence of dizziness orfainting due to transient decrease in blood flow to the brain, painin the chest, and breathlessness. When blood supply of brain isdrastically reduced, paralysis or 'stroke' may occur.

It is a well-established fact that hypertension may be both thecause and effect of heart or kidney disorders, and may decrease thelife expectancy of a person. Statistics show that hypertension, ifuntreated, shortens the life span of a person. There is 2-4 foldincrease in ischaemic heart disease. High blood pressure is alsothe second most common cause of kidney failure. It is, therefore,important to detect the cause early and start the treatment. Thetreatment consists of general measures and drugs therapy. Any BPabove 140/90 mm Hg should be treated. New evidence shows that BPshould be kept below 130/80 mm Hg in

pregnancy. diabetes and kidney disease.
Article Source : http://articleaddict.com

AdvCare is one of the leading Canada Drugs Store website. First established in January 2000, its mission is tobecome the number one site for Prescription Medication and OTC Drugs Canada searches.
Please Rate this Article
5 out of 5 4 out of 5 3 out of 5 2 out of 5 1 out of 5
Not yet Rated