Before going into the details, let us see what is Blood Pressure? Blood pressure is nothing but the measure of the force with which the blood is pushing against the blood vessel walls. The heart pumps the blood into the arteries which carry the blood throughout the body. High blood pressure is very dangerous because it causes your heart to work harder to pump the blood to the body and causes hardening of the arteries and may develop into heart failure.
Let us now see what is the normal blood pressure readings before going into the causes of high BP. A blood pressure reading has a top number (systolic) and a bottom number (diastolic). The range of values of blood pressure are listed below.
1. Primary Hypertension : There is no exact cause for high blood pressure. This type of high blood pressure is called as Primary or Essential Hypertension. This tends to develop gradually over many years.
2. Secondary Hypertension : Some people has high BP caused by a certain underlying condition. This type of high blood pressure is called as Secondary Hypertension. This kind of high blood pressure tends to appear suddenly and cause higher blood pressure than does primary hypertension. There are many conditions and medications which can lead to secondary hypertension which include:
Let us now see what is the normal blood pressure readings before going into the causes of high BP. A blood pressure reading has a top number (systolic) and a bottom number (diastolic). The range of values of blood pressure are listed below.
- Normal blood pressure : 120 over 80 ( 120 / 80 )
- Pre hypertension : 120 - 139 over 80-89
- Stage 1 high blood pressure : 140-159 over 90-99
- Stage 2 high blood pressure : 160 and above over 100 and above
If your blood pressure is above the normal range, you should immediately consult your doctor about the steps to be taken to control it and bring to normal.
What causes high blood pressure?
The exact reasons for high blood pressure are not known, but there are several factors and conditions which play a role for development of high blood pressure. These factors responsible for High Blood Pressure include :
- Smoking
- Over weight
- Lack of physical activity
- Too much salt in the diet and too much alcohol consumption
- Stress and old age
- Genetics
- Family History
- Old Age
- Kidney disease
- Thyroid disorders
There are two types of high blood pressure. 1. Primary ( essential ) Hypertension 2. Secondary Hypertension
1. Primary Hypertension : There is no exact cause for high blood pressure. This type of high blood pressure is called as Primary or Essential Hypertension. This tends to develop gradually over many years.
2. Secondary Hypertension : Some people has high BP caused by a certain underlying condition. This type of high blood pressure is called as Secondary Hypertension. This kind of high blood pressure tends to appear suddenly and cause higher blood pressure than does primary hypertension. There are many conditions and medications which can lead to secondary hypertension which include:
- Adrenal gland tumors
- Kidney problems
- Defects in blood vessels
- Some medications like birth control pills, cold remedies, decongestants, pain relievers and some other drugs
- Illegal drugs like cocaine and amphetamines
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