Why Maintain Blood Pressure?

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Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels. During each heartbeat, blood pressure varies between a maximum i.e. systolic and a minimum i.e. diastolic pressure. We must know the answer of why maintain blood pressure?

Why Maintain Blood Pressure?

Why Maintain Blood Pressure

It is very important to maintain blood pressure, so as to avoid the life threatening effects of it. If one fails to maintain blood pressure, he /she can develop two types of disorders of heart:

  1. Hypertension
  2. Hypotension

Hypertension

  1. Hypertension is also known as high blood pressure
  2. This is a cardiac chronic medical condition in which the systemic arterial blood pressure becomes high.
  3. Hypertension is divided into primary hypertension and secondary hypertension.
  4. About 90-95% of primary hypertension is referred to high blood pressure for which there is no medical cause.
  5. 5-10% of cases are of secondary hypertension which is caused due to affected arteries, heart, kidneys, or endocrine system.
  6. Maintaining blood pressure is so important, so as to avoid hypertension which is one of the risk factors of heart failure, stroke, myocardial infarction, and arterial aneurysm.

Maintaining Blood Pressure to Avoid Hypertension

  • Proper diet and lifestyle can help to improve high blood pressure control and also decreases the risk of other health complications.
  • Prevention of hypertension can depend upon a number of features, for e.g. sodium/potassium balance, current blood pressure level, detection as well as omission of environmental toxins, changes in organs like retina, kidney, heart, etc.

Here are the important steps to maintain normal blood pressure level by using the following lifestyle changes:

  • Weight reduction and regular aerobic exercise like walking which can improve blood flow and helps to reduce the resting blood pressure and heart rate.
  • Minimizing dietary sugar
  • Reducing salt in the body and the adoption of a high potassium diet. Many patients use potassium chloride salt substitute to minimize their salt intake.
  • Additional dietary changes include diet which is rich in fruits and vegetables. This is known to be an effective change which can control blood pressure.
  • Avoiding tobacco and alcohol consumption is also known to lower blood pressure.
  • Reducing stress by relaxing therapy, such as meditation can also lower blood pressure.
  • Increasing diet of omega 3 fatty acids also helps to lower hypertension
  • Intake of fish oil is shown to lower blood pressure. This increases sodium and water excretion.

Hypotension

  • Hypotension is known as abnormally low blood pressure
  • It is often linked with shock
  • In this disorder, blood pressure is the force of blood which is lower than normal.
  • Hypotension is normally known as systolic blood pressure which is less than 90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or diastolic which is less than 60 mm Hg.
  • Low blood pressure can cause dizziness and fainting which one has to maintain to avoid the following effects:
    1. Chest pain
    2. Shortness of breath
    3. Headache
    4. Stiff neck
    5. Severe upper back pain
    6. Cough with phlegm
    7. Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
    8. Prolonged diarrhea or vomiting
    9. Dyspepsia
    10. Irregular heartbeat
    11. Fever higher than 101 °F
    12. Dysuria
    13. Foul-smelling urine
    14. Adverse effect of medications
    15. Acute, life-threatening allergic reaction
    16. Seizures
    17. Loss of consciousness
    18. Profound fatigue
    19. Temporary blurring or loss of vision
    20. In some cases loss of hair

Maintaining Blood Pressure to Avoid Hypotension

If one has low blood pressure, it is very important to maintain blood pressure to normal. Here are certain steps to prevent the symptoms of low blood pressure. These include:

  • Avoiding alcohol
  • Avoiding standing for a long time
  • Drinking plenty of fluids
  • Getting up gradually after sitting or else lying down
  • Using compression stockings to enhance blood pressure in the legs

From this we have clear answer of why maintain blood pressure? Always follow the above mentioned steps to prevent the fluctuation of blood pressure.

P.S. Write a sentence about the use of BP monitors. You can use this under the subtitle, maintaining blood pressure to avoid hypotension.