The Effects Of Age On Normal Blood Pressure?

The question arises, what is normal blood pressure? We all know that blood pressure is one of the most important indicators of overall health and physical condition. After all, that's why they call it a "vital sign." But as we get older, our blood pressure tends to rise. In the past, doctors often chose not to treat high blood pressure in older adults, since it was considered "normal" for blood pressure to rise with age. However, more recent data has shown that it is important to control blood pressure for individuals of all ages, since normal blood pressure contributes to lowered risk of stroke, healthy kidney function, healthier hearts, and many other enhancements to health in the later stages of life.

What Happens to Your Circulatory System as You Get Older

As with many organs and tissues of the body, the arteries become more rigid as you get older. This means that they offer increased resistance to the heart as it pumps the blood through them into the body's tissues. Over time, this increased resistance, if left unattended, can cause the heart's muscles to thicken, making them less pliant and efficient as a big pumping mechanism. The measures of blood pressure, the systolic and diastolic pressure readings (the first and second numbers in a blood pressure reading), normally change with age—but often in opposite directions. Because the heart is required to pump harder to move blood through stiffening arteries, the systolic reading—the pressure at which blood first begins to move through the artery pinched shut by the inflated cuff on the sphygmomanometer—gets higher, because the blood is being forced through harder. The diastolic reading—the pressure when the blood flow returns to full volume as the air pressure is reduced in the cuff of the sphygmomanometer—often gets lower, due in part to the artery's reduced pliability, meaning that it takes longer to fully relax and allow blood flow to resume. The difference between your systolic and diastolic readings—your pulse pressure—is another important measure of your arterial health. The wider the difference, the stiffer your arteries are, and the more carefully you need to monitor your blood pressure.

Why Normal Blood Pressure is Important at Any Age

Even if you feel fine, high blood pressure can still harm you. It can cause damage to organs and tissues, can lead to decreased mental function and loss of memory, and is a principal cause of strokes. As already mentioned, it can also lead to reduced heart function, or even heart attack. Just because you're getting older doesn't mean you should not monitor and treat high blood pressure. Find out what a normal blood pressure is for your age and condition, and work on maintaining it.

For more information please visit my Dangerous High Blood Pressure Website.

Ways To Decrease High Blood Pressure

"Keeping just a few pounds off can significantly affect your risk of getting high blood pressure or diabetes," says cardiovascular health expert Lawrence Appel at the John Hopkins School of Medicine. Most Americans don't realize how simple modifications can tack on an extra ten years to their lives. It was previously assumed that if you had heart attacks and congestive heart failure in your family, then you were doomed and if your genetic slate was clean, then you'd be fine. However, health experts are finding that long hours, high stress and sloppy lifestyle habits are contributing to a rise in patients suffering from hypertension.

Over at the Harvard School of Medicine, researchers have developed a dietary program known as "DASH," an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH diet includes: 8 grain servings, 5 vegetable servings, 2-3 low fat dairy servings, 1-2 servings of meat, poultry or fish and 5 servings per week of nuts, seeds or beans. Saturated fats and sugars should be limited and serving sizes generally run ½ cup cooked, 1 cup raw or 2 tbsp nuts and seeds. Exercise is crucial! Within just two weeks, the diet already began having an effect on Dr. Gabe Mirkin's patients, with 70% returning to normal blood pressure levels. He says that increasing minerals like magnesium, calcium and potassium had a strong impact, as did limiting fat and sodium. The diet triggers a diuretic effect, much like certain medications that work to "flush the system."

If you have a particularly heavy strain on your system or suffer more severe metabolic failure, then your doctor may recommend medication to help jumpstart quick progress. "I have people who come to my clinic with a headache caused by high blood pressure. I give them the medicine to bring the blood pressure down and a prescription," explains Dr. Brian F. Keaton, chairman of the board of directors at ACEP in Ohio. "Many of them don't have the money to fill it. I have no place in the system to care for them until they end up back here with a stroke because they weren't taking their medication." Unfortunately, the current health care system is an obstacle for many hard working Americans, but paying a little for medication in the short term saves a lot of emergency medical bills in the long run.

In addition to smoking, hypertension and high cholesterol, inactivity is one of the four major contributors to coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis and poor cardiovascular health. Sedentary people have a 35% greater risk of developing high blood pressure and 55% greater risk of developing heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least 4 days per week. A 2002 study of overweight individuals found that strenuous activity, for example, jogging 20 miles/week, was needed to increase HDL (good cholesterol) but even walking or jogging 12 miles/week was enough to lower LDL (bad cholesterol). The best exercises for heart health include: walking, jogging, jumping rope, biking, cross-country skiing, skating, rowing, low-impact aerobics and water aerobics.

As we start to get older there are important numbers that start to weigh heavily upon us. We have to worry about our blood pressure, weight and our cholesterol level. These are some of the things that most of us have ignored for the vast majority of our lives now suddenly they have significant importance. But these are things that should not have been disregarded. A lifetime of mistreatment on the body renders simply unfavorable things when left unchecked.

 

Your cholesterol level is absolutely chief if you want to stay healthy and your body operating right. High levels can lead to heart attacks and stroke, both of these things you do not want to have to deal with. Being mindful when it comes to your cholesterol level is not only for the aging. It is something both younger people and old must be concerned with as well as be cognisant of if they hope to to conduct a healthy life. In this article we will go over the fundamentals of cholesterol and hopefully you will understand how significant a healthy level is to your body as well as peace of mind.

What is bad cholesterol?

LDL cholesterol is bad. All cholesterol is carried by lipoproteins but the low-density lipoproteins moves in the blood stream and allows the cholesterol to begin to accumulate. If there is too much LDL then the cholesterol begins building up on the walls of the arteries. It begins to form plaque which makes the arteries hard and not as flexible. When clots form and block the artery a heart attack or stroke can occur.

What types of medicines are given for high cholesterol?

Obviously the first choice of physicians is exercise and a healthy diet low in trans fats. But when that does not work or there is a high level of LDL present then medications must be brought in to help. There are many different types of medicines currently being used to treat high cholesterol. The goal of each type of medicine is to lower the amount of LDL present in the blood stream and to help remove blockage and build up that has occurred. Some of these medicines are statins, bile acid resins, and nicotinic acid and fibric acid derivatives.

How is the blockage from the arteries withdrawn?

The initial stage is through medicines but if there is a measurable tapering or obstruction in the artery or blood vessel then a somewhat more invasive operation is necessary. The actual functions might change but one frequent method is through a balloon angioplasty. The mechanical device is entered into the artery and then naviagted to the obstruction where the build up of plaque has happened. The balloon is then inflated to clear the passage. Nowadays the operation is minimally invasive and most patients are able to going home on that very day.

How do I know what my cholesterol is?

Well in order to know what your cholesterol is you should have a blood cholesterol testing performed at least every five years. The most recommended test is a fasting lipoprotein blood profile. This test measures not only your total cholesterol but it also specifies the LDL and the HDL levels. It is a great idea to be knowledgeable about where your numbers are and to ensure that they are in the proper healthy range.

For a great deal more informational value go here: Ldl Cholesterol also High Cholesterol Diet and at Lower Cholesterol Levels

How To Deal With High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a common condition, one that can be manageable as long as you are educated and aware of what is involved here and what steps need to be taken in terms of treatment. First thing is first however, and that is to find out more about high blood pressure and what this condition is all about.

What it is

When blood pushes against the artery wall harder than normal, this is when high blood pressure develops. This condition can range from being mild where it would not be necessarily causing any problems to being so severe that it is life threatening. About one in three adults is suffering from high blood pressure right now, and more are getting diagnosed with it all the time.

How to Deal With it

Before you even get diagnosed with high blood pressure or get put on a high blood pressure diet, it is very important that you keep an eye on your blood pressure numbers. You should start off treating your blood pressure problem by making some lifestyle changes, including to your diet and exercise regime.

You need to be eating all the right foods, including leafy green vegetables and ripe fruits. You also want to be eating enough whole grain breads and cereals, and drinking enough water to keep yourself well hydrated. Six to eight glasses a day is usually enough, but if you are exercising more than normal or you find that you are feeling extra thirsty, drink even more.

It will also be important that you are aware of the possible factors that could be contributing to your blood pressure problem. If you can find out the main cause of your problem, you may be able to deal with it with at the source and get rid of the problem.

There are various different factors that could be causing your blood pressure to be high, but most likely it is age, diet, excessive alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, obesity, stress, or sleep apnea, just to name a few. You will want to get your doctor to test you for any of these things and also do a general physical on you, just to make sure that you are in good health.

You can deal with high blood pressure and you do not have to let it control your life, as long as you take the necessary steps in terms of treatment and always keep yourself as healthy as possible.

For more information please visit my Dangerous High Blood Pressure Website.

Some Tips for Maintaining a Normal Blood Pressure Level

Since maintaining a healthy blood pressure is so important for your body, this article will discuss a few ideas to help you lower your blood pressure if it is high, or maintain it at a normal level. Blood pressure has an important bearing on many of the body's vital organ systems, including the heart, the circulatory system, the kidneys, and the brain. That's why taking care of your blood pressure and keeping blood pressure at a normal level can add years to your life and also give you the energy and health to enjoy the time you have.

Age and Normal Blood Pressure

As you get older, your arteries become more rigid, causing your heart to have to work harder to pump against increased resistance. For that reason, it becomes increasingly important to monitor your blood pressure and take steps to reduce blood pressure to a more normal level.

Weight and Blood Pressure

One of the most important ways you can do this is by controlling your weight. Did you know that every pound of fat in your body contains an average of 200 miles of capillaries? Capillaries are the small threadlike vessels that carry blood cells to the most remote locations in your tissues, so every time you add a pound of body weight, your heart must pump blood through an additional 200 miles of blood vessels! Not only that, but the additional weight means your body must work harder to support you against gravity and to move you around. That's why maintaining a healthy weight and a low body fat ratio can do so much to promote a normal blood pressure level. Eating a diet low in fat, controlling your portion size, and maintaining a regular exercise program can also help you lower and maintain your optimal weight, which, in turn, helps you retain a normal blood pressure level.

Diet and Blood Pressure

As we've already discussed, your diet affects your weight, which can directly affect your blood pressure. But there are also certain types of foods that can actually help reduce your blood pressure, as well. For one thing, reducing the salt in your diet will help lower your blood pressure to normal levels. Also, skim milk, which is quite low in fat, is a healthy choice for reducing blood pressure. Dark chocolate, it turns out—if eaten in portions of half an ounce or less per day—has been shown to have beneficial effects on blood pressure. Soybeans, bananas, spinach, and beans (white, navy, lima, pinto, and kidney) are also good foods to help maintain normal blood pressure levels. Finally, spicy seasonings have been shown to indicate lower incidence of blood clotting diseases, and the increased metabolism they can generate can also help you lose weight.

For more information please visit my Dangerous High Blood Pressure Website.

Why Regular Blood Pressure Checkups Are Vital

When doctors refer to blood pressure they are describing the force applied by the stream of blood within the body on the walls of the blood vessels. A cuff and measuring gauge are generally used to determine an individual's blood pressure. Measurements are taken in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Two separate measurements are always taken. Systolic blood pressure is the force on the walls of the blood vessels while the heart is contracting. Diastolic blood pressure is the force exerted on the blood vessels while the heart is at rest.

Every individual's blood pressure tends to vary greatly and can actually change from one heart beat to the next. In order to determine a person's average blood pressure it is necessary to take more than one measurement at various times of day over a period of time.

If a person maintains normal blood pressure he or she is less likely to develop cardiovascular problems or other health complications. Blood pressure that is abnormally high or low can lead to potentially fatal problems. Therefore it is very important to make sure that your health care provider checks your blood pressure regularly.

The Healthy Levels

Healthy blood pressure has a systolic measurement of somewhere between 90 and 119. It has a diastolic measurement of 60-79. People with low average measurements are less prone to the health complications associated with hypertension and hypotension. Children have lower blood pressure than adults. Generally the older you are the higher your blood pressure is likely to be.

Prehypertension

If more than one test indicates that you have a blood pressure reading of between 120/80 and 139/89 you have what is known as prehypertension. This means that you are at risk of developing hypertension. If you have prehypertension you should make certain lifestyle amendments in the interest of maintaining your health. For instance you should get down to a healthy weight, exercise more and avoid nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, saturated fats and sodium wherever possible.

Hypertension

There are two stages of hypertension or high blood pressure. Stage one hypertension is a measurement between 140/90 and 159/99. There are various prescription medications that can be taken to correct the problem of stage one hypertension and the same lifestyle amendments that are used to treat prehypertension are necessary. People with hypertension are at increased risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, aneurysm, kidney failure and eye problems.

Stage two hypertension is a measurement of 160/100 or greater. People who have elevated hypertension are at particularly high risk of the aforementioned health problems. They require rapid and aggressive medical treatment if they are to avoid having a massive heart attack or stroke.

Hypotension

Hypotension is the term to describe someone with low blood pressure. A low measurement varies from person to person. In other words, a person with a diastolic pressure of 60 may experience no adverse effects while the next individual may start to react badly if theirs reaches as low as 70. A severe case of hypotension is dangerous because it means that the oxygen and vital nutrients in the bloodstream are not reaching vital organs. This can cause organ damage or failure. In the most extreme cases it can cause coma or death.

Hypotension has numerous potential causes including pregnancy, certain medications, blood loss, inadequate nutrition, dehydration and septicemia. You can reduce your risk of developing hypotension by eating a healthy diet with sufficient calories, vitamins and minerals and drinking plenty of fresh water.

For more information please visit my Dangerous Blood Pressure Website.

Staying heart smart and healthy.

A few years ago, heart disease was THE leading cause of death in the country. It's now in the same league as obesity. However, that changes very little, as obesity often lead to heart disease, which just makes the argument cyclical.

If you’ve lived life to the fullest – which sometimes or oftentimes means you’ve indulged in a lifestyle that’s not very heart friendly - it may be high time for you to take a long hard look at yourself, especially if you’re getting on in years. It may now be time to look at the South Beach Heart Program. Here are several strategies you can take a look at in order to have a healthier heart.

A Strategy of Prevention
Heart disease is preventable, so it is a good idea to make preventing it from happening to you a top priority. How do you do this? By avoiding activities that increase your risk of heart attack of course.

Stop Smoking – Cigarette smoke contains around thousands of chemicals, most of which can damage your heart and blood vessels on their own. These elements working together, are crippling your heart and arteries. Nicotine also makes your heart work harder by constricting blood vessels and increasing your heart rate and blood pressure. You have to compete smoking completely, because even light smkoers are at significant risk. If you stop, your risk factor drops off the scale.

Drink Moderately - Start cuttting down on the amount of alcholol. Overindulgence with alcohol leads to high blood pressure not to mention being dangerous to your liver. If you are in a social situation, try and drink red wine, which is good for the heart. This should also be done in moderation.

Eat a heart-healthy diet- The eat whatever you like diet you were on during your younger years probably didn’t do so much good for your heart but if you can start healthy eating now, it will still be beneficial for you. Try and eat a diet rich is fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It's time to reduce fatty milk products and meats that have a high fat content.

You`ve got to get physical
Now that you’ve eliminated activities that are bad for your heart, it’s now time to engage inactivities that are good for it. To make is simple and direct you need to exercise regularly.
Regular exercise whether sports or working out in the gym or your own home helps prevent heart failure by increasing blood flow to your heart, strengthening it in the process. Exercise also lowers your bad cholesterol levels. As a side benefit, exercise will reduce mental stress - also a leading cause of heart disease.

Exercising is also key to maintaining a healthy weight. It is natural that as we age, our metabolism slows down that is why when we were young, we could seemingly eat as much as we want and yet stay fit. Being overweight adds to your heart disease risk factor. Its critical to get your weight lower to a level that is healthy.

Make Check-ups Part of Your Senior Citizen Lifestyle
Another big mistake is NOT having regular doctor appointments. Not paying attention to this, can be very detrimental to your health. Sometimes it is, but sometimes its not. Your doctor may need to prescribe you more prescriptions. Its easy to miss something in your health without regular doctor appointments. Regular checkups will also let you know your actual cholesterol levels so you will know what type of foods to eat and what to avoid, and also what foods you can indulge on.

Following these strategies can help you live a longer, healthier life, but only if you do them all together, not just piecemeal. The sooner you start, the better off you will be.

KNOWING MORE ABOUT RELAXATION TECHNIQUES TO REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE EXPLAINED
High blood Pressure is when the arteries carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body with a higher pressure than normal. This condition also refer as “Hypertension”, and according to the medical standards, a normal blood pressure would be at a reading of 120/80, and the high blood pressure will be 140/90, and sometimes  much more higher. The higher the blood pressure, the higher the risk of having diabetes and certain kidney diseases.

THE CAUSES
High blood pressure is mainly cause by obesity and lack of regular exercise; some are cause by family medical history, stressful and sedentary lifestyle and poor eating style.

SYMPTOMS AND RISKS

• Most of the signs of high blood pressure is unnoticeable, and in most cases they will be ignored and consider normal. Some more obvious condition like dizziness, blurred vision, shortness of breath and headache are symptoms of high blood pressure, and should be taken seriously. If you have the symptoms mention above, you might have anxiety and depression problems as well, see the list of symptoms for anxiety and panic attack
• Excessive intake of sodium, aging, certain kidney diseases, atherosclerosis, and diabetes may lead to high blood pressure. Try to avoid bad eating habits and relax the body and mind whenever possible.
• Pregnancy may also be a cause of high blood pressure.
• Extreme high blood pressure will raise the risk of stroke and heart attack, especially when weakened blood vessels that causes aneurysm. Hypertension will lead to loss of vision and disturbed metabolic syndrome, should not be taken lightly.
• Kidney will not function properly if the blood vessels is weakening or damage by high blood pressure.

SOME COMMON TECHNQIUES
Health professionals, doctors and psychotherapists are skilled at and do teach relaxation techniques to reduce blood pressure, but there are many things that you can do on your own to check your blood pressure from rising. Relaxation techniques are meant to increase awareness of your body and refocusing your attention towards a calming thought.

Common relaxation techniques to reduce blood pressure are:

• Relaxing Music
• Exercise or Physical Activity
• Taiji
• Self Hypnosis for Relaxation
• Massage Acupuncture
• Meditation

Let’s look at some of the less common but very effective relaxation methods, use and practice these methods regularly to increase the effect. Although these techniques are not as common, but they are very useful against high blood pressure with more practice.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Begin with your toes, make fist with the toes and tense for 5 seconds, then open and relax your toe muscles for 30 seconds, next, move your focus to the legs, asses, tummy, arms, neck, head. Repeat the process few times from toe to head and from head to toe until you feel all of the muscles in your body are relaxed. Remember to deep breathing during the exercise.

Visual Relaxation- This amazing relaxation technique to reduce blood pressure teaches you to visualize mental images of a peaceful and calm situation or place. Try to exercise as many of your senses as you can- sounds, sights, textures and smells. The best way to do this would be to sit at a quiet and calm place, wearing loose cotton clothing. You should be able to close your eyes and focus on the peaceful visions for optimum effect.

Autogenic Relaxation- Autogenic refers to “something that originates within you.”  Both body awareness and visual imagery are used in this technique, to reduce stress. Muscle tension in your body is reduced by repeating self help words or suggestions in your mind to. You have to develop an active imagination system where you need to imagine peaceful surroundings, develop a relaxed breathing and focus on it, or imagine other physical sensations like relaxing your body parts one after the other to master this relaxation technique to reduce blood pressure.

SUMMARY
You need to control the high blood pressure problems, and avoid damaging the arteries that will lead to heart attack and stroke. Practice relaxation techniques will reduce the blood pressure, which is critical in maintaining a healthy mind and body. To cure high blood pressure caused by anxiety and depression, see the anxiety native treatment for more information.