It is determined by the amount of blood pumped by your heart and the resistance in your blood vessels. Every time you visit your doctor, blood pressure will be measured on your upper arm using a special machine that gives a set of numbers like 120/80. The first number, usually written on top, is the systolic blood pressure, which is the pressure when your heart pumps and the second number is the diastolic blood pressure, which is the pressure between your heartbeats. There are two types of HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE Primary Hypertension - basically has no identifiable cause and common in adults. Secondary Hypertension - There is an underlying condition that causes the blood pressure to be high e.g. pregnancy and medications. What are the risk factors for high blood? Age: The older you get the more likely to develop hypertension Race: More common in Africans than Caucasians Family history: If your immediate family members have high blood pressure, you are more likely to have it.
Overweight and obesity: The heavier you get the more resistant your blood vessels will be hence high blood pressure. Sedentary lifestyle: Lack of exercise increases the risk of developing high blood pressure. Excessive alcohol intake: Too much alcohol consumption predisposes to vascular damage and increases resistance of the blood vessels. Pregnancy: During pregnancy a lot of circulatory changes due to the hormonal changes and in some instances raise the blood pressure. Stress: Stressful situations increase chances of high blood pressure as it increases chances of bingeing on unhealthy foods and alcohol.
