Human blood is not privileged with an easy escape under high pressures like other fluids. There’s no faucet for the blood outlet. It can not sneak out of the pores of body like water can. It is bound to bear the commotion set. Its the blood vessels and the heart that bore the cyclone gushed in by the burning red blood. Therefore if the blood gets tougher, it only ruptures the arteries to get its way out. High blood pressure we call it. A study published in the Journal of American Medical Association claims that increase in blood pressure during the young adulthood yells a warning for heart attack to occur later in life until their mid age. Narrowing and damaging of arteries. Aneurysm. Coronary Artery Disease. Enlarged left heart. Heart failure. These are sprig of the many devastating effects high blood pressure exhibits. But this study endorses a larger view.Why this study can be relied upon is because it commenced in 1985-86 and a follow up of as many as 4681 participants was taken until they reached their middle age now.

What happens when there is an increase in blood pressure.

The Blood flows in our body through arteries. These arteries are very smooth and are meant to provide a passage for the blood to flow through it to the different parts of the body. This is the scenario when the blood is flowing at its normal pace.

Now when the blood starts to flow at a higher pace our arteries start to rupture. They start to tear out and this leads the calcium and fat to start accumulating in the inside of the arteries. This accumulation is known as Plaque. Due to this layer of plaque, the arteries are narrowed, making it difficult for the blood to flow through them easily and smoothly as before.

This leads to inflation in the arteries and they start to swell up. This happens at a very slow rate, therefore we are not able to keep a track of it. But it can lead to disastrous effects. To name a few:

• Coronary artery disease and heart attack.
• Heart failure.
• Stroke.
• Kidney failure.
• Peripheral arterial disease.
• Eye damage (retinopathy) that can lead to vision loss and blindness.

This damage is so slow that its anytime too late to realize that it has happened.

Symptoms of High Blood Pressure:

There aren’t really any symptoms telling if you have high blood pressure. It can be brought to light through screening or indirectly by the health check up for an unrelated problem. The people who specifically experience elevated pressure of their blood are said to face:

• Severe headache, usually at the back of their head
• Lightheadedness
• Altered vision
• Fainting

These symptoms are more likely a complaint from a person with associated anxiety. The best way is to get yourself medically checked on a regular basis. Considering the certainty of the aforementioned study, people falling in the age frame of 18 to 25 years of age, should get themselves checked more often.

What can be done to prevent/stop high blood pressure

Even though medicines and other prescriptions like following a healthier diet and performing physical activities can lower the elevated blood pressure [1]. But the damage it causes to the heart and the arteries during its high pressure version is difficult to retrieve back.

But Something is anytime better than nothing at all. So may be incorporating the following in your lifestyle might help you get your blood pressure to normal.

1. Lose Weight: Blood pressure is seen to rise usually with an uprise in your weight. So shedding about 10 pounds can solve the purpose.
2. Exercise Regularly: Exercising on a regular basis for around 30-60 minutes can lower down your blood pressure from 4-9 millimeters.
3. Healthier Diet: Cut down a significant use of sodium in your foods. Stuff your diet with whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products and skimps on saturated fat and cholesterol. This can help. Really help to reduce your blood pressure to 14 mg.
4. Avoid Alcohol: A drop in blood pressure from 2-4 mg is caused if you quit alcohol, which happens to adhere to the Young tongues at a very early age. So Beware!
5. Reduce Caffeine Intake
6. Reduce Stress.

There is medication ofcourse, for managing blood pressure, but doing it the natural way is more helpful.

So keep yourself checked, specially if you are as young as 18 – 25 years’ of age. There’s a lot you can do in this time frame 🙂 Take care.

Reference:

[1] Martins LC, Guedes NG, Teixeira IX, de Oliveira Lopes MV, de Araujo TL. Physical activity level in people with high blood pressure. PMID: 19820851.