Risks of High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is the most common continuing medical condition seen by family doctors. At just what measurement ‘normal’ blood pressure becomes ‘high’ blood pressure that justifies action taken to reduce it is still a subject among doctors. Whatever the definition, the numbers of people needing some sort of treatment for high blood pressure include at least 10% of any larger group of all adult, up to 33% of poorer city adults, and about 50% of all people over 65 years of age.
What high blood pressure is and what it is not?
Everybody’s blood is under pressure, otherwise it wouldn’t circulate around the body. If blood pressure is too high it damages walls of the arteries. After many years, this damage increase risks of coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, bleeding or detachment of the retina, and kidney failure. High blood pressure itself is not a disease, but a treatable cause of these serious disease, which are thereby partly preventable. All these risks are greatly increased if the person also smoke or have diabetes.
Unless it has already caused damage, high blood pressure seldom makes the person feel unwell. It can be very high without causing headaches, breathless, palpitations, faintness, giddiness or any of the symptoms which were once thought to be typical of high blood pressure.
Risks of High Blood Pressure
