Joy Anyim
Hypertension is caused by high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the amount of force that the blood exerts in the walls of the arteries as it flows through them. When this force or pressure becomes high, it is called High Blood Pressure (HBP) or Hypertension.
HBP is real and mostly regarded as a silent killer. It is one of the health conditions that sometimes do not show any sign nor symptom.
The human heart pumps blood low in oxygen into the lungs and it replenishes the supply. The heart then pumps blood high in oxygen to other parts of the body.
The pumping of blood is done with some force or pressure, when the force is too much, the arteries will be under much pressure which is what is regarded as HBP.
Blood Pressure is measured with a Sphygmomanometer which is also known as a Blood Pressure Metre, Blood Pressure Monitor or Blood Pressure Guage.
There are two sides to a blood pressure measurement, the systolic pressure and the diastolic pressure.
The systolic pressure is the blood pressure when the heart contracts, while the diastolic pressure is the blood pressure between heartbeats.
A normal blood pressure reads 120/80 mm Hg or sometimes a bit lower. In this case, the systolic pressure is 120 while the diastolic is 80.
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When the blood pressure begins to rise above normal 120/80, it is a call to see a doctor. At 130/80 or higher is high blood pressure and must be taken seriously. If the blood pressure reads 180/120, it then becomes a hypertensive crisis.
In Nigeria, adults from age 25 and above face a greater risk of having HBP. Although many don’t take it seriously, HBP is said to be one of the most common killers of adults in the country.
Causes
Basically, there are two main categories of HBP. The essential and secondary. The essential HBP has no specific cause, while the secondary HBP is caused by another health condition.
The following are likely causes of HBP:
- Age: As people get older, they may be at risk of having a HBP because their blood vessels become flexible.
- Ethnic Background: Persons of African descent have a higher risk of having HBP.
- Family History: When one or both parents have a history of being hypertensive.
- Sedentary Lifestyle: Where there is no physical activity like exercise, a person risks having HBP.