Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. Approximately 90% of people with high blood pressure have “essential” or “idiopathic” hypertension, for which the cause is poorly understood. The terms “hypertension” and “high blood pressure” as used here refer only to this most common form and not to pregnancy-induced hypertension or clearly linked to a known cause, such as Cushing’s syndrome, pheochromocytoma, or kidney disease. Hypertension must always be evaluated by a healthcare professional. Extremely high blood pressure (malignant hypertension) or rapidly worsening blood pressure (accelerated hypertension) almost always requires treatment with conventional medicine. People with mild to moderate high blood pressure should work with a doctor before attempting to use the information contained here, as blood pressure requires monitoring and in some cases the use of blood pressure-lowering drugs.
As with conventional drugs, the use of natural substances sometimes controls blood pressure if taken consistently but does not lead to a cure for high blood pressure. Thus, someone whose blood pressure is successfully reduced by weight loss, avoidance of salt, and increased intake of fruits and vegetables would need to maintain these changes permanently in order to retain control of blood pressure. Left untreated, hypertension significantly increases the risk of stroke and heart disease.
What are the symptoms of hypertension? Essential hypertension is usually without symptoms until complications develop. The symptoms of complications depend on the organs involved.
How is it treated? Essential hypertension has no cure, but treatment can modify its course. Many drugs are used to treat hypertension, including diuretics.
Dietary changes that may be helpful: Primitive societies exposed to very little salt suffer from little or no hypertension. Salt (sodium chloride) intake has also been definitively linked to hypertension in western societies. Reducing salt intake in the diet lowers blood pressure in most people. The more salt is restricted, the greater the blood pressure-lowering effect. Individual studies sometimes come to differing conclusions about the relationship between salt intake and blood pressure, in part because blood pressure-lowering effects of salt restriction vary from person to person, and small to moderate reductions in salt intake often have minimal effects on blood pressure—particularly in young people and in those who do not have hypertension. Nonetheless, dramatic reductions in salt intake are generally effective for many people with hypertension.
Lifestyle changes that may be helpful: Smoking is particularly injurious for people with hypertension. The combination of hypertension and smoking greatly increases the risk of heart disease-related sickness and death. All people with high blood pressure need to quit smoking.
Consumption of more than about three alcoholic beverages per day appears to increase blood pressure. Whether one or two drinks per day meaningfully increases blood pressure remains unclear.
You are currently viewing High Blood Pressure ( Hypertension )
The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for advice provided by a healthcare professional. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing, treating or prescribing medication for treatment of a disease or health-related condition. You should carefully read all information provided in product packaging and follow the appropriate directions for use. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your healthcare professional.
Please note: Due to packaging updates, the image shown on the items may temporarily appear different from the product received. We try our best to keep all images updated.
