Hypertension: Causes & Prevention

Hypertension or high blood pressure is the measure of blood force against the arteries. The job of the heart is to pump blood into the arteries after which they carry the blood throughout the body. High blood pressure is harmful because it makes the heart work harder to pump blood which makes the arteries harder in due course. Living with high blood pressure for a very long time can lead to coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure, vision loss, chronic kidney disease etc. High blood pressure is genetic and is more likely to affect women than men.  Causes The exact causes of blood pressure are unknown but a lot of factors contribute to its development, some of the common causes are –

• Smoking
• Being overweight or obese
• Lack of physical activity
• High consumption of Sodium(salt)
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Stress
• Older age
• Genetics
• Family history of high blood pressure
• Chronic kidney disease
• Adrenal and thyroid disorders
• Sleep apnea

 Prevention You can prevent high blood pressure by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, some of the common prevention methods are –

• Maintaining normal body weight
• Reducing the intake of Sodium (salt) in your diet
• Limiting alcohol consumption to not more than 3 units a day
• Including lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet
• Exercising on a regular basis
• Managing stress

If you are already suffering from high blood pressure, it is important to take precautions and prevent it from getting worse. Along with a healthy lifestyle, you should get regular medical care and follow your prescribed medical plan. WHO has recognised hypertension as a leading cause of heart-related diseases. Only 48% of the people living with hypertension are aware of their condition, others realise much later when other symptoms develop. In such scenarios, it is important to have the guard of health insurance as it helps us out with the unexpected expenses of treatment. For more details and to get a medical insurance that is tailor made for your needs visit our website.