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Hypertension or high blood pressure

Source: www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
Topic: High Blood Pressure
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Sort Desciption: The heart pumps blood around the body through the blood vessels. Blood pressure is the amount of force exerted on the artery walls by the pumping blood. High blood pressure (hypertension) means that your blood is ...

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The heart pumps blood around the body through the blood vessels. Blood pressure is the amount of force exerted on the artery walls by the pumping blood. High blood pressure (hypertension) means that your blood is pumping with more force than normal through your arteries. The added stress on the arteries can accelerate the silting of arteries with fatty plaques (atherosclerosis). Other risk factors for atherosclerosis include cigarette smoking and high blood cholesterol. Atherosclerosis contributes to many illnesses, such as heart attack and stroke. Hypertension is a common disorder of the circulatory system, affecting around one in seven adult Australians. Hypertension usually produces no symptoms. This means most people dont even realise they have it. Experts recommend that everyone should have their blood pressure checked regularly. How blood pressure is controlled When the heart contracts, the blood inside the left ventricle is forced out into the aorta and arteries. The blood then enters small vessels with muscular walls, called arterioles. The tone in the muscular walls of the arterioles determines how relaxed or constricted they are. If narrowed, they resist flow. Reduced flow of blood is detected in the brain, the kidneys and elsewhere. Nerve reflexes are stimulated and hormones are then produced. The heart is induced to beat more forcefully so that the blood pressure is maintained at a higher level, to overcome the restricted flow through the arterioles. The achievement of good flow (now at high pressure) eases possible problems for function of the brain and kidneys. These adjustments occur normally. However, in some people the adjustments become fixed and high blood pressure persists. These people have developed hypertension. How blood pressure is measured Hypertension can be mild, moderate or severe. Your blood pressure is naturally higher when you are exerting yourself, such as during ...

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