The Causes of High Blood Pressure
Although there are many cases in which there is no definitive symptoms, there are many known causes of high blood pressure.
It is estimated that there are approximately 72 million Americans with
high blood pressure today. Fortunately, if detected early enough, there
are many natural remedies for high blood pressure. The two main forms of high blood pressure are secondary hypertension and primary, or essential, hypertension.
Secondary hypertension accounts
for a mere 5% of the documented cases of high blood pressure. Causes of
high blood pressure in this category stem from an organ abnormality. Common organs that are affected are the kidneys or adrenal glands. For example, those who suffer renal, or kidney, hypertension tend to have a narrowing of the blood vessels
leading to those organs. This narrowing, often due to plaque build-up,
makes it difficult for the blood to flow into the kidneys. This
obstructed flow leads to high blood pressure.
Primary hypertension is also known as essential hypertension,
and it accounts for the majority of documented high blood pressure
cases. Unlike secondary hypertension, causes of high blood pressure in
this category are due to many different factors. Some of the most common of these are a salty diet and obesity.
Studies have shown that those diagnosed with primary hypertension have
abnormally high levels of salt in their diets, consuming more than 5.8
grams per day. Obesity also makes it difficult for the circulatory
system to function as necessary. Obesity often leads to an increased amount of insulin production which, in turn, thickens arterial walls. This thickening increases the work the heart must do in order to pump blood efficiently, thus leading to high blood pressure.
The causes are varied, but there are many ways of reducing high blood pressure.
People with reason to believe that they are susceptible to the disease
should schedule a full physical with their primary care physician.
Individuals exhibiting any of the physical symptoms of high blood pressure are also encouraged to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
