Your face a battle against a "silent Killer"! High blood pressure warning signs are very difficult to identify. That is why many look upon high blood pressure as the silent killer. It seldom exhibits any easily identifiable symptoms! A startling fact is that millions of people suffer with this dangerous health problem without knowing it. This is not a static situation. Undiagnosed high blood pressure increases slowly over time. An important part of the battle against high blood pressure is to have it checked regularly, especially if you fall into the certain racial or age groups. The fact that high blood pressure is hard to spot is bad enough, but 90% of the time its cause is unknown. When the cause of high blood pressure is unknown it is called "essential hypertension." The word "hypertension" is the medical term used to describe high blood pressure. In addition to essential hypertension, where the cause is not known, there is secondary hypertension. That is when high blood pressure is caused by a disease or other physical problem. Common causes are kidney or thyroid disease. A wide range of factors are associated with high blood pressure. They include genetics, age, race, stress, obesity, smoking, a high- salt diet, smoking, excessive consumption of alcohol, and a lifestyle that includes very little exercise. Can you see that almost everyone could fall into one of those danger groups? That is the prime reason regular blood pressure checks are so important. Only when high blood pressure gets very severe do symptoms become obvious. Warning signs you must be aware of can include nosebleeds, racing or irregular heartbeat, headaches, and dizziness. You feel great and you have none of the warning signs, so you have no worry about high blood pressure, right? Oh no, it's a huge mistake to conclude that you don t have high blood pressure because you don't have any symptoms you can identify. The only way you know for sure is to measure your blood pressure on a regular basis. Blood pressure machines are very inexpensive and easy to use. You have no excuse for letting your blood pressure get out of control. It must be measured regularly. Take your blood pressure seriously. Allowed to increase untreated, it can cause some nasty health problems, including heart attack, stroke, kidney damage, and blindness. Just the thought of those conditions should motivate you to take better care of your health Your high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol are a pair of danger signals that both warn of possible future heart problems. Remember, we are talking about a silent killer. You will not be able to tell if you have either high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol without measuring or medical examination. Your blood pressure and blood must be tested. Both measurements are done routinely if you have regular health check-ups. A blood pressure machine is as close as your nearest pharmacy or Wal-Mart. Blood pressure and cholesterol screenings are often offered at community health centers. Call your city government office for information. Now is the time to go to war against the silent killer. You can successfully attack high blood pressure with regular blood pressure readings. Remember, in this battle you are an army of one. You must take action to save yourself. |
