You don’t have to be of advanced age to suffer from conditions usually seen in that age group. One such condition is high blood pressure.

The heart pumps blood throughout the body. The blood carries oxygen from the lungs to all of the cells and organs along the circuitous route of the arterial vascular system. Deoxygenated blood is carried via the venous system back to the lungs, where it picks up more oxygen.

To move that blood, there is a certain amount of pressure that needs to be created within the vessels. Normally an acceptable blood pressure reflects two numbers: systolic (upper number), the pressure exerted when the heart is pumping blood, and diastolic (lower number), the pressure exerted when the heart is at rest. Ideally blood pressure needs to be no higher than 140/90, but ideally 120/70.

Higher numbers indicate that something is causing the pressure needed to move a volume of blood to increase. It could be due to a narrowing of the vessels (caused by high cholesterol or plaque build-up), stress, obesity, high salt intake or genetics. This condition is known as high blood pressure, or hypertension.

The Problems of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure poses a problem for the rest of your body. Here are just a few of the conditions that can arise as a result.

* Artery damage – Increased stress on the arterial walls can result in the tissue being damaged; when any tissue is damaged, an inflammatory response occurs. The walls can thicken and stiffen, leading to a smaller lumen (opening) and a higher blood pressure. If you also have a problem with bad cholesterol plaque, the increased pressure could dislodge it, turning it into emboli, which block the blood flow.

* Heart condition – When you have high blood pressure, the heart has to work harder to push that same volume of blood. As a result, the heart muscle can enlarge; it can also fail, or experience an infarct in a portion of the muscle that can lead to a heart attack.

* Stroke – The cholesterol plaque that breaks off as a result of high blood pressure can travel along the vascular system until it gets stuck in a smaller vessel. This often happens in the lungs or the brain. In the brain it is called a stroke. Both can result in death.

Beyond the blockage, the brain tissue is not receiving oxygenated blood. Since the brain needs twenty percent more oxygen than the rest of the body, this can lead to decreased functioning such as speech impairment, numbness or paralysis on one side of the body and other problems.

If you are facing a diagnosis of high blood pressure, work to reduce it to normal levels and avoid the dangers.