The chances of you getting high blood pressure could be increased due to many factors. If for any reason there are things in your life that makes it difficult for your heart to work easily and freely, high blood pressure will occur. Even if you live a healthy lifestyle, following all the guide lines, your blood pressure will still rise.

Within the medical world it has long been thought that race influences blood pressure. Genetic factors seem to play a part, making some races more prone to high blood pressure than other races. Whether this is based on inherited tendencies or possibly on cultural habits remains to be seen.

However, what we do know is that food plays a big part in high blood pressure. If your race has a culture of eating meals that are high in cholesterol and fat, then your race is bound to be more prone to high blood pressure. Traditional ways of cooking may not always be the healthiest. Races that tend to celebrate every occasion, especially if it is with rich fatty foods, are automatically going to have higher bp as a group.

If you belong to such a racial group, you may think of changing the way that you cook on an every day basis. By making healthy changes to your daily diet, then it should do no great harm to you if you were to indulge a little at traditional celebrations. You should be OK as long as you keep these indulgences in moderation and few and far between.

Home cooking gives you more control over what you eat -- you know just what is in your food. Gradually introduce new ideas to your menu, using foods that are low in cholesterol and fat. You will not only lower your own high bp but that of your family as well. Why not encourage some friends to use low fat substitutes in their celebrations, increasing their chances of better health.

Whatever the reason, it seems that blood pressure conditions are more prevalent within certain races. Black and Hispanic people should have regular checks on their blood pressure as a number of unwanted health conditions may surface as a result of high blood pressure. Eat sensibly and exercise wisely every day, having first sought the best level of exercise from your doctor. Regardless of your race, you can do an awful lot to prevent high blood pressure.


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Getting an accurate blood pressure reading is neither easy nor straightforward. Although the reading itself is not difficult, the tricky part is the process of actually finding one's blood pressure. For the most precise reading possible, a device must be inserted into the patient to get this most accurate of readings. This procedure is invasive, not too commonly used as such accuracy is rarely necessary.

More commonly used is an instrument called a sphygmomanometer. The sphygmomanometer is normally referred to as the blood pressure cuff. An apt description since that is how it is placed on the upper arm. It is in fact a long pressurized sock, wound round the upper arm giving the appearance of a cuff.

Usually wound round the upper left arm, the cuff is placed more or less at the same vertical height as the patient's heart. The person must be sitting down in an upright position as this is the optimal position for blood to flow through the body as it should. The cuff is then inflated with a small pump until there is sufficient pressure on the brachial artery to give a reading.

Systolic pressure will be taken first. The doctor places his stethoscope against the inside of the elbow joint. He will decrease the pressure in the cuff until he hears the Korotkoff sounds through the stethoscope. This is when the systolic reading is taken.

He will continue to deflate the cuff until the Korotkoff sounds cease and this is the reading for the diatolic pressure.

Nowadays, the digital blood pressure cuff has become popular. Both systems have their pros and cons. For the unskilled patient who takes his own blood pressure at home or have it taken in a drug store, the digital cuff is easier to use. The digital cuff is more practical in a noisy environment since there is no listening for the Korotkoff sounds required. The digital cuff types work by measuring the mean arterial pulse, and it derives both pressures (systolic and diatolic) from that. It is limited in that it cannot be used by all patients, those with particular health problems.

Doctors and health care practitioners normally use the manual sphygmomanometer. It takes skill to operate it but it is more precise than a digital one. It takes a certain amount of practice to master listening for the Korotkoff sounds while manually pumping the cuff. Without the necessary skill and practice, people find the manual sphygmomanometer difficult to operate.



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Blood pressure can go out of balance, both up and down. We usually think of blood pressure that has gone out of kilter as being too high (hypertension). When it goes too low (hypotension) it can have very serious consequences and should be treated immediately. Hypotension can cause problems in the brain, potentially creating a fatal situation.

What can cause hypotension? The most recognized common reason is an insufficient volume of blood (hypovolemia), often set off by problems of the nervous system within the brain. Among other causes is medication that lists hypovolemia as a side effect.

Since low blood pressure has a negative effect on the brain, it is even more serious than high blood pressure. It is vital to have it diagnosed and immediately brought back into balance.

A recognizable symptom of hypotension occurs when there is a change in body position. The symptom is most commonly obvious when rising up from a lying or sitting position. One is aware of the brain not functioning properly, a feeling of dizziness may occur, taking a couple of seconds to pass. This is one of the most common forms of low blood pressure and is called orthostatic hypotension or postural hypotension. Should you develop these symptoms while on medication, consult your doctor immediately.

A less common form of hypotension is orthostatic hypotension. Also called postprandial hypotension, it manifests 30 to 75 minutes following a meal.

The stomach requires lots of energy, enzymes and a multitude of chemicals to digest food. The simpler, more natural the food, the easier the stomach's tasks and requirements are. But, as with almost all activities in the body, a sizable amount of blood is required to complete the task. At this point the autonomic nervous system steps in to help the heart out as the heart now has less volume of blood to work with. Over time, this weakens the autonomic nervous system.

Hypotension (hypo means low) is just as severe as hypertension (hyper means high). Both are to do with the circulatory system and if out of balance will affect the body. Both are cause for concern and being extremes, their affects are quite different. Hypotension, with its affect on the brain, the most important part of the body, cannot be left unattended. Have regular check ups -- if you're of a mind to, teach yourself blood pressure taking. Should you have any reason to suspect you may have hypotension, please see your health care practitioner without delay.





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