Three Causes of High Blood Pressure

Causes of High Blood Pressure

Hypertension, or high blood pressure is a common but very serious medical condition that many people suffer from, often without even knowing about it. The only way to be sure is to have your blood pressure checked, as hypertension does not necessarily have warning signs. Let's look at some of the known causes of high blood pressure to help you protect yourself.

Many women have high blood pressure while pregnant but this is usually not severe although it does need to be treated with medication in some cases. Preeclampsia, a sudden rise in blood pressure to extreme levels during pregnancy, is a dangerous condition for both the mother and the unborn baby. A woman with high blood pressure before pregnancy is at a greater risk for preeclampsia but it can still affect a woman with no history of hypertension. For this reason, it's important for women who are pregnant to have their blood pressure monitored.

You are at a greater risk for developing high blood pressure if you have certain long term illnesses. Especially in the elderly, kidney disease is a common cause of hypertension. You can develop high blood pressure if you have either type 1 or type 2 diabetes as both of them damage the kidneys. Those with a family history of kidney disease or diabetes are at greater risk to develop these problems. Your doctor will want to monitor your blood pressure if you are ever diagnosed with either diabetes or any kind of kidney disease and may even prescribe medication to help manage it.

Don't let your sedentary lifestyle kill you, get up, get out and get some exercise. Not getting enough exercise and sitting at a desk all day contribute to the nation’s high blood pressure epidemic say some experts. It's known that getting even moderate amounts of exercise can help to lower your blood pressure. Hypertension in young people nowadays is caused by their own lack of activity. It is not impossible to reverse this cause of high blood pressure, simply get up and get moving. In general, high blood pressure is often called the "silent killer" because it often has no symptoms and it may not be identified until someone has more serious problems, like heart disease. By having your doctor check your blood pressure regularly, and becoming familiar with the causes of hypertension, such as the ones we've been focusing on in this article, you can be in a better position to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.