Identifying the Typical Causes of High Blood Pressure

Are you looking for some inside information on causes of high blood pressure? Here's an up-to-date report from high blood pressure experts who should know.

Hopefully the information presented so far has been applicable. You might also want to consider the following:

Lots of people have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, and aren't aware of it. It's a good idea to get regular checkups where your blood pressure is measured, as hypertension does not always have symptoms. At least some of the causes of high blood pressure can be controlled or avoided, so we will now examine a few of them.

Smoking is one activity that can cause high blood pressure. As if there weren't already enough reasons not to smoke, smokers have a greater than normal risk of developing hypertension. Your arteries can become blocked and hardened when you smoke, and this contributes to high blood pressure. To some degree, the risk smoking poses for blood pressure is related to how heavily you smoke, so naturally if you are a heavy smoker it's especially risky. What's most important to realize, though, is that any smoking, or even breathing in other people's smoke, increases your health risks. Studies indicate, however, that if you quit smoking, you can improve your health and lower your blood pressure, no matter how long you've been smoking.

If you have certain long term illnesses, they can raise your risk of developing high blood pressure. One such condition is kidney disease, especially in older people. Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes can also bring about high blood pressure, as this disease often causes damage to the kidneys. You are at a greater risk for developing kidney disease or diabetes if there is a family history. Your doctor should be monitoring your blood pressure if you have been diagnosed with diabetes or any kind of kidney disease and may prescribe medication to manage it.

Don't be a couch potato. Many experts believe that high blood pressure is so common today because many people spend too much time sitting at desks all day and not getting enough exercise. Even moderate amounts of exercise will help get your blood pressure down. Young people diagnosed with high blood pressure and obesity are often as a result of inactivity in our kids. Fortunately, this is one cause of high blood pressure that's fairly easy to reverse, though it takes some effort to change your habits. High blood pressure isn't always noticed or diagnosed until it's gone way beyond just hypertension which is why it is referred to as a silent killer. Have your doctor check your blood pressure regularly, become familiar with the causes listed here in this article in order to better your position to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.

The day will come when you can use something you read about here to have a beneficial impact. Then you'll be glad you took the time to learn more about causes of high blood pressure.