Nearly 1 in 2 adults in the US has high blood pressure, also called hypertension, and most of them don’t have it under control. It’s called the “silent killer” because there often aren’t any symptoms. High blood pressure actually breaks down the integrity of the blood vessels and hardens them. It’s not just a problem for older adults, and is the leading cause of stroke in younger people. Uncontrolled high blood pressure creates a higher risk for dementia. It’s never too early, or too late, to take steps to manage your blood pressure by finding the root of the problem and addressing it naturally.
Common causes of hypertension
Dysregulated blood sugar / diabetes
- If you have diabetes, you are twice as likely to have high blood pressure.
- Elevated blood sugar stresses the blood vessels, leading to damage and causing them to narrow and harden.
- Sugar consumption may be considerably worse for blood pressure than salt intake.
- Some studies suggest that just two weeks on a high sugar diet can have a measurable impact on blood pressure.
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Stress and Anxiety
Life is full of stressors and if you don’t effectively manage stress, it can lead to hypertension by repeated elevations in blood pressure and stimulation of the nervous system to produce vessel constricting hormones.
If you also have other risk factors (diabetes, obesity, etc.) the effect of stress on blood pressure is multiplied.
Obesity
About 70% of adults in the U.S. are overweight, and this can make you more likely to develop hypertension, because your heart has to work harder to pump blood through your body. The extra effort strains your arteries, which in turn, resist the flow of blood causing pressure to rise.
Inflammation
In the short term, inflammation can be beneficial in the body, but chronic inflammation irritates your blood vessels. It can promote the growth of arterial plaques, loosen plaques and trigger blood clots, leading to heart attacks and strokes.
Genetics
Hypertension tends to run in families. Children of parents with hypertension have increased risk of developing it, particularly if both parents are affected. Evidence says that just because you may have a genetic predisposition, onset of high blood pressure tends to involve the interplay of other factors – environmental, weight, smoking, etc.
Hormonal Changes
Endocrine hypertension is a subset of high blood pressure caused by hormonal imbalance. Changes in hormones during menopause can lead to hypertension, however it’s usually combined with other risk factors – weight gain, stress, genetics, etc.
In addition, chronic stress and anxiety can cause the adrenal glands to make too much stress hormone in response and increase blood pressure.
Kidney Disease
The relationship between hypertension and kidney disease can be a bit of a chicken-and-egg thing. High blood pressure is the leading cause of kidney disease and kidney failure, and by the same token, renal hypertension is elevated blood pressure caused by kidney disease. Either way, it damages the blood vessels in the kidneys, and disrupts the removal of waste from the body.
Smoking
Smokers run a significant risk of developing high blood pressure and heart disease. Cigarette smoking causes a hypertensive effect by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system. It acutely raises blood pressure and heart rate and is a primary cause of malignant hypertension – very high blood pressure that comes on suddenly.
Medications can be a slippery slope
We don’t discourage our patients from seeking medical help to control blood pressure. However, oftentimes you can wean down or even wean off medications with your doctor’s guidance by following simple lifestyle changes, improving your diet and using targeted nutrition, in addition to improving the quality of your sleep, and incorporating stress relief in your daily routine.
If you’re ready to get your blood pressure under control naturally, choose Wiser.