What Causes High Blood Pressure?
Common Answers
This article will help you determine for yourself what causes high blood pressure. You will find that answers along with reasons are more helpful and satisfying, when based on solid foundations, and will call on your own judgement to make your mind up.
Comparing statistics of the diverse lifestyles that are found in different cultures around the world will help. We don’t have to be left in the dark. Cultural habits can be measured for impact on health. Statistics vary from culture to culture as diet and lifestyles differ, but a pattern soon emerges when we compare and analyze results.
For instance, in western cultures people lead fast paced lifestyles, and with it comes fast food, tinned and processed food, drinks with added sugar.
Their has been much focus in particular on the African American culture who are at high risk. See how serious this African American Family take high blood pressure.
But there is also other research out there to consider that paints a different picture. Who are we to believe? Probably you have noticed what confusion emerges when there is a change of opinion about a popular product which was thought to be
good at one stage for ones health, but then surprised and alarmed we are told to cut down or even cut out that very product from our diets. A good example of this is the butter verses margarine war.
Didn’t we all start to question the integrity of those who assured us with convincing statements that these products were ok? So when considering what causes high blood pressure you will need to compare dependable data, controlled testing which has not been influenced in any way by ulterior motives.
I am going to discuss here some of the more popular causes. You will have the opportunity to delve a little deeper for more information on each subject.
What we need to keep in mind is that most people with elevated blood pressure have been fouhd to have not just one but several causes that make up a more complex picture. Ref (a)
Some Proven and Reported Causes
- Alcohol
- Acidosis
- Atherosclerosis
- Blocked Arteries
- Blood Circulation
- Calcium Deficiency
- Chemicals in Cosmetics
- Lack of Exercise
- Reduced Slow Wave Sleep
- Salt – Sodium
- Stress
- Sugar
Alcohol
Acidosis
Acidosis is another cause that merits our careful consideration. Really, it`s unlearning our bad eating habits that change along with lifestyle. It is a challenge, but one we need to address if we want to achieve wellness.
Atherosclerosis
Research into the causes of atherosclerosis, a build-up that blocks the passageway of blood through the arteries, has opened up a Pandora`s box. It has been discovered that using chemicals in personal care products too, can greatly contribute to the disease leading to secondary hypertension.
Blood Circulation
Calcium Deficiency
How can boosting our calcium intake through certain sources actually cause us to loose it and disrupt blood pressure regulation?…more
Potassium Deficiency
Are you getting enough potassium in your diet? Do you know that our bodies do not store the mineral yet we need it for so many functions especially for the cardiovascular system. So how can a potassium…more
Magnesium Deficiency
What role does magnesium play in opening blood vessels? Find out why a magnesium deficiency will reek havoc.
Cosmetics, Personal Care Products and Cleaning Agents
Chemicals in Cosmetics are also contributors to the last 2 conditions as well as other factors that cause hypertension. Something many of us are unaware of, but significant enough to have an impact on our health. What we put on the skin, finds it`s way in! Make-up like eye-liner and lipstick; hair dye and tooth fillings. Hmmmm?
Exercise
Exercise, or the lack of it will also determine why some have hypertension and others don`t, even when they seem to equal in dietary habits.
For people who suffer from bad circulation, a regular exercise routine has shown to improve the circulation of blood. Exercise also helps increase HDL (good cholesterol) levels, and this doctors and researchers swear stabilizes LDL (bad cholesterol).
But what causes high blood pressure when LDL is unstable?
This is the other type of cholesterol which doctors and health institutes say clogs the arteries and inhibits blood flow. There is, however, good reason to question what LDL really is and what function it has in the body. (See paragraph on cholesterol and page on clogged Arteries).
In turn they say this causes the heart to pump harder, putting pressure on the walls of blood vessels. Blood vessels under pressure in older people can rupture, especially because with age comes a decrease in elasticity of veins and arteries, all combined factors of the disease known as arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
Reduced Slow Wave Sleep
Did you know that our sleep habits and patterns can affect our health? With today`s fast pace of life, needed sleep is often compromised. A lot of us are burning the candle at both ends.
Salt
Is the hidden salt and sugar that we don’t see or take into account when planning our diet as serious as we are led to believe? What causes high blood pressure if we have too much of them?
See why a high salt (sodium) intake is said to be one of the leading contributors of hypertension. A lower salt intake has shown to lower it. This is highly controversial as researchers differ in opinion, but there is no harm in trying it out to see if it works for you while monitoring your own blood pressure.
Sugar
How many sugars do you take in your coffee and tea? Do you realize the amount of hidden sugar in fizzy drinks and beverages is astounding and very harmful to your body?
Hmmm! Food for thought! Let`s see just exactly how sugar can raise blood pressure.
Stress
What about stress and anxiety? Some researchers find it hard to define what it really is, so it is very controversial to say one of the causes of high blood pressure is stress. Yet it still intrigues others to continue researching into this possibility. Why? We will benefit by looking at the results they have found. Adding to that, we know it has many other negative effects on our health. That in itself should incite us to find solutions to combat it.
Graham MacGregor, professor in cardiovascular medicine at St George’s Hospital, London, does not agree with other experts. Some experts ran an analysis on all the research linking stress with CVD and other heart related diseases. Professor MacGregor said: ‘There is no evidence that stress leads to high blood pressure or to heart disease. As chairman of the Blood Pressure Association, he agrees that stress may trigger a heart attack in people already suffering severe heart disease, but doesn’t believe that any research so far has conclusively proven a connection between stress and developing heart problems.
Contrary to this though, there seems to be growing evidence that supports a connection between certain kinds of stress and heart problems. Also when people suffer stress they may hide it behind excessive alcohol or food consumption, both of which are contributors of high blood pressure.
Even when we live on the other side of the world, a traumatic incident can have such an impact that it can raise our blood pressure. After the September 11 terrorist attacks they did an international study of the effects of that trauma on the cardiovascular system of 2729 adults. Read the results that prove a definite link between stress and hypertension.