Hyper-Tension

INTRODUCTIONHypertension already affects one billion people worldwide, leading to heart attacks andstrokes. Hypertension can be prevented at far less cost and safely.DEFINITIONHypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure equal to or above 140 mm Hgand/or diastolic blood pressure equal to or above 90 mm Hg.HOMEOSTASIS AND THE MORE STRESS-APPROPRIATE CONCEPT OF ALLOSTASISHomeostatic solution: kidneys are the ones that figure this out, tighten things up there,produce less urine for water conservation. Allostatic solutions: brain figures this out, tells thekidneys to do their thing, sends signals to withdraw water from parts of your body where iteasily evaporates (skin, mouth, nose), makes you feel thirsty.WHAT YOUR BODY DOES TO ADAPT TO AN ACUTE STRESSORA stressor can be defined as anything that throws your body out of allostatic balance and thestress-response is your body’s attempt to restore allostasis. The secretion of certain hormones,the inhibition of others, the activation of particular parts of the nervous system.It is with prolonged stress that one enters the third stage, which Selye termed “exhaustion,”where stress related diseases emerge.CAUSESThe higher the pressure in blood vessels the harder the heart has to work in order to pumpblood. If left uncontrolled, hypertension can lead to a heart attack, an enlargement of the heartand eventually heart failure. Blood vessels may develop aneurysms and weak spots due to highpressure, making them more likely to clog and burst. The pressure in the blood vessels can alsocause blood to leak out into the brain. This can cause a stroke. Hypertension can also lead tokidney failure, blindness, rupture of blood vessels and cognitive impairment.Behavioural risk factors

• too much salt and fat
• harmful levels of alcohol use
• physical inactivity and lack of exercise
• stress
  Socioeconomic factors
  Income, education and housing, fear of unemployment, Living and working conditions, fast
  food, sedentary behavior.
  Other factors
  Genetic factors
  Preeclampsia, during pregnancy.
  White coat syndrome
  SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Most people have no symptoms at all.
Otherwise – headache, shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, palpitations of the heart and
nose bleeds.
DIAGNOSIS
Digital blood pressure measurement machines
PREVENTION

• General changes in behavior
• healthy diet
• stop use of alcohol and tobacco
• WHO recommends consumption of less than 2000 milligrams of sodium, or 5 g of
  salt per day.
• Potassium-rich food – beans and peas, nuts, vegetables such as spinach, cabbage and
  parsley and fruits such as bananas, papayas and dates
• WHO recommends physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day five times a week
• Eating at least 400 g, or 5 portions, of fruits and vegetables per day reduces the risk of
  NCDs, and helps ensure an adequate daily intake of dietary fibre.
• Reducing the amount of total fat intake to less than 30% of total energy intake.
  Reducing saturated fats to less than 10% of total energy intake, and trans fats to less
  than 1% of total energy intake, and replacing both with unsaturated fats.
  PREVENTION OF STRESS, THE MAJOR CAUSE OF HT, BY RAJA YOGA
  a. Person becomes light, powerful, loving and free from disease being a detached
  observer.
  b. Receive praise by three types of contentment (constantly satisfied) with Divine, self
  and others.
  c. Along with purity, being unshakeable (constantly self aware) in upheaval make you
  victorious.
  d. Check and bid farewell for (1) attachment, (2) tension and (3) weakness which creates
  obstacles in success. Instead imbibe self consciousness, remove body (I and mind)
  consciousness.
  e. Never have a tug of war of pulling something towards yourself.
  f. Importance of Early morning hours meditation (Amritvela) is to receive sustenance by
  the Divine.