High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, can cause heart attack, stroke or kidney failure. While experts are not certain what causes hypertension, genetics, diet, lifestyle and disease are contributing factors in this disease. According to the Mayo Clinic, normal blood pressure is when the high number is below 120 and the low number is below 80. Pulse is the rate at which your heart beats, measured in beats per minute. Normal heart rate is from 60 to 100 beats per minute. If your heart is weak it pumps a small volume of blood and has to beat faster to keep the blood pressure up.
Stress
When subjected to a stressful situation, adrenalin makes the heart rate go up and causes blood vessels to constrict. This increases blood pressure to supply the body core with more blood for a possible fight or flight need.
While this situational stress is only temporary, prolonged chronic stress can cause the body to stay in high alert mode for days or sometimes weeks; consequently blood pressure will also remain high.
Diet
Using excessive salt is linked with high blood pressure. One tsp. of salt has 2,000 mg of sodium. The recommended amount is 1,000 to 3,000 mg per day. Sodium and potassium work with each other to regulate the amount of water that is retained in the body. The recommended daily potassium intake for an average adult is 4,700 mg per day.
To keep blood pressure in check, the diet should contain potassium-rich foods such as bananas, oranges, sweet potatoes, spinach, apricots, prunes and raisins. Sodium intake should be kept within the recommended limits.
Exercise
A lack of exercise is damaging to health; blood pressure and pulse both increase when a person does not exercise daily. Aerobic activity, things that make the breathing and pulse faster, makes the heart stronger. A strong heart does not have to work as hard pumping blood through the body. A strong heart can pump a larger volume of blood per heart beat. This larger volume of blood does not have to be at high pressure to deliver the amount of blood the body needs, so it does not press as hard against the artery walls. Aerobic exercise, therefore, lowers blood pressure and pulse rate. Just 30 minutes of exercise per day will do. The important thing is to exercise every day. A doctor's approval should be sought before beginning an exercise routine.
Obesity
Too much weight, especially around the belly, is a big factor in increased blood pressure; it can also cause cardiovascular disease, diabetes and renal disease. Increased weight makes it harder for the kidneys to remove sodium, compresses the kidneys and restricts their working space and efficiency.
