Hypertension, also known as “high blood pressure”, is a condition that 1 in 3 adults suffer from worldwide.
In Italy, according to data from the Italian Society of Arterial Hypertension (SIIA), about 15 million Italians suffer from this condition. The problem is that only half of the individuals are aware of it.
Hypertension is dangerous because it increases the risk of being affected by serious cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, angina pectoris, stroke and other diseases.
Possible damage to the brain and beyond
Basically, the higher the pressure, the greater the risk of damage to the heart and more. The damage, in fact, can also affect the blood vessels present in fundamental organs such as the brain or kidneys. In fact, high blood pressure could affect, in addition to the onset of heart attacks and heart failure, even strokes and cerebral hemorrhages, but that’s not all. It is also a risk factor for blindness, kidney failure and even cognitive impairment.
That is why it is essential to monitor blood pressure and follow drug treatment if necessary. In this regard, however, we remind you that those who take blood pressure medications or anticoagulants should be careful with this spice. Now let’s see what are the pressure values considered normal by experts in an adult person.
These are the normal blood pressure values in order not to risk stroke and heart disease
As reported by the website of the Ministry of Health, the normal blood pressure in an adult individual would be equal to 120 and 80 mmHg. The first value refers to the systolic pressure, that is when the heart beats and is the so-called “maximum”.
The second value, on the other hand, refers to the so-called “minimum”, or diastolic pressure, when the heart relaxes. These tend to be the normal blood pressure values in order not to risk stroke and heart disease, although the age of the patient must always be taken into account.
In fact, with the passing of the years, the pressure values could increase.
Symptoms of hypertension
Unfortunately, as noted above, not everyone is aware that they suffer from this condition. Very often, in fact, hypertension does not announce its presence with a clear and unequivocal symptomatology. In general, however, the most frequent symptoms of hypertension are breathlessness, headache, dizziness, nosebleeds, palpitations and even chest pains.
Here’s how to help prevent the problem
Controlling blood pressure is the first step to feeling good, which everyone should undergo on a regular basis. Lifestyle also heavily affects this condition. Factors such as smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, alcohol intake and poor diet can negatively affect this problem.
That’s why we should start improving our quality of life now. To do this, we could begin to include foods with beneficial effects on our body in our diet. A perfect example is this highly antioxidant food which would prevent stomach cancer, help the heart and lower blood pressure.