Causes of High Diastolic Blood Pressure Readings and What to Do About Them

You're probably familiar with the blood pressure cuff your doctor uses but do you really understand what he is measuring?

Blood pressure is the force that the heart places on the walls of your blood vessels when it pumps and relaxes. When the heart pumps the pressure goes up and this is called systolic pressure. When the heart relaxes, the pressure goes down and this is know as diastolic pressure.

A normal blood pressure reading is considered to be 120 systolic and 80 diastolic. If your diastolic is between 80 and 100 you are pre-hypertensive. If it is over 100 you have hypertension and will probably be placed on medications.

If you have a high diastolic reading you probably have a high systolic reading as well. It really doesn't matter though because high diastolic pressure carries the same life threatening conditions as systolic.

High diastolic blood pressure is more common in young adults, teens and even children. It's been suggested that birth weight may have a direct connection to this condition.

The three principal cause of high diastolic pressure are:

Obesity: Overweight people with a high Body Mass Index place additional pressure on the arterial system creating higher blood pressure. Excess fat and cholesterol can stiffen the arteries and clog them with plaque causing the heart to have to pump harder.

Diet: One of the biggest contributors to HBP and the principal cause of obesity, is an unhealthy diet rich in salt, saturated fats and trans-fatty acids. A diet with these characteristics can damage blood vessels at the cell level. This diet encourages oxidation which weakens cells, hardens arteries, and creates plaque.

Smoking: Putting nicotine in your body is not a good idea. Nicotine constricts the blood vessels increasing blood pressure and also causes the heart to beat faster.

So if you are an overweight smoker who thinks Burger King is gourmet food, you are probably in real danger.

The obvious solution is to set aside time to exercise. Thirty minutes of walking or cycling will have an immediate impact on your blood pressure ading as well as exercise the heart muscle and arteries.

Eat a diet rich in antioxidants and vasodilators. Antioxidants fight free radicals which cause oxidation. Vasodilators allow the blood vessels to dilate and handle the pressure more efficiently. Fresh fruits and vegetables are great sources for both these characteristics.

Just say no to tobacco.

The more our society tries to make life convenient the further we get from the natural fuels that our body requires. Unfortunately, convenience and automation have a cost. That cost is nearly 70 million Americans with high blood pressure. Now is the time to take responsibility for your health and make the changes you need to avoid stroke, kidney failure and heart attack and ensure a longer healthier life.

Your heart will thank you.

Lower Diastolic Blood Pressure Safely and Without Side Effects

Is your diastolic blood pressure reading greater than 80 mm HMG? If it is between 81 and 99 you are pre-hypertensive. If your reading is greater than 100 then you have hypertension. In either case you need to lower your diastolic reading back to normal to avoid possible serious medical consequences.

Recent studies indicate that a high diastolic reading has an impact on cognitive function. That is to say people with this condition have a more difficult time performing mental tasks and may have an impaired memory as well. Does this mean high diastolic pressure causes Alzheimer's? The jury is still out on that but for certain you want to take action to lower the pressure and the sooner the better.

There are basically two ways to get your blood pressure under control.

Your doctor may prescribe one or more blood pressure medications. These can include diuretics, beta blockers, alpha blockers or calcium channel blockers. These medications, with the exception of the diuretics, are designed to interrupt your body's natural response to high blood pressure in an effort to control or limit the damage done by the condition.

Medication is an ongoing therapy. It's important to recognize that these drugs do not cure hypertension, they control it. That means you will be on one or more daily medications for the rest of your life because without them, the condition will return full blown with the possibility of fatal results.

Not a pretty picture is it?

Even if you are on medication today, there are things you can do to lower diastolic pressure naturally and safely. In fact the American Heart Association recommends a change in lifestyle to include diet, exercise and stress management as the first defense against this disease.

Why is that?

Well it's because nobody knows for certain what causes high blood pressure or hypertension, but it is commonly accepted that those people with the condition also have one or more of the following in common:

Obesity. Being overweight not only puts additional strain on the heart, it also actually causes a greater pressure problem trying to get blood into the small capillaries that exist in the fat. The larger your blood vessel system is, the more effort the heart has to make to keep circulation going.

Stress. High levels of stress, both physical and emotional, have an adverse impact on the heart. Stress can release high levels of adrenalin and other hormones that place an undue burden on the body. This is further aggravated when you add caffeinated drinks and nicotine to the mix.

Heart Unhealthy Diet. This actually applies to most Americans. We eat a diet that is excessively high in sodium thanks to all the processed foods we consume. We are addicted to convenience and do not eat nearly enough fresh fruits and vegetables. Top this off with our love affair with the deep fat fryer and you have a diet designed to create plaque, clots and hardened blood vessels.

So what's the way to lower diastolic blood pressure safely? Just take a look at the three conditions above and start attacking them. You don't have to get drastic about it, even small improvements will result in a lower blood pressure reading.

Three quick fixes include:

Get at least 30 minutes of mild aerobic exercise like walking or cycling each day. This is the absolutely fastest way to lower your blood pressure. In addition, over time you will shed a couple of pounds as well. Lastly, exercise is a great way to repair the damage done by stress.

Get some sleep. Sleep is the number one natural stress reliever. You don't need drugs; you need 7 to 8 hours of good sleep each night.

Change your diet. Eat more potassium from fresh fruits and vegetables. This will help offset the excess of sodium. Drink plenty of water. Actually drink one half your body weight expressed in ounces each day. This has a number of benefits but for blood pressure, the number one benefit is that being hydrated adds elasticity to the blood vessels.

So if you want to lower your blood pressure you have these two choices. Medication that is both expensive and comes with side effects; or making changes in your life that will allow a natural reduction in pressure. The choice is yours.