Terrence had a good excuse. After all, as a field executive in GenCorp, he certainly had his share of stress. And, let's not even talk about the pipe smoking.
According to Dr. Spencer just being male was a strike against him. The fact that he was 44 years old certainly didn't help.
Unfortunately, arterial hypertension rarely causes any symptoms until it has caused some arteriosclerosis and possibly a stroke. In fact, hypertension can be surprisingly severe before there are any symptoms.
Your blood pressure goes up and down throughout the day. If you play racketball for half an hour your pressure will go up. Even if you just see a exciting scene on television you will see a rise in your blood pressure.
If you took your blood pressure right after that, it would be high, but not diagnostic.
Things you eat, drink and smoke can also increase your blood pressure. Caffeine drinks like coffee or will do the same. Nicotine from cigars stimulates the heart to increase your pressure as well.
You may think that alcohol relaxes you, but the long term effects of all those alcohol, cocktails, and liquers drinks take their toll as well.
Spending too much time in your favorite recliner instead of getting some exercise increases your chances of blood pressure problems.
Fortunately, there are many places you can get your blood pressure checked today. Many stores and pharmacies have automatic blood pressure machines you can use. Just sit down for a couple minutes and get it checked. If you pressure is up slightly three different times, you should see a doctor. If it is over about 160 just once, you should also seek medical advice.
Rest makes your blood pressure go down. Because of that, the best time to take your blood pressure is when you first get up in the morning.
But, back to Terrence. His family history made a big difference in his hypertension. He had a father who died at age 50 of a arteriosclerotic heart disease. Genetics can really increase your chances of needing treatment for hypertension.
Fortunately, these days, there is a lot you can do to decrease hypertension.
Changing your diet will definitely help. You will improve your blood pressure as well as your overall health by increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables. You should get regular exercise, lots of water and a good night's sleep. If you can stop using tobacco and limit or cut out your alcohol altogether that will help a great deal.
If you don't completely normalize your blood pressure by those means, many different medications are available today that will help. You will want to find a physician that you can work with on keeping your pressure normal.
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