Blood Pressure: What is It Really and Why Control is Vital for Your Health

Ever heard the phrase "know your numbers" when it comes to your health and wellbeing? One of the most important numbers to track is your blood pressure! But what does “blood pressure” really mean, and why is it so important to keep it in a healthy range?

Blood pressure control is vital to your health and wellbeing.

What Is Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against your blood vessel walls as your heart pumps it throughout your body before returning to the heart again. Specifically, this force is measured in blood vessels called arteries, which are flexible, muscular tubes that carry blood away from the heart to the rest of your body. The blood transports oxygen and nutrients for the body's tissues to use.

Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers and is considered high if it stays above 120/80 mm Hg:

Systolic pressure (the top number) 

– The pressure or force when your heart squeezes down to pump out blood to the body.

Diastolic pressure (the bottom number) 

– The pressure or force left when your heart relaxes between beats to fill more blood back into it.

How does High Blood Pressure Happen: The Mechanism?

It is easy to think of high blood pressure as the bad guy causing bad health outcomes – the “silent killer” that can suddenly drop you dead by leading to a stroke, or heart attack, heart failure, kidney damage, brain function failure, vision loss, and even sexual health problems. The list goes on.

However, it is actually very important to know how high blood pressure can happen in the first place.

The key takeaway is that high blood pressure is a picture that is painted by the colors of your environment, your lifestyle, and possibly your inherited genetics.

• When the arteries in your body stiffen or get narrowed because of long-term inflammation/irritation, trauma, aging, or buildup of gunk (plaque), the force needed to pump blood through the vessels is much higher and this is harder for the heart to pump against.

• If the body holds onto too much salt and water because of diet or kidney problems, then the amount of blood in the vessels increases, leading to higher pressure against the artery walls. When the chemical/hormonal system is too stressed and gets out of wack, then signals cause the arteries to clamp down and additionally too much water is kept in the body, increasing that pressure!

• If the heart is beating too fast all of the time, which means that it is pumping very hard and fast (due to stress, chemical imbalance, electrical signal problems, that fight-or-flight mode, etc), this raises the force of blood trying to get through the blood vessels to keep up with the raging pumping of the heart.

• All of that resistance the heart then has to deal with takes a toll on that poor pump too – it develops thicker muscles in all the wrong places and ways and can make other weaker spots in the heart ballooned-out and floppy. It cannot even keep up enough to supply itself with enough oxygen to keep on keeping on. Not a great combination for that vital organ in your body.

• Genetics can play a part. This essentially means that differences in how the body operates chemically and mechanically can be passed along through genes in a family. Those differences can include an effect on how much salt and water are retained in the body, more sensitivity to stress and tightening/constriction of the blood vessels, irritability of the tissues (inflammation), and a younger age that the effects of stresses from lifestyle and environment can kick in, harming blood pressure health and control.

How to Keep Blood Pressure in Healthy Range

There are lots of things you can mix right in to your daily routine to keep your blood pressure in a healthier place. It can be challenging in the ever more demanding grind of life but being aware of how and why your routine affects your health is a big step to figuring out if you are doing it right, or how you can do it better.

• Eat Well. Input is key. Keep your body strong by giving it great nutrition, the fuel that is least likely to abuse those blood vessels and heart, and best support fighting inflammation, illness, and the stresses of life.

  • Sugar and the chemicals and high salt content of processed food, regular intake of alcohol, and tobacco are all very irritating/inflammatory to the body’s tissues and may get you through the day but don’t provide your body with a robust, fair health defense nor positive chance to flourish.

• Be active, aiming for at least 30 minutes of highly energized movement/exercise per day. The body is meant to continue moving in all of its aspects and parts – without motion, we get sick and die sooner. If you have ever spent a few days in bed or lying on the couch you will know what is meant – the body feels sluggish and tired! Exercise helps keep the chemicals balanced for the best blood vessel flexibility it can get. And maintaining healthy muscle mass is important not just for strength and bone health but also because muscle carries insulin receptors, which increases sugar control.

• Reduce stress. This is a really hard one; it is an understatement that life and the world is hard. Aim for taking a few minutes per day in a safe space or activity that fits you to reflect, relax your mind, breathe deeply, and let the stress out. This will help tremendously with relaxing your heart rate and the force it has to deal with by relaxing your blood vessels as well.

• Ensure that any other chronic health problems you have going on are kept in shape. This will help reduce that extra strain on your body that will throw off your blood pressure control. Ensure that you do not have sleep apnea that needs therapy.

• Keep an eye on your numbers. The bottom line is that while you are making adjustments on your life and/or the genetics are strong, your blood pressure should still be kept in a good range and sometimes the case may be that you need a little help from medication to maintain the healthy numbers.

Every day is one day and it is one day at a time. Strive, and you can do this!

Best wishes and in Good Health,

Dr. Marshall