By Karen Ravn

February 8 2010

Blood circulating through your body moves with a certain force — that’s your blood pressure. This force can be affected by how strongly the heart is pumping and by the size of the vessels the blood is moving through. Blood moves through large arteries into smaller vessels called arterioles, which can expand and contract. When they expand, blood pressure goes down. When they contract, blood pressure goes up. (The body has some very good reasons and complicated systems for doing this.)

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-hew-blood-pressure-basics8-2010feb08,0,5797255.story

Visit latimes.com at http://www.latimes.com

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Kat Starlove is a life coach, registered nurse, author and speaker. She has over 20 years expereince in teaching, managing administrative positions as well as her self-taught experience in internet informational marketing. She is exceptionally gifted at helping people to become empowered in their personal and career lives.

She is available for coaching services on-line, by phone or Skype and speaking engagements on various topics including empowerment in personal terms and in the work place, wellness and making changes in life.  Her full website is at http://www.healthy-changes-for-you.com

By Karen Ravn

February 8 2010

Blood circulating through your body moves with a certain force — that’s your blood pressure. This force can be affected by how strongly the heart is pumping and by the size of the vessels the blood is moving through. Blood moves through large arteries into smaller vessels called arterioles, which can expand and contract. When they expand, blood pressure goes down. When they contract, blood pressure goes up. (The body has some very good reasons and complicated systems for doing this.)

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-hew-blood-pressure-basics8-2010feb08,0,5797255.story

Visit latimes.com at http://www.latimes.com

You can have high blood pressure (hypertension) for years without a single symptom. Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases your risk of serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke.

Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.

High blood pressure typically develops over many years, and it affects nearly everyone eventually. Fortunately, high blood pressure can be easily detected. And once you know you have hMost people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms, even if blood pressure readings reach dangerously high levels.

Although a few people with early-stage high blood pressure may have dull headaches, dizzy spells or a few more nosebleeds than normal, these signs and symptoms typically don’t occur until high blood pressure has reached an advanced — even life-threatening — stage.

When to see a doctor
Unless you have symptoms of extremely high blood pressure, there’s probably no need to make a special trip to the doctor to have your blood pressure checked. You’ll likely have your blood pressure taken as part of a routine doctor’s appointment.

Ask your doctor for a blood pressure reading at least every two years starting at age 20. He or she will likely recommend more frequent readings if you’ve already been diagnosed with high blood pressure, prehypertension or other risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Children age 3 and older will usually have their blood pressure measured as a part of their yearly checkups.

If you don’t regularly see your doctor, but are concerned about your blood pressure, you may be able to get a free blood pressure screening at a health resource fair or other locations in your community. You can also find machines in drugstores that will measure your blood pressure for free, but these machines aren’t often calibrated and can give you inaccurate results. (Information retrieved from Mayo Clinic.com)