The Problem of Blood Pressure in the Elderly

Atrayee De
March 02, 2017
Views : 11086
The Problem of Blood Pressure in the Elderly

The problem of pressure has become very common these days, with the advent of technologies our lives have been affected in both good and bad ways. When talking about the good things we have, machines, devices, while seeing the negative side we see, increasing tension for various factors, increase in competition, which all result in the hampering of our health. Now the problem of blood pressure is common when we start growing older. For instance a baby will not have so much stress as compared to a middle age man, and the process of degeneration of health continues, since middle age till our old age. Now when speaking of old age the probabilities of increasing threat to life is higher because of the problem of pressure lets understand the problem more elaborately and then look for the remedy for the same.

Blood Pressure

The Blood pressure is the measure of the force of blood by pushing against the blood vessel walls. The heart pumps blood into the arteries (blood vessels), which carries this blood throughout the body. The high blood pressure, also called as hypertension, is considered to be quite dangerous because it makes the heart work harder to pump the blood out to the body and also contributes to the hardening of the arteries, or the atherosclerosis, to stroke, then kidney disease, and also leads to the development of heart failure.

"Normal" Blood Pressure

A blood pressure reading has a top number (systolic) and also a bottom number (diastolic). The ranges are:

  • Normal: Less than 120 and over 80 (120/80)
  • Prehypertension: 120-139 and over 80-89
  • Stage 1 high blood pressure: 140-159 and over 90-99
  • Stage 2 high blood pressure: 160 and above and over 100 and above
  • High blood pressure in people over age 60: 150 and above and over 90 and above

People whose blood pressure is above the normal range should consult their respective doctors about the steps to take to lower it.

High Blood Pressure

A blood pressure of the range of 140/90 mmHg or higher for your elderly parent is considered to be high blood pressure. Both the numbers are important. If one or even both numbers are seen as high, your aging parent has the chances of developing the problem of high blood pressure. If your elderly parents is being treated for the high blood pressure and have repeated readings in the normal range, he/she has the high blood pressure.

Causes of the High Blood Pressure

The exact causes of the high blood pressure are not known, but there are however several factors and conditions which may play a role in its development, including:

  • Too much alcohol consumption that is to say , more than 1 to 2 drinks per day
  • Stress
  • Older age
  • Genetics
  • Smoking
  • Being overweight or even obese
  • Lack of the physical activity
  • Too much salt in the diet
  • Family history of the high blood pressure
  • Chronic kidney diseases
  • Adrenal and the thyroid disorders
  • Sleep apnea

Complications of High Blood Pressure

When the high blood pressure is not found and treated, it can cause:

  • The heart to get a lot larger, which may lead to the heart failure.
  • Small bulges (aneurysms) to form in the blood vessels. Common locations are the main artery from the heart (aorta); arteries in the brain area, legs, and the intestines; and the artery leading to the spleen.
  • Blood vessels in the kidney to narrow down, which may cause kidney failure.
  • Arteries throughout the body to actually "harden" faster, especially those in the heart, the brain, kidneys, and the legs. This can cause a series of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, or amputation of part of the leg.
  • The blood vessels in the eyes to burst or even bleed, which may cause the vision changes and can also result in blindness.

Who Is More Likely to Develop High Blood Pressure?

  • People with the family members who have the high blood pressure
  • The Smokers
  • Pregnant women have a greater tendency to develop it
  • Women who take the birth control pills
  • People over the age of 35
  • People who are quite overweight or obese
  • People who are not so active
  • People who drink alcohol regularly and excessively
  • People who eat too many fatty foods or the foods with too much salt
  • People who have the sleep apnea

Managing the High Blood Pressure or Hypertension

Many doctors feel that the managing of the high Blood Pressure or hypertension is not at all difficult. We all know that the culprit is the modern day daily lifestyle. While we cannot go back and live in the ancient Stone Age, we can take some active steps that can help us bring closer to the nature and farther from the modern lifestyle. The good part is that by reversing these lifestyle changes, one can actually control one's own blood pressure. Here are some of the changes which you can make:

  • Start walking daily for around 40-45 minutes.
  • Drink a lot of water, about 8 glasses per day.
  • Cut down on the intake of salty or fried salty food.
  • Junk food and processed foods should be avoided.
  • One should take the raw vegetables and fruits daily.
  • Yoga and pranayama's are very effective in bringing the blood pressure levels to normal.

Homeopathic remedies for High Blood Pressure or High BP or Hypertension

  • In the homeopathic system, the medicines do not actually have an immediate palliative effect. They take some time to get to the body and the various systems back into the right shape. This is because the stress is on getting to the root of the problem and curbing it.
  • Homeopathy does not work in a superficial manner.
  • It just does not aim at the alleviating the individual symptoms
  • On the contrary, the effort is to get the body, the various lost systems and the immunity back to the very natural and efficient self.
  • Once that occurs, the body and its own innate defense systems are able to get everything quite under control.
  • This can then allow you to leave a medicine free life.
  • Here are a list of 5 of the most recommended natural Homeopathic medicines for the high blood pressure treatment.

Homeopathic medicines for high blood pressure

The medicines being mentioned in the list are tried and also tested ones. They have their own indications and can work only when the symptoms match or are identical. It requires the expertise of a diligent and the experienced Homeopathic doctor to understand the requirement of each individual patient and then prescribe the most suitable homeopathic remedy for high blood pressure. Therefore, the self-medication should not be resorted to. These medicines are enlisted below:

This is by no means an exhaustive list covering all the types of cases of high blood pressure. In chronic cases, one has to look at various things before prescribing a medicine. In many cases, other medicines are also required depending upon the symptoms of the patient. It is best that such medicines be taken under the supervision of an expert homeopath.

Also, the effect of the medicines may vary from the patient to the other patient depending upon the severity and the chronicity of the condition. In patients who have been taking the allopathic medicines for years, one needs to take a slightly different approach.

In the initial stages of the treatment of such cases, the allopathic medicines are also continued along with the homeopathic medicines. Once the effect of the homeopathic medicines starts showing, the allopathic medicines are then tapered off.

Low Blood Pressure

The low blood pressure is an abnormal condition where a person's blood pressure that is the pressure of the blood against the walls of the blood vessels during and after each beat of the heart is much lower than it is usually, which can cause symptoms such as the dizziness or vertigo. When the blood pressure is too low, there is an inadequate blood flow to:

  • the heart,
  • brain, and
  • Other vital organs.

A blood pressure level that is considered as borderline low for one person may be considered to be as normal for another. The most important factor is that how the blood pressure changes from the normal condition. Most normal blood pressures for individuals fall in the range of around 90/60 mm Hg to 130/80 mm Hg, but a significant change, even say by as little as 20 mm Hg, can cause for some people a lot of troubles or problems.

Causes Low Blood Pressure

The cause of the low blood pressure isn't always clear. It may be associated with the following:

  • The hormonal problems such as :
  • Some over-the-counter medications
  • Some prescription medicines such as for :
    • high blood pressure,
    • depression or
    • Parkinson's disease
  • Heart failure
  • The heart arrhythmias or the abnormal heart rhythms
  • Widening, or
  • dilation, of the blood vessels
  • Pregnancy
  • Heat exhaustion or heat stroke
  • Liver disease

Causes for a Sudden Drop in Blood Pressure

Sudden drops in blood pressure can be extremely dangerous and also life-threatening.

Causes of this type of hypotension include:

  • Loss of blood from excessive bleeding
  • Heart muscle disease causing the heart failure
  • Sepsis, which is a severe blood infection
  • Severe dehydration from the following :
    • vomiting,
    • diarrhea, or
    • fever
  • A reaction to medication or to alcohol
  • A severe allergic reaction, called the anaphylaxis
  • Low body temperature or
  • High body temperature

Postural Hypotension

Postural hypotension, which is the low blood pressure when standing up suddenly, can happen to anyone for a variety of reasons, such as:

  • dehydration,
  • lack of food, or
  • being overly fatigued.
  • it can also be influenced by genetic make-up,
  • aging,
  • medication,
  • dietary,
  • psychological factors,
  • acute triggers, such as - infection and allergy.

The Postural hypotension occurs most frequently in people who are taking drugs to control the high blood pressure (hypertension). It can also be related to:

  • pregnancy,
  • strong emotions,
  • hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), or
  • diabetes.
  • the elderly are particularly affected, especially those who have high blood pressure or autonomic nervous system dysfunction.

The Hypotension after meals is a common cause of dizziness and falls after eating. This is most common after the large meals containing a lot of carbohydrates. It's believed to be caused by blood pooling into the vessels of the stomach and the intestines.

Several drugs are commonly associated with the postural hypotension. These medications can be divided into two major categories:

Common causes of naturally occurring postural hypotension include:

  • Dehydration and the electrolyte loss, which may result from the - diarrhea, vomiting, excessive blood loss during the menstruation, or other conditions
  • Age-associated decline in the blood pressure regulation, which may be worsened by certain health conditions or even medications

Certain diseases can also cause postural hypotension. These include:

Recommended homeopathic medicines for low blood pressure:

The most effective homeopathic medicines for low blood pressure are:

Gelsemium is opted when there is a vertigo, dizziness and also light headedness is marked on account of the low blood pressure. China is highly beneficial for the low blood pressure from dehydration after the diarrhea and from the blood loss. And last two homeopathic medicines Naja and Viscum Album are an excellent choice when there is valvular heart lesions leading to the low blood pressure.

Remember that the problem of blood pressure can even be life threatening if you don't really take good care of yourself or your parents or near and dear ones, always lead a healthier life, exercise, and show a doctor if your see your conditions worsening or that of your parents or near and dear ones. It is always a good idea to get blood tests done after 6 months to be sure that everything is under control and you are good to go

Atrayee De

Atrayee De

Hello everyone, I am a law student, I love reading, researching and singing. Apart from these I also love to dress up, and stay updated with the on going fashion and beauty trends of the glamour industry!

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