High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is seen as a silent killer. I am going to sound a bit paranoid in describing this, but it's a chance to share my feelings. Maybe those of you who have blood pressure issues can relate to what I am about to type here. So let me chat on this issue.






^ from: highdiastolicbloodpressure.com - What will the results of a blood pressure checkup read? You may need to make some changes to your lifestyle and/or eating habits if it's on the high side.

Confusion and Uncertainty.

Maybe my biggest issue is that it seems like almost anything seems to affect you with high blood pressure. So many things can contribute to it (like lack of exercise, overweight, and even race among others), and so many other things can help you lower it (like relaxation techniques, exercise, healthier eating, etc.). One such factor is weight and exercise. Sometimes, I don't feel motivated or really ready to exercise, even when I try to do exercise. I've taken up on doing more exercise, especially with a medicine ball. I've found some exercises from menshealth.com that I've done previously with a cheap basketball. Since using the 8-pound weighted ball, performing those exercise is much more strenuous. I sometimes fear that I am not exercising enough and often (I try to get in exercises as my out-of-shape form will allow). Another thing about those exercises- the exercise circuit from that site recommend you do 20 reps of these 10 exercises. I usually have the endurance to do 10 reps of each exercise. I have the endurance to do only one set of the exercises [that I can do]. I also fear my eating habits. I've started eating some more fruits (like bananas and strawberries). I am overweight for my size, but I'm not obese. An aspect of exercise is time. I don't have the endurance to do a half-hour or even an hour of exercise each day or regularly. At best, I can probably get a total of about 10 to 15 minutes total in a day. Usually, I get in exercise in 5-minute intervals. I certainly can't do continuous exercise without feeling like I'm about to break down.

I've had a potbelly all my life. It isn't like I have one that protrudes over my waistline and appears flabby. This only adds to my confusion over how exactly I should execute my plan to maintain a healthy weight. Also, I feel like I have to have a body like men in fitness product commercials to really feel happy, but I'm just not THERE.

Endless Resources, Extra Reading,... and More Uncertainty.

Then when reading various resources online, I've heard of how NFL great Joe Montana had high blood pressure. He didn't know he had blood pressure until he checked in with a doctor back in 2002. Joe Montana liked salty foods, fast food, and stuff like that. Some drastic changes were needed for his blood pressure to be on the healthy normal blood pressure range.

I do take medicine daily to lower my blood pressure. I guess what concerns me the most is I become fearful and panic too much about not doing enough to suppress high blood pressure. The feeling I face is like driving a car with some sort of internal issues. Something is wrong with the car; you just don't know what it is. And if you try to diagnose the problem, you end up with more questions than answers. I sometimes get to be more hungry and even sad when I still feel overweight. A lack of positive energy and motivation sometimes leads to extended dissatisfaction, and also assurance that the blood pressure will still be fairly high. Even feeling down on myself and not being happy and content only adds to high blood pressure.

Usually, the readings I have in checkups suggest maybe the top number between 140 to 145 during checkups and the bottom number around 90. The most confusing thing about health (news and such) is that you tend to believe almost anything based on research and on various studies. That's why I even eat some dark chocolate, because it treats blood pressure and can even help reduce weight. You still have to do some other things to really sense the benefits, though. It only makes trying to stay healthy that much more confusing. What REALLY works? Am I doing enough of something or not doing enough of something else? It is this sort of confusion that makes living and trying to live healthy be as much of a problem as trying to treat or cure a certain condition. If I feel too tired to exercise, I only feel that I am not doing enough or not enduring enough to treat my condition. Even more scary is the fact of knowing you have a health condition you may not even know you have. That fear even includes high blood pressure.





So the moral of this story is... even if you don't think you have high blood pressure, get a checkup. So many things help treat or add to high blood pressure. Considering the risks of high blood pressure, you may have a potentially dangerous condition and not even know it... until it's too late. Good news is that it can be treated and even prevented. My own confusion and fear and uncertainty only adds to not being able to treat my condition as best as I could. I don't feel the effects of any seriously high blood pressure (like kidney problems or headaches), but I do fear a lot of things in trying to treat my own situation. I still try to remain happy and positive each day, but the struggle in trying to treat this high blood pressure becomes an issue that I wish I could be free from.

I would probably also say that if there is a condition you think you can change and know you can change, just remain positive and stick to that goal (like losing weight).

Don't know how to get started reducing high blood pressure? Here are some online resources to help you understand high blood pressure:
* High Blood Pressure
* High blood pressure (HBP), blood pressure readings
* Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) Health Center – WebMD
* CDC - DHDSP - High Blood Pressure Home

Thank you for reading.