5 Causes of High Blood Pressure You May Not Know

Most people are aware of the high risk factors for high blood pressure such as lack of physical activity, unhealthy foods, obesity, stress, smoking and alcohol abuse. However, there are also some lesser known factors that can predispose you to the disease.

Listed are 5 sneaky things that may be causing high blood pressure without you even knowing.

Eating Out

The American Journal of Hypertension recently published a study which linked high blood pressure with people who eat out too often. According to this research, young people who usually go to restaurants are at a higher risk of high blood pressure compared to those who prepared their own food at home. Some restaurant foods are known for their notoriously high salt and fat content, two ingredients which are bad for the heart.
If you dine out often, you must be careful about your meal choices so as to avoid high blood pressure.

Medications

Drug-induced hypertension is HBP that is triggered by the use of a chemical substance, drug or medication. While medicine is meant to heal and improve body health, some can also raise your blood pressure levels.
Corticosteroids – anti-inflammatory medicines which are meant for treating arthritis, asthma and a few other chronic conditions, when taken for a long time may cause or worsen high blood pressure since they restrict blood vessels. Similarly, migraine medications such as Midrin relieve pain by constricting blood vessels throughout the body. This, naturally, causes a rise in blood pressure.
People with cardiovascular conditions should always consult a doctor before buying any over the counter medications.

Lack Of Vitamin D

Over the years, high blood pressure statistics have shown that this condition increases in ethnic groups which are farther away from the equator. Vitamin D, which is made in the body when it is exposed to the sun, has long been suspected to be associated with HBP if it is not sufficient in the body. In 2002, the Journal of Clinical Investigation confirmed these suspicions when it published a detailed account of how Vitamin D lowers blood pressure.
Without enough Vitamin D in the body, a molecule called renin is made in excess quantities, causing the breakdown of angiotensinogen, another molecule, into angiotensin I. Angiotensin I is then converted into angiotensin II, which causes HBP. Vitamin D arrests this problem because it controls renin production, ultimately lowering blood pressure.

Primary Aldosteronism

Primary aldosteronism(PA) is a hormonal disorder which leads to hypertension. The adrenal glands secrete a number of important hormones, and one of them is called aldosterone. This hormone is responsible for balancing sodium and potassium in the blood. In primary aldosteronism, the adrenal glands produce abnormally high levels of aldosterone, causing the body to lose potassium and keep back sodium. The excess sodium holds onto water, leading to high blood volume and ultimately hypertension.
Since it is not very well known, patients with PA are usually subjected to taking the wrong medications for a long time. Early diagnosis of this condition is very important since the type of HBP associated with it carries a higher risk of stroke and heart disease. The advantage is this type of high blood pressure can be cured either through medications, surgery or lifestyle changes.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition in which some tissues found in the throat collapse when a person is sleeping, blocking the breathing passageways. When this happens, the brain awakens the individual, who then gulps for air so as to open the trachea once again. This usually happens many times in a single night, causing severe fatigue the following day due to lack of proper sleep. People who suffer from high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems such as heart failure and stroke usually have a high prevalence of sleep apnea.
Medical researchers do not know for sure whether sleep apnea is indeed responsible for high blood pressure, but what is clear is that people with this sleep disorder have a very high risk of developing hypertension later in life.