Heart Wellness

High blood pressure, or hypertension, was long thought to be an adult problem, with the incidence increasing among older age groups. However, with an increasing number of children now suffering from hypertension a great deal of importance is being paid to this issue – some studies indicate that up to 6% of teenagers and 1% of children below the age of 12 suffer from this problem. Identifying the causes of hypertension in children has become a priority health matter. The definition of hypertension in children is defined as having blood pressure that is higher than 95% of the children of the same age group, race and gender. read more..

Before any attempt is made to answer this question, it is important that the meaning of diastolic hypertension be understood. When the ideal blood pressure for an adult is defined as 120/80, the figure 120 refers to the pressure exerted against the wall of the blood vessels when the heart is squeezing the blood out – or pumping it. This is called systolic pressure. The 80 is the pressure on the walls when the heart is in its relaxed state between squeezing actions- diastolic pressure. In other words diastolic blood pressure is the lowest pressure of the blood, when the heart is at rest. Any increase in either the systolic or diastolic pressure indicates that the flow of blood is not proper and is a sign of more serious problems that have to be treated. read more..

Portal hypertension is often misunderstood by the layman, so before any examination of the causes of portal hypertension can be done, it is essential that the nature of the problem be clearly understood. Hypertension refers generically to an increase in blood pressure to levels that are unhealthy and, in serious cases, dangerous and life threatening. Portal hypertension affects the flow of blood, and consequently the blood pressure, in a system of veins that come from the pancreas, intestine, spleen and stomach and join to form the large portal vein. This portal vein then divides into smaller veins that run through the liver. Any blockage in the blood vessels running through the liver restricts the flow up blood and pushes up the blood pressure. read more..

Before we look at the causes of pulmonary hypertension, we need to understand what exactly the problem is. Pulmonary hypertension is a form of the disease that affects the pulmonary arteries of the body. These pulmonary arteries are the ones which carry blood from the heart to the lungs to be replenished with oxygen. The pressure in the pulmonary arteries is normally lower than that which is found in other parts of the circulatory system. When the pressure in the pulmonary arteries becomes elevated, it is referred to as pulmonary hypertension. As in the case of other forms of this disease, medical science is still unsure about the exact causes of pulmonary and various other types of hypertension, including the causes of portal hypertension. That is why pulmonary hypertension has been divided into two categories – primary, which is not caused by any other disease and secondary which is the result of another underlying condition. It is secondary hypertension that is the most common. The causes of secondary pulmonary hypertension are many. read more..