Heart Stroke Essay, Research Paper

How many times have you heard “An ounce of Prevention is worth a pound of cure”? I am going to tell you just how an ounce of prevention could save the quality of your life. Don’t do this for me. “ Do it for the loved ones in our life.” I am not usually a caregiver; recently I read a magazine called Stroke Connection it dealt with a complex disease process that interacts with other processes producing devastating consequences.

Hypertension (high blood pressure): also known as the silent killer. Hypertension is noted as the number one killer of middle aged Americans: it is defined as blood pressure equal to or higher than 140/90mm. There are normally no prolong symptoms associated with this killer of over 200,000 people . It is projected 50 million Americans have high blood pressure and is walking around not knowing it. The symptoms that do occur; often not, include headache, chest pain, and shortness of breath. This sounds like any of us on a tiring busy day. Prolong effects of high blood pressure includes stroke, heart disease and certain immune deficiencies. The only way to know whether you have hypertension is to get your blood pressure checked regularly. This means more than once for a health exam. While doctors and researchers do not know exactly what causes this condition, they do know how to manage it:

1. Modify your life style.

2. Reduce salt intake.

3. Keep your weight within a normal range.

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4. Exercise at least three times a week with 45-minute workouts.

Consider your family history, risk factors increase with age. Certain nationalities such as Hispanic, African-American and Native American races run higher risks than other nationalities. High blood pressure also increases if you are obese.

Now is the time for you to start taking better care of your health, get a physical and take charge of your future. Remember that by increasing exercise and limiting salt intake could prevent future health complications. If you are now suffering from any of the above symptoms please contact a health official and get an examination.