General

This is what hypertension?

The pressure ruling in the arteries and the result of an interplay of cardiac activity and blood vessels is blood pressure. Two values which correspond to pulling together (systole) and tiring (diastole) the heart have to be distinguished at the blood pressure. One therefore talks about the systolic (upper) and diastolic (lower) pressure.

The blood circulation has the important task of permanently providing all organs (e.g. heart, brain, kidneys, liver etc.) and tissues (e.g. musculature, skin etc.) with blood. The heart is for this of greatest importance because it keeps the blood in motion as a pump. To this end the heart usually works in a regular rhythm of 60-80 beats per minute. At every beat at first the heart contracts (systole) and the blood presses into the blood circulation. Then the heart extends and fills so with blood (diastole) which is cast again at the following beat. This blood flows arteries (arteries) branching of the heart through themselves into the organs and tissues. There the blood vessels get gradually so fine that they offer a considerable resistance to the bloodstream so that the blood can only flow through them under a high pressure.

For this reason the heart permanently must build up a "blood pressure" which must be available then, too, if the heart fills in the diastole and doesn't cast any blood. However, the heart alone cannot ensure the necessary constant blood pressure. Because the veins would be rigid tubes, such as a water pipe, the blood pressure would suddenly increase with every beat (in the systole) and fall on a zero value, when the heart relaxes (in the diastole). The blood would so move jerkily forward and not flow uniformly like in the blood circulation.

For the blood pressure another device is therefore required and this is the elasticity of the body aorta (aorta). Further it takes a large set of the blood from the heart first and there is due to its elastic wall structure also during the renewed heart filling to the organs and tissues. So it never comes to a complete waste of the blood pressure on zero. It is but depending on whether the heart pulls together or tires itself the pressure in the arteries higher (a systolic pressure =) or low (a diastolic pressure =) lie. Every single blood expulsion increases the blood pressure repeatedly so that we can feel it as a "pulse" in typical places, like wrist or carotid artery. The pulsating blood pressure changes often into dependence of numerous factors, such as posture (lying or standing), respiration, spiritual or physical strain, sleep or excitement, in the course of the day and the night.

The lowest blood pressure values are usually found in the sleep while high till occasionally very high values can appear then if one is irritated or makes an effort physically. The temporary rise of the blood pressure is something quite natural in these cases. Quickly, he sinks again as soon as efforts, stress or other loads are over. Such fluctuations of the blood pressure are, however be able to be excessively strong increases by physical or spiritual efforts harbingers of a too high blood pressure, a normal process.


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