The diastolic is the second number in a blood pressure reading. In normal blood pressure readings of 120/80, 120 is the systolic and 80 is the diastolic. Medical practitioners put more emphasis on the lowering the diastolic blood pressure as it is believed to cause more damage.
Diastolic pressure indicates the pressure in the heart at the point of relaxation or when there are no contractions. High blood pressures are usually caused by stiffening or narrowing of the main arteries in the heart. It can be a result of aging or it can be brought on by disease processes
Causes And Symptoms Of High Diastolic Blood Pressure
Causes of high blood pressure include:
- Aging – the muscles of the heart can stiffen as a person ages
- Lifestyle – drinking and smoking can affect the diastolic
- Hyperlipidemia – high levels of cholesterol in the blood
- Coronary Artery Disease of Coronary Heart Disease
- Aortic Stenosis – the narrowing of the walls of the aorta
- Hyperthrophic Cardiomyopathy – an enlargement of the heart
- Pericardial Diseases
- Obesity
High diastolic blood pressure symptoms
Hypertension can be asymptomatic and in most people below 50, it is.
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Nausea
- Flushing
- General feeling of not being well
Treatment Of Diastolic Hypertension
Some of the most common treatment methods for high diastolic pressure include:
- Blood pressure medication – beta blockers or calcium channel blockers are usually prescribed
- Diet changes – low salt and low fat diets have been shown to help lower blood pressure since salt can increase fluid retention and fat can affect cholesterol levels
- Exercise – many patients see a lot of improvement in their diastolic blood pressure with exercise.
- Weight Loss – obese patients with hypertension see improvements with their readings with even just a 10 pound weight loss.
- Lifestyle changes – quitting smoking and giving up alcohol can help improve blood pressure readings.