This article shares some insights on the reasons behind high blood pressure in teenagers, that will help you maintain a healthy body which is essential during the constructive periods of your life.
The demanding life, its fast pace and the rising competition has taken its toll on everyone. Even youngsters are experiencing the adverse effects of this fast-paced life. It’s leading to stress and anxiety and frustration in those who are not being able to keep pace with life. This culminates into conditions like high blood pressure. Here we look at what causes this condition in teenagers.
What Causes High Blood Pressure in Teenagers?
Generally it is believed that academic stress is a culprit when it comes to teenagers suffering from high blood pressure. Other causes include:
Inappropriate Sleeping Patterns
Late night parties seem to have adverse effect on the overall health of teenagers. Many research studies have proved that lack of sleep along with inappropriate sleeping patterns are one of the high blood pressure causes. Some teenagers who work in the night shift too have the risk of high blood pressure. According to health experts, teenagers should sleep at least for eight hours everyday to maintain the blood pressure levels.
Obesity
The rate of obesity in teenagers is increasing at an alarming rate. Today’s teenagers are caught between consumer culture and materialistic lifestyle which is also sedentary. Obese people are more prone to high blood pressure. Instead of playing on the sports field, teenagers enjoy video games more which bloats them. Most of the health experts agree that teenagers need moderate amount of exercise and they should adopt an active lifestyle to keep high blood pressure and stress at bay.
Unhealthy Diet
Unhealthy diet not only adds some pounds but it is also one of the crucial causes of hypertension in teenagers. Teenagers are found to binge on junk or fast food which is high on unnecessary salts, sugars, and fats which increases the cholesterol levels in the body. As cholesterol is one of the causes of high blood pressure, teenagers need to follow a healthy and balanced diet.
Emotional Stress
Apart from academic stress, teenagers are getting affected by various social and family problems. Children are more sensitive and emotionally vulnerable at this age. Inability to cope with changing life situation can lead to mental and emotional stress. And this stress further contributes to high blood pressure. Many experts advice teenagers to perform relaxing exercises, such as meditation, to maintain emotional peace.
Heredity
Genetics is one of the causes of hypertension in teenagers. Teenagers with a history of high blood pressure are more susceptible to suffer from it. They are advised to visit the doctors for proper medication that helps in controlling blood pressure. They are also advised to check their blood pressure periodically.
The good news is that the high blood pressure can be prevented. By maintaining appropriate body weight, following a healthy diet, and exercising regularly, it is possible to reduce and control high blood pressure. Apart from this, teenagers should also avoid drinking and smoking. Following a healthy lifestyle is very important to have a sound body, mind, and soul, which determines the quality of one’s life.
Disclaimer: This HealthHearty article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.