Better Health Centre |+| High Blood Pressure in Children

Parents…do you know about High Blood Pressure in Children?

Are you a parent?

If so…here’s something you must know to protect your kids!

The sudden rise in children suffering from hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is causing world wide concern in parents, as well as medical professionals. 

It is vitally important that blood pressure be better monitored in children, especially since the complications from hypertension can cause stroke or heart attack in their future.

Blood pressure in children is measured the same way as it is measured in adults, by using a sphygmomanometer. This instrument measures blood pressure in milliliters of mercury. However, when taking the blood pressure of a child, caution should be used. Many factors can cause variations in readings on children.

A major problem with blood pressure assessment in children is that children can get excited very easily. This excitement can cause variations in their blood pressure readings. So it is extremely important to ensure the child is not in an excited state when going to the doctor to have their blood pressure taken as you need to be able to accurately assess the true blood pressure range.

In the event that your child has developed high blood pressure, specific questions need to be asked of your child by a doctor. 

Some of these questions may include:

• How long has the blood pressure in the child been elevated?
• Are there any other noticeable symptoms of hypertension?
• Any known factors that could have attributed to the elevated blood pressure?

When compared to cases of adult hypertension, high blood pressure in children is not always noticeable until there is some sort of organ damage or dysfunction.

Consequently, it may take some time before affected children get the medical treatment they may desperately need. This causes organ damage in children with high blood pressure, something that could have otherwise been avoided with treatment or preventative care. If organ damage is present, blood pressure in children may also be harder to monitor.

In the United States, many of the contributing factors in the rise of high blood in children can be blamed on everyday lifestyles. In the US, fast food culture is so prevalent, and many American children are grossly over weight. Diets have become poor, and full of saturated fat and cholesterol, while fewer children get regular daily exercise.

It is very important to monitor your child's diet, and see to it that they get regular exercise as opposed to playing video games, computer games, or watching hour upon hour of television. If un-diagnosed in children, high blood pressure can cause them severe health problems in the future, including cardiovascular issues such as heart attack.

So to all responsible parents…don’t wait a moment longer…protect your most loved possession and find out right now…what are your kids blood pressure readings?