Homeostatic Imbalances Essay Example for Free

Homeostatic Imbalances Essay High blood pressure (HBP) is a serious condition that can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and other health problems. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood. If this pressure rises and stays high over time, it can damage the body in many ways. Overview The condition itself usually has no signs or symptoms. You can have it for years without knowing it. During this time, though, HBP can damage your heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other parts of your body. Knowing your blood pressure numbers is important, even when youre feeling fine. If your blood pressure is normal, you can work with your health care team to keep it that way. If your blood pressure is too high, treatment may help prevent damage to your bodys organs. Blood Pressure Numbers Blood pressure is measured as systolic (sis-TOL-ik) and diastolic (di-ah-STOL-ik) pressures. Systolic refers to blood pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood. Diastolic refers to blood pressure when the heart is at rest between beats. You most often will see blood pressure numbers written with the systolic number above or before the diastolic number, such as 120/80 mmHg. (The mmHg is millimeters of mercury—the units used to measure blood pressure. ) Blood pressure doesnt stay the same all the time. It lowers as you sleep and rises when you wake up. Blood pressure also rises when youre excited, nervous, or active. If your numbers stay above normal most of the time, youre at risk for health problems. The risk grows as blood pressure numbers rise. Prehypertension means you may end up with HBP, unless you take steps to prevent it. If youre being treated for HBP and have repeat readings in the normal range, your blood pressure is under control. However, you still have the condition. You should see your doctor and follow your treatment plan to keep your blood pressure under control. What is diabetes? Diabetes is the condition in which the body does not properly process food for use as energy. Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, or sugar, for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you have diabetes, your body either doesnt make enough insulin or cant use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes sugars to build up in your blood. This is why many people refer to diabetes as â€Å"sugar. † Diabetes can cause serious health complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. What are the types of diabetes?