Like a lot of other people, I had heard of high blood pressure but I never thought of it as being a big concern. My first introduction to high blood pressure was when I found out that my mother had it. I remembered my instructor explaining the I-Search Paper to the class, and she said that it had to be related to us or related to someone that we knew. I recalled sitting in class undecided about what topic I would search. As I looked around I noticed that most of the students in class already had their topic or at least an idea, but me I was still clueless. The following day when class began I became excited when the words high blood pressure came to mind. I thought to myself that high blood pressure would be the perfect topic. I knew that more blacks than whites had high blood pressure but I did not know why. I also knew that not only older but younger people have high blood pressure. Knowing that my knowledge about high blood pressure was superficial, I wanted to know more in depth about it.
I am assuming the above is simply your note to me.
Because my mother is afflicted with high blood pressure, also know as the silent killer, I decided to learn more about this ugly and deadly disease. I wanted to how I could avoid getting high blood pressure. Therefore I decided to interview my mother as a first step to learn more about the disease. I wanted to get her perspective of high blood pressure. I began by asking my first question: How did you learn that you had high blood pressure? "When I was pregnant with my second child," she replied. She explained that had gone to the doctor for prenatal care when the doctor suspected she had the disorder.
I cleaned up your first paragraph.
[After collecting my sources from the Internet and Nursing 2002 magazine, I was ready to begin my I-Search. I learned and searched what the experts had to say about the difference between high blood pressure and normal blood pressure. ..don't think you need to say what you did every step. Just go ahead and provide us with information.] [A medical doctor] Chua tells us that high blood pressure/hypertension is a condition that keeps the blood pressure elevated above normal Normal blood pressure ranges from 100/140 over 60/90, written or recorded as 100/60 to 140/90. Systolic is the top number and diastolic is the bottom number(N.page). Chua defines systolic pressure as the force of the flow of blood traveling through the arties pipe and diastolic pressure as the force exerted by the blood against the inside wall of the artery (N.page).[1] High blood pressure for those without diabetes is XXX/XXXX and Woods[doctor?] wrote that high blood pressure for those with diabetes 130/85(N.page). [-->Keane[doctor?] put it this way, "think of your arties as a garden hose. When water comes out of the end it only reaches an inch or two then drops to the ground. The bush at the end of the garden didn't get watered; therefore you will have to add a nozzle to make the water shoot out the end easier, so it will reach the bush at the end of the garden" (N.page). I fail to see the link between the garden hose and the nozzle and my veins.]
Chua tells us that primary and secondary hypertension is he most common high blood pressure condition.[You lose us here] He said that despite primary hypertension/essentially hypertensive has no known cause, but heredity is believed to be its origin. Anne Montague writes that four in ten men and women have hypertension, but approximately eighty percent of them are not being treated (Interests). Graham Gregor says that high blood pressure is one of the biggest causes of preventable death, in the UK. Gregor also writes that a ten year study shows that are overweight are more likely to have high blood pressure. Gregor also writes that African Americans are more vulnerable to hypertension. Research suggests that they are more sensitive to salt in diet and have a higher risk of stroke.
One website (NameThatWebSite.com) writes that fifty million American adults, especially African Americans tend to develop the disease earlier and more than whites. Obesity, eating too much salt, alcohol, lack of exercise, and stress are controllable risk factors. Race, heredity, and age or uncontrollable risk factors.("Health Beat"). Furthermore Chua tells us that secondary hypertension is caused by certain condition or disease like bilateral kidney disease, excessive alcohol intake, and ingestion of contraceptives. [He is quick to not forget...don't understand this], white coat hypertension, a condition that cause a person blood pressure to rise in the presence of the doctor, but return to normal when the doctor is absent (N.page)
[Now that I have learned what high blood pressure is, Chua answers my next question.Delete the prior sentence.] Once a person is diagnosed as hypertensive will he always be diagnosed hypertensive? He answers yes, even when the blood pressure is normal range. He adds that some people have symptoms such as headache, short tempered, being flushed, nervousness, irritability, impatience, and a feeling of wanting to explode. Then he adds not everybody that has high blood pressure show symptoms and that is why it is called the "Silent Killer"(N.page). According to sterbaf [???], an estimated 65 million adults age 18 and older in the USA have high blood pressure compared with 50 million reported in a 1995 study that looked at survey data from 1998 to 1994 (N.page). Then Carrol tells about an 8 year old girl who is being prescribe blood pressure medication. This is disturbing because most people think of high blood pressure as a disorder of adults (page5).
This is when Chua tells us how a person can live normally with high blood pressure. He mentions current day treatment such as: antihypertensive pills, low salt and low-fat diet, exercise, and no smoking, one can live a normal life (N.page). Woods suggest some food choices- cut fat and cholesterol by choosing chicken and turkey without the skin, well trimmed pork, most fish, no shellfish, us whipped margarine, and olive oil and vegetable oil usually work better when used ins small amounts. She also tells us to avoid excess salt, take your medication, if needed loose weight, and if you drink alcohol limit the amount to one or two drinks. (pge54-55). [2]
After researching my topic, I have no doubt in my mind that I will reduce my salt intake and exercise more. I feel very informed after researching high blood pressure. I found information not only helpful to me but also to other people. I think the worst act that a person could do is to not take medication. Skipping proper medication can be deadly. But the most important thing I discovered is that anyone can live a normal and healthy life.
P.S. I know that I might have some miss spelled words but I was tired as I was typing this. So if you don't mind could you read my I-search paper and let me know how it sounds. By the way I attend a junior college and I am from Mississippi as you probably can tell. THANKS A MILLION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Notes:
[1] Your description of blood pressure numbers appears incorrect.
"Chua defines systolic pressure as the force of the flow of blood traveling through the arties pipe and diastolic pressure as the force exerted by the blood against the inside wall of the artery (N.page)."
The pressure travelling through a pipe and against the walls of the pipe should be the same? For example, the pressure of water in a pipe is 15 psi and that pressure acts in all directions? In any event, I found your definition hard to understand. Look at the link I provided below. I think it gives a better definition. It has to do with what the heart is doing.
http://health.rutgers.edu/factsheets/bloodpressure.htm
A blood pressure reading indicates the force of blood during two different events in the circulatory system:
1. When the large chambers of the heart contract (the systolic reading), and...
2. When the chambers relax between the contractions (the diastolic reading).
[2] I would rewrite that paragraph. Rather than saying Chau tells us blah blah blah, rewrite it as....
"Once a person has been diagnosed with high blood pressure, he needs to do take antihypertensive pills, have a low salt diet...."
This essay is a thousand times better than your previous effort. You can still improve it. Don't give us step by step things you did to learn. Put the things in your own words. We did this in note [2] above. Also, don't say, Joe said....Sally said....Jack said.... Just tell us in your own words.
Again, much better, but still some room for improvement.
Please just use ONE THREAD. DO NOT create separate threads every time you enter a note. Thank you!
MountainHiker
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