Table of ContentsTruths About Family HealthWhat Is High Blood Pressure?What Causes High Blood Pressure?How To Does high blood pressure harm the body? How to treat high blood pressure? How to prevent high blood pressure? I come from a large African-American family, one whose medical history I was unaware of until I was given this assignment. My family has a long history of diabetes, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and high blood pressure. High blood pressure seems to be the most common and recurring illness in my family. According to my great-aunt, my family does not have a great health record. Most of these illnesses go completely unnoticed. As a member of this family, I can vouch for everyone and say that we procrastinate for a very long time before having a doctor's visit. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Truths About Family Health The truth is in most cases, by the time my family members get to the doctor, it's practically too late. In the last year alone, my family has lost three members to illnesses caused by high blood pressure. My aunt Rose suffered from high blood pressure and developed congestive heart failure and died at the age of 49. My first cousin Jasmine had a heart attack when she was 27 years old. His heart attack was the result of years of untreated high blood pressure. My great-aunt Doris had a stroke that took her life because she suffered from atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a buildup of fat in the arteries, a disease resulting from high blood pressure. By conducting research on my family, I came to the conclusion that high blood pressure is more common among women in my family, although it affects one part. men too. I realize it's because the women in my family have always been seen as strong and independent, so they tend to try to handle things on their own. I also believe these things are ignored because women don't want to feel power-struck, because their pride is the one thing they value most as African American women. Knowing now what I didn't know before about my family's medical history with this condition, I plan to emphasize the idea of ​​not letting it go without evaluation. My mother's name is Audrean Ward. She also suffers from hypertension. My mother is 5'3 and weighs 145 pounds. She is 46 years old and has 4 children. She is also a single mother who has been working since she was 16 years old. She is a chronic cigarette smoker who has been actively smoking for over 20 years. My mother eats junk food and doesn't manage her diet regularly. My mother is receiving treatment for her high blood pressure and plans to find other ways to manage her condition. “People with a family history of high blood pressure share common environments and other potential factors that increase their risk. » (Center for Disease Control, 2014) Given my family history, I too am at risk for high blood pressure. I intend to do whatever it takes to reduce the risk of suffering from it. What is high blood pressure? High blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of blood vessels. High blood pressure (HBP) means that the pressure in the arteries is higher than it should be. Another name for hypertension.