Most diabetics do not know what causes high blood pressure. Diabetes is very closely linked to high
blood pressure – a condition also known as hypertension. It is
estimated that about 75% of adults that have diabetes also have high
blood pressure and that a person with diabetes is about twice as likely
to get high blood pressure than someone without diabetes.

High blood pressure occurs when arteries become filled with sticky deposits like cholesterol. Cholesterol build up in the arteries decreasing the passageway through which
blood can flow. As the passage gets smaller, the heart has to pump
harder to push blood through the smaller openings of the arteries, which increases blood
pressure.

It may help to think of high blood pressure by thinking of your
arteries as a garden hose. If the garden hose becomes filled with sticky dirt,
it is more difficult for water to flow through the hose. The pressure ahead of the blockage
within the hose increase. However, the pressure Past the blockage is a lot lower and so is the blow of water. So, in a human system the heart feels the pressure resistance, but the blood takes a long time to get to the feet  

As such, high blood pressure often leads to poor blood circulation, slow healing, and
swelling. Additionally, when a person has high blood pressure, he or
she is four times as likely to develop heart disease and has an
increased chance of having a stroke. A stroke happens when a part of the brain does not get enough blood to feed and keep those cells alive.

The most common way to get a blood pressure reading is through the
use of a cuff or a canvas band that fits around an arm or a leg. The
device measures systolic (si-stol-ik) and diastolic (dahy-uh-stol-ik)
pressure by pumping air into the cuff until the cuff is snug around the
arm or leg.

Systolic pressure is the pressure inside of the artery that builds
every time the heart contracts to push blood through the arteries. The
diastolic pressure is measured when the heart is resting (after each
beat) and filling with blood. When your blood pressure is read, the
systolic number is always on the top (the larger number) and the
diastolic number is always on the bottom (the smaller number).

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) as of 2003:

Hypertension is characterized by headaches, dizziness and blurred
vision. Because these symptoms are also associated with other
conditions, they can be hard to identify as symptoms of high blood
pressure. Therefore, it is important to get a regular blood pressure
check from your doctor.

• Kidney Damage – The very small
  arteries in the kidneys are damaged reducing the removal of waste and
  toxins from the blood. The waste begin to poison the blood, and the rest
  of the body. Finally, this leads to kidney failure and dialysis or
  kidney transplantation or death.
• Heart Disease – Poor blood flow
  leads to overworking of the heart.  This leads to:
• Chest
  pain (angina)
• Irregular heart rhythm (arrythmia)
• Heart
  Attack – Can’t catch your breath, and other symptoms.
• Loss of Vision – Blurred vision
  begins, get worse, leads to blindness. Damage to small blood vessels and
  pressure inside the eyes.
• Blood
  Vessel Damage – High blood sugar cause scaring in the lining of
  blood vessels, this leads to stiffening (arteriosclerosis) and blockage
  (atherosclerosis) of arteries. These damages bring about more damage
  such as:

• Mini-strokes – Brief lapse of mental
  function.  This is an early warning that a major stroke is possible.
• Major
  Stroke – Brain cell death and loss of mental and physical function.
• Aneurysm
  – A bulge in a brain artery that burst causing life-threatening bleeding in the brain.
• Dementia
  – Impaired thinking, speaking, reasoning, memory, vision, movement – Caused by stroke and blocked blood flow.
• Mild Cognitive
  Impairment – Can’t think clearly.
• Seizure
  in Pregnant Women –
• Aortic Aneurysm – A weakening in
  the wall of the aortic artery that lead to a bulge and if untreated a
  burst and death.

The
Type 1 diabetic must use enough insulin to take the right amount
of sugar from the bloodstream to convert to energy, and cell building
material. They must also be very focused on their nutrition and levels
of exercise.

Hypertension is a common condition amongst Diabetics. However, there
are some lifestyle changes that you can make in order to reduce your
chances of getting high blood pressure:

• minimize salt consumption
• find methods of reducing stress
• stretch
• exercise regularly
• lose weight
• avoid consuming large amounts of alcohol
• don’t smoke
• get regular blood pressure check-ups

If you think that you have hypertension, consult your physician
immediately. Addressing hypertension early is the best way to avoid the
health risks that are often associated with the condition.

Get to Know Your Heart Rate