An Introduction to Seasonal Affective Disorder-SAD

Seasonal Affective Disorder (or S.A.D. for short) is a very real health condition that millions of people suffer from. The onset of S.A.D. typically occurs in the last few months of the year, when in the northern hemisphere days become shorter and nights longer. Shorter days mean less hours of light. Seasonal Affective Disorder, is so named because this shift to shorter days and longer nights is a seasonal change that occurs in winter, and this shift to lesser amounts of light each day interferes with the brains ability to control moods in those suffering from the disorder. Our brains, and especially the part of the brain responsible for moods, uses light, and hormones in the body to help in stabilizing our moods and the feelings we experience. For many, during the winter months when there are less hours of light, moods can become unstable, and depression and lethargy can set in. Although the brain can and does still manufacture the hormones that regulate moods, even with decreased amounts of available light for most of us, in some people, the brain is unable to do this when the amount of available light is low.This is more than just a case of the “blahs” which we can all get from time to time. Seasonal Affective Disorder, and the impact it can have on the individuals suffering from this disorder can be severe. It can limit a person from being able to find enjoyment out of previously enjoyed activities, or to function on a normal basis. It can even lead to major depression, suicidal thoughts, and other issues that often the individual will need to be hospitalized for in order to receive treatments to re-stabilize moods. You think that those who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder must suffer from mood and other emotional disorders year round. In actuality, most of the people with S.A.D. do not exhibit or report symptoms of mood and other emotional disorders at any other time of the year except in winter, functioning normally during spring, summer, and fall. In fact, there are people whose moods are affected by too much light. In contrast to S.A.D., which occurs in the winter, Reverse Season Affective Disorder occurs in summer months when we have longer hours of light, and the brain becomes overwhelmed by this longer lighting, and cannot function properly to regulate moods? You may want to research Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder further if you or someone you know experiences bouts of depression and loss of energy during summer months when most people are outdoors and active. Medications, and light therapy are the primarily prescribed methods for the treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder or S.A.D, though many other treatments can also be used, and most often are determined on the basis of response to the treatments being used, by the individual being treated. Seasonal Affective Disorder, impacts sufferers differently based on many factors, some of which are still not known. This makes it harder to diagnose and often harder to treat as well because one sufferer may find great relief from their symptoms with some medication and light therapy for example. Unfortunately, due to the varying degrees of the disorder and its coinciding variations in the degree of symptoms, not all those coping with S.A.D. are able to find relief from the symptoms of this disorder through traditional treatments like, light therapy. When those treatments don’t work, doctors and people trying to cope with the disorder themselves, seek alternative methods for treating the symptoms, some of which can be very debilitating to the sufferer. Alternative treatments such as Yoga are now being recommended more often for those that have not been able to find relief from their symptoms through medications and light therapy alone. Yoga is a form of exercise that considers the body to be comprised of three parts, mind, body, spirit, and Yoga exercises focus on strengthening all three components of the body to achieve the health and fitness it is believed cannot be achieved until or unless, all 3 parts of the body have been made whole, fit, and healthy. Still others with Seasonal Affective Disorder have turned to hypnotherapy as a means for treating the disorder, and some have found that it works for them. A certified hypnosis therapist leads a patient through a series of mental activities so that a person can become more aware of their individual perception style and how that can also affect the stability of their moods. They are then taught techniques for transforming, limiting or eliminating altogether, thinking behaviors that have been interfering not only with the stabilization of their moods, but in other areas of the individuals life. As the seasons change and winter arrives, if you find that you have felt depressed for more than two weeks, call your doctor and schedule an appointment to come in and discuss your symptoms and be examined by the doctor to determine if you are suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Depression Treatment Information You Need to Know

Major depression treatment almost always includes the use of anti depressant medication. However, people should know that this depression treatment does not cure depression. This depression treatment simply works by treating the depression symptoms. Once the depression treatment kicks in and symptoms are under control individuals with depression can begin the work of finding the root of what caused their depression. A great way to do this is through therapy. Depression treatment with medication does not always work with the first medication that is given. People will have different responses to different medications. There is no magical pill that works for everyone and for each level of depression. What is common about depression treatment that involves the use of medication is that it takes a few weeks for the medication o take effect. This means the person may not see immediate relief. This is important for people to understand or they may discontinue their depression treatment before it has had a chance to work. If after a few weeks you find that a particular medication is not bringing relief the doctor will either up the dosage or prescribe a different medication. This process can continue until the individual is matched with a medication that works. There is no way to know which depression treatment medication will work for an individual. It takes experimentation and a lot of patience on the patient’s end. It is important that patients work closely with their physicians until a medication match is found. Remember, using medication as a depression treatment means that moods and feelings will change slowly. However, some symptoms may lessen early on such as improvement in sleeping and eating. Patients who have no relief after taking a medication for six weeks are generally given another medication. How long a patient stays on a depression treatment medication will depend on the patient. Some patients only have to take a depression treatment for a few months. Other people may have to stay on some form of depression treatment indefinitely. Patients who have to stay on a depression treatment medication for a long time need to be matched with a medication that has little or no long term side effects. If you are experiencing depression and avoiding depression treatment you should be very careful. Depression can plunge you into a host of intense emotions. They can range from sadness, exhaustion, worthlessness, hopelessness and helplessness. Without depression treatment these negative thoughts can spiral out of control. Without depression treatment you may never be able to view life clearly again. You do not have to live with depression. Depression treatment is available. If you do not want to start out taking a depression treatment medication you may benefit from therapy alone. The first step is seeking help. Seeking help is sometimes hard when you are depressed. If this sounds like you, talk to a trusted friend or family member and see if they will help you find the depression treatment that you need.

New Healthy Chocolate That Could Change Your Life

There are times in life during which it seems that all of the planets are aligned perfectly which allows for positive circumstances to flow in our direction. Examples of this might be having good fortune in business, falling in love, or just a feeling of goodwill surrounding us. There has occurred in recent weeks the birth of a phenomenon that may be included with these types of advantageous events. It’s a new healthy chocolate that shifts moods, lifts energy and curbs appetites.Traditionally the words “healthy chocolate” seemed to be an oxymoron. There was then the proof that dark chocolate had an antioxidant power. There now exists a new product that can put you in a good mood, give you more energy, help satisfy your cravings, provide a very powerful combination of amino acids, vitamins and minerals great for your brain health and perhaps may be the best tasting chocolate you have ever had. This healthy chocolate, which can also be considered a “happy chocolate” was developed by Dr. Paul Anderson who has a history of helping people with non-drug and nutritional remedies for chronic pain and depression. He does not consider his product to be chocolate like the traditional dark chocolate in stores but rather “what this is is a dietary supplement. We’ve put amino acids and vitamins and minerals but we happen to put them into a chocolate and the reason we put them into a chocolate is chocolate potentiates or makes the nutrients work better.” In effect it’s about “turning on that brain, elevating that mood.”Another advantage that this new healthy chocolate has over the typical fat and sugar packed variety is that each piece has only 40 calories and contains little sugar. Also, the energy received from this new nutritional wonder is not the frantic kind as received from standard chocolate that lasts for a very limited time and leads to a crash into a sense of listlessness. The new variety can keep the mood elevated from 4 to 6 hours after each enjoyable consumption and its effect fades away gradually. In addition, there will be no craving to binge once your brain’s need for healthy brain chemicals or neurotransmitters has been satisfied. That means that only between 2 and 4 of these healthy chocolates will be necessary to keep the brain’s feel good system going during the day. Weakness for junk food sweets should become a thing of the past when the brain is not starving for the nutrients that it needs! Want to hear these words of advice and more from Dr. Anderson? Simply click on (or cut and paste) http://www.isadelight.com/video6.html and press “Click to Play”. Hear about the revolution that will make you healthy and happy as well as the only way that you can purchase the product.

Aromatherapy Massage

The practice of aromatherapy involves using essential oils from plants to heal the body, decrease pain and help keep one’s moods in check. It can help in decreasing depression, increase focus and provides a “pick me up.” Essential oils come from roots, flowers and plant extracts. Aromatherapy massage utilizes these essential oils for all of these benefits. They can also be used for other spa-like treatments, for example facials and hydrotherapy baths. To prepare essential oils for a aromatherapy massage, they should be combined with a carrier oil such as grapeseed or sweet almond oil. The oils that you use will depend on how you are feeling, what you are looking to accomplish or what ailment that you are trying to treat. If you are feeling sad, or stressed, lavender oil is a good essential oil to use. If you need to treat tired and sore muscles, then you may opt for peppermint oil. A massage therapist can mix up to five essential oils to create your massage oil. You want to make sure that you work with an aromatherapist who is qualified and that knows how to properly mix and use the massage oils so that you don’t suffer any skin irritations or other negative reactions. Many store brought products claim to use aromatherapy. However, it most cases, these include little more then perfumes and fragrances. These do not quality as aromatherapy. Real aromatherapy involves the use of essential oils, which most of these products do not contain. Instead, most of these use chemicals and not essential oils. So don’t be fooled. You won’t get the same benefits that essential oils provide. If you are interested in creating your own aromatherapy massage blend, you may want to try the following recipe. 8-10 drops of your favorite essential oil blend, or single essential oil1 ounce of carrier oil You will need to mix the oils. The mixture should be stored in a cobalt glass or amber bottle or container. You can use this blend whenever you get your next massage. An aromatherapy massage can be great way to relax and to relieve tired, sore muscles and a stressed out mind. If you plan on creating your own massage oil, be sure to mix your essential oil blend with a carrier oil so that you do not irritate the skin. You should not place essential oils directly into the skin without a carrier oil. Also, be sure to only use safe oils that will not negatively react to the skin. This may require that you do a little research to determine which essential oils are not safe for human use. Also never use essential oils on babies or young children.

Insomnia Treatment Strategies That Work

Everybody needs sleep. When we don’t get enough sleep every part of our lives starts to suffer. We find that our moods go awry, our ability to concentrate is gone and our energy level is almost non-existent. Not getting enough sleep affects us personally and professionally. In spite of knowing how important it is to get enough sleep each night, most of us will suffer from sleeplessness at least a few times. For some, difficulty sleeping will turn into full blown insomnia. If you suffer from insomnia, you are probably desperate to find an insomnia treatment that will really work.The type of insomnia treatment that works best depends on the reason behind the insomnia itself. This sleep disorder can be caused by many different things. For some people, it is a physical condition caused by hormonal or chemical imbalances. For others, insomnia is caused by emotional or mental issues.Before you convince yourself that you need medication to treat your insomnia, here are some at home treatments that you can try:1. Make sure to get regular exercise. Exercise is important to your overall health; just make sure that you exercise earlier in the day. If you exercise too close to your bedtime, you will, in effect, wake yourself up and falling asleep will be much harder to do.2. Don’t eat or drink too much close to your bedtime. Drinking too much (even water) will cause you to get up to go to the bathroom and large meals can be hard to digest. Eating rich foods can cause heartburn or other physical issues that will keep you awake.3. Keep your room as dark as possible. Your body’s circadian rhythms respond to light and take the light as a signal to stay awake.It is important to remember that insomnia is a symptom of something else. This is why, when home remedies do not work, that it is important to visit your doctor to see if you might need medical attention for a physical problem. If insomnia isn’t a symptom of a physical disorder, it is most likely a symptom of a mental disorder.Mental disorders need to be diagnosed by a mental health professional. Often, insomnia is a symptom of unresolved emotional or mental issues. If this is the case, the best insomnia treatment is probably going to be behavioral therapy. Together you and a mental health specialist will work together to figure out what unresolved “issues” are keeping you awake.In extreme cases, medication might be needed. Common medications are ambient, lunesta, sonata and rozarem. Rozarem is the newest treatment and many doctors favor it because it doesn’t have the same risk of dependency that comes from other sleep inducing drugs. Keep in mind that tossing and turning a little is not the same thing as insomnia. Insomnia is full blown sleeplessness that persists for a long time. If you’ve found that it has been days or even weeks since you last got a good night sleep then you probably have insomnia and it is time to seek treatment.

Keeping Healthy Without Medicines is possible by maintaining a healthy combination of exercise, meditation, good food, relaxation and taking a break from time to time. Read this article on Home Remedies to ensure good health without the hassles of medication.

Are you struggling with failing health/ are you overweight or suffering from chronic fatigue. Is your health was steadily going down the drain. Are you a junkie addicted to prescription and over the counter drugs? Do you use oral and topical medications to suppress your eczema/psoriasis (side effects of corticosteroids)? Have you been on antibiotics for months at a time for recurring throat or stomach infections?

Unfortunately, instead of generating cure, the medications only temporarily suppress your symptoms but weakened my immune system, and in the long run make you even sicker. The combination of a bad diet (toxic foods) and the side effects of the drugs can affect your moods and even send you into depression.

Do you know that that the combination of an unhealthy diet and the huge number of allopathic medications can cause toxins to accumulate in your blood, lymph, and tissues, resulting in toxemia? These toxins can greatly contribute to your weak immune system, rendering you more susceptible to stress, fatigue, and chronic disease. You have to radically change your diet and lifestyle if there is any hope for improving your health.

The road to recovery

First of all, you will have to switch your diet from SAD (an acronym for “Standard American Diet”) to a wholesome diet of fresh, organically grown fruits, vegetables, and nuts, mostly in their raw form. As far as possible, eliminate from your diet the starchy stuff like grains, rice, pasta, and breads as well as meat and dairy products.

The results of the diet change, believe it or not, will be dramatic. In a few weeks, you will start feeling better, you will notice yourself shelling pounds effortlessly (and never have to struggle again to keep my weight down). Besides, your energy level and stamina will improve dramatically. You will be able to function better overall, become calmer, centered and focused, and generally feel happier. Above all, your overall resistance to infections will become excellent. You will no longer have a cold, flu, ear, throat, sinus or breast infection or any other infections. You yourself will be amazed that even such things like debilitating back pains

respond to simple treatments and change of diet. Over the years, your health and resistance to disease will continue to improve and in time you will also experience a complete recovery from my life long chronic problems such as eczema as well as from devastating side effects of the steroid%26#8217;s immune suppressive effects.

Remember, if you overeat, or if you eat the wrong foods like starch, or cooked food, you will suffer the consequences fairly rapidly. This could be in the form of clogged sinuses, nasal discharges, poor sleep, nervousness, irritability, and low energy. That punishment is definitely not worth the brief moment of pleasure for the taste buds.

On the other hand, healthy oils such as flaxseed oil, olive oil, rapeseed oil, rice bran oil can help control your weight and greatly improve your health overall. There are, literally, hundreds of medical case histories with “miraculous” recoveries or cures after patients switched from allopathic to holistic programs and from cooked food to raw food. You should also explore the fantastic healing power of therapeutic clays, fulvic minerals and shilajit, Transfer Factor, wheat grass juice, seaweed and algae extract, glyconutritionals/saccharides and the Himalayan Crystal salt, (common table salt is toxic).

Restrict intake of the following in your diet: margarine, sugar-free-products, aerated colas, sugar. Learn to care for yourself, your family and your pets with home and herbal remedies instead of rushing off for a consultation with an MD or a veterinarian for minor injuries or sickness. The MD or veterinarian will, in all probability, just push antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, or expensive medical tests. You will be surprised to see all your aches and pains and symptoms of disease vanish almost of their own accord.

Last, but not the least, remember there is no alternative to a healthy regimen of physical and mental exercise. You can take up aerobics, Yoga, Tai Chi, dance or whatever suits your predilection. But a healthy combination of exercise, meditation, good food, relaxation and taking a break from time to time, from your daily routine are mandatory to overall good health.

Article Source: http://www.BestToRead.com/

Spotting Bipolar Affective Disorder Could Save a Life

Bipolar affective disorder is a medical condition marked by mood swings that are much more severe than what most normal people undergo every now and then. The condition is more commonly known as manic-depression or bipolar depression, and combines episodes of deep, brooding depression with extremely elated moods (”mania”). The frequency and intensity of these severe mood swings differ among sufferers. Estimates state that more than one percent of the population suffers from bipolar affective disorder at least once in their lifetimes. While many sufferers go through a manic-depressive stage at least once every few years, others may take longer between attacks, making the condition difficult to diagnose. Once recognized, however, it is possible to treat the symptoms. Bipolar affective disorder affects the brain, identifying it as a mental illness. It arises from irregularities in the brain’s physical structure (particularly in the hippocampus area) and chemical processes. Individuals suffering from bipolar affective disorder experience mood highs and lows that are drastically above normal intensity. When mood swings persist in frequency, it often results in the individual being unable to function properly at work or at home. This also results in faulty decision-making skills and strained relations with the people around them. Experts have identified two classifications of Bipolar affective disorder. Physicians make diagnoses based on the symptoms that the sufferers display.•Bipolar I Disorder. An individual with Bipolar I Disorder suffers at least one manic episode (a “high” mood) or mixed episodes (fluctuating moods between depression and mania, often happening very quickly), in addition to at least one major episode of depression. •Bipolar II Disorder. Less severe, Bipolar II Disorder subjects a sufferer to at least one major episode of depression and at least one “hypomanic” episode, or one in which the individual experiences a happy mood, but not so happy as to obstruct good judgment and function (as opposed to mania). In order to diagnose a patient as suffering from one of the two types of Bipolar affective disorder, other special conditions and circumstances that may also cause the abovenoted symptoms must be ruled out. The individual’s medical history will be thoroughly checked for any previous records of mental illness. The patient’s family history will also be checked for any prior accounts of similar mood illnesses. In the future, blood tests may also help in arriving at more accurate diagnoses of Bipolar affective disorder.Bipolar affective disorder affects approximately three out of every two hundred people in the general population, and more people suffer from Bipolar I than Bipolar II Disorder. At any given moment, from one to two million Americans are affected by Bipolar affective disorder. Research has so far failed to determine whether Bipolar affective disorder is more likely to affect certain races or ethnicity. What has been determined, however, is that Bipolar I Disorder affects both men and women in equal frequency and intensity, while Bipolar II Disorder occurs more frequently in women. Women are also more susceptible to rapid cycling, when depressive and manic stages follow each other in quick succession, usually at least four times in a single year. To date, Bipolar affective disorder has no cure. Research, however, has made great strides in understanding this lifelong mental illness, and experts are confident that better treatments (and even cures) for Bipolar affective disorder will develop in the near future. For now, those suffering from Bipolar affective disorder may rest assured that its negative effects can be mitigated with medication and modifications in lifestyle.

Aromatherapy Massage

The practice of aromatherapy involves using essential oils from plants to heal the body, decrease pain and help keep one’s moods in check. It can help in decreasing depression, increase focus and provides a “pick me up.” Essential oils come from roots, flowers and plant extracts. Aromatherapy massage utilizes these essential oils for all of these benefits. They can also be used for other spa-like treatments, for example facials and hydrotherapy baths. To prepare essential oils for a aromatherapy massage, they should be combined with a carrier oil such as grapeseed or sweet almond oil. The oils that you use will depend on how you are feeling, what you are looking to accomplish or what ailment that you are trying to treat. If you are feeling sad, or stressed, lavender oil is a good essential oil to use. If you need to treat tired and sore muscles, then you may opt for peppermint oil. A massage therapist can mix up to five essential oils to create your massage oil. You want to make sure that you work with an aromatherapist who is qualified and that knows how to properly mix and use the massage oils so that you don’t suffer any skin irritations or other negative reactions. Many store brought products claim to use aromatherapy. However, it most cases, these include little more then perfumes and fragrances. These do not quality as aromatherapy. Real aromatherapy involves the use of essential oils, which most of these products do not contain. Instead, most of these use chemicals and not essential oils. So don’t be fooled. You won’t get the same benefits that essential oils provide. If you are interested in creating your own aromatherapy massage blend, you may want to try the following recipe. 8-10 drops of your favorite essential oil blend, or single essential oil1 ounce of carrier oil You will need to mix the oils. The mixture should be stored in a cobalt glass or amber bottle or container. You can use this blend whenever you get your next massage. An aromatherapy massage can be great way to relax and to relieve tired, sore muscles and a stressed out mind. If you plan on creating your own massage oil, be sure to mix your essential oil blend with a carrier oil so that you do not irritate the skin. You should not place essential oils directly into the skin without a carrier oil. Also, be sure to only use safe oils that will not negatively react to the skin. This may require that you do a little research to determine which essential oils are not safe for human use. Also never use essential oils on babies or young children.

Insomnia Treatment Strategies That Work

Everybody needs sleep. When we don’t get enough sleep every part of our lives starts to suffer. We find that our moods go awry, our ability to concentrate is gone and our energy level is almost non-existent. Not getting enough sleep affects us personally and professionally. In spite of knowing how important it is to get enough sleep each night, most of us will suffer from sleeplessness at least a few times. For some, difficulty sleeping will turn into full blown insomnia. If you suffer from insomnia, you are probably desperate to find an insomnia treatment that will really work.The type of insomnia treatment that works best depends on the reason behind the insomnia itself. This sleep disorder can be caused by many different things. For some people, it is a physical condition caused by hormonal or chemical imbalances. For others, insomnia is caused by emotional or mental issues.Before you convince yourself that you need medication to treat your insomnia, here are some at home treatments that you can try:1. Make sure to get regular exercise. Exercise is important to your overall health; just make sure that you exercise earlier in the day. If you exercise too close to your bedtime, you will, in effect, wake yourself up and falling asleep will be much harder to do.2. Don’t eat or drink too much close to your bedtime. Drinking too much (even water) will cause you to get up to go to the bathroom and large meals can be hard to digest. Eating rich foods can cause heartburn or other physical issues that will keep you awake.3. Keep your room as dark as possible. Your body’s circadian rhythms respond to light and take the light as a signal to stay awake.It is important to remember that insomnia is a symptom of something else. This is why, when home remedies do not work, that it is important to visit your doctor to see if you might need medical attention for a physical problem. If insomnia isn’t a symptom of a physical disorder, it is most likely a symptom of a mental disorder.Mental disorders need to be diagnosed by a mental health professional. Often, insomnia is a symptom of unresolved emotional or mental issues. If this is the case, the best insomnia treatment is probably going to be behavioral therapy. Together you and a mental health specialist will work together to figure out what unresolved “issues” are keeping you awake.In extreme cases, medication might be needed. Common medications are ambient, lunesta, sonata and rozarem. Rozarem is the newest treatment and many doctors favor it because it doesn’t have the same risk of dependency that comes from other sleep inducing drugs. Keep in mind that tossing and turning a little is not the same thing as insomnia. Insomnia is full blown sleeplessness that persists for a long time. If you’ve found that it has been days or even weeks since you last got a good night sleep then you probably have insomnia and it is time to seek treatment.

Having High Blood Pressure in Adolescents

High blood pressure is a condition where the blood pressure is more than normal. It is also known as hypertension. Heart pumps out blood, so that oxygen can reach to different parts of the body via blood. The pressure with which heart pumps blood is known as blood pressure. The blood pressure comprises of two measures, the systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure is the larger figure and represents the pressure within the artery of the heart, when contractions take place which pump blood to different parts of the body. Diastolic pressure is the pressure within the artery of the heart, when the blood is filling in the heart and it is at rest. Both the pressures are measured in millimeters of mercury or mmHg. High blood pressure is abnormal increase in systolic pressure or diastole pressure. Blood pressure is measured by putting a blood pressure cuff on the arm and placing a stethoscope on the chest. There can be very little variation in blood pressure depending upon the time, emotional moods, age, gender, weight, height, physical activity, stress and other illness such as heart disease and kidney disease. Children and adolescents become anxious when they visit the doctor. This is also an important factor which affects the blood pressure and the readings taken get tampered because of it. That is the reason why many blood pressure readings are taken in order to determine whether the adolescent has high blood pressure or not. The nurse may even ask the adolescent to calm down while taken the readings. Time gap is given between each reading, so as to give time to the adolescent to calm down. Emotions can also affect the blood pressure reading. An infant will have a normal blood pressure reading of 80/45, where as an adolescent will have a normal blood pressure reading of 110/70. Therefore, age, gender, and height are important factor when determining the normal blood pressure level. Adults will have a higher blood pressure than the infants and teenagers. Also, boys have a higher blood pressure when compared to girls and tall people have a higher blood pressure than short people. An adolescent is said to have high blood pressure when the blood pressure is more than the blood pressure of ninety percent people of his/her age, gender and height. There are many risks associated with hypertension or high blood pressure. The risk of developing coronary heart disease increases proportionally. The arteries will develop greater resistance towards the blood flow, because of which the heart will pump blood harder. Stroke is also another risk. Adolescents who have had high blood pressure as a child, develop harmful effects on the blood vessels and heart till the time they turn twenty. The causes of high blood pressure can be classified as primary and secondary. If the causes are definite, they are primary and if the cause is linked to some illness, it is secondary. Primary causes are high blood cholesterol levels, smoking, stagnant lifestyle and overweight. Secondary causes are obesity, immobility due to chronic illness, prescription drugs, intense pain due to burns or cancer and illegal drugs. High blood pressure can develop due to hereditary reasons. Hypertension is diagnosed by blood test and urinalysis. The kidney function will also be checked, along with blood cholesterol levels. Family history check is another important factor. Adolescents’ eating habits, exercise levels, activities in school and home will also be studied thoroughly. High blood pressure is dealt with by weight reduction, healthy diet, and increase in physical activity. If hypertension is due to illness, the illness is treated first. These treatment measures will decrease the systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. It will also strengthen the heart and decrease the level of cholesterol in blood. This also helps to keep heart diseases at bay. The good thing is that only one percent of the adolescents, who have high blood pressure, need medication to bring back the blood pressure to normal.