Feb. 4, 2021 | When was the last time you had your blood pressure checked? Odds are it was the last time you were in a doctor’s office, as this test is commonly performed to measure a patient’s health. But when the doctor or nurse told you what your blood pressure was, did you understand what those numbers really meant? An estimated 50 million Americans have high blood pressure, but nearly a third of those are unaware of it. Your blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. Your BP normally varies during the day and can even vary slightly with each beat of the heart. Blood pressure is given as two numbers; the higher number represents the pressure while the heart is beating while the lower number represents the pressure when the heart is resting between beats. Blood pressure of less than 120 over 80 is considered a normal reading for adults while a BP of 140 over 90 or higher is considered high.

Feb. 4, 2021 | High blood pressure or hypertension is often called the silent killer because you can have it for years without knowing it. The cause of the disease remains unknown and most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms. Even so, people often think that headaches, dizziness or nosebleeds are common warning signs of high blood pressure. It’s true that a few people with early-stage high blood pressure have a dull ache in the back of their heads when they wake in the morning and they have a few more nosebleeds than normal. But headaches, dizziness or nosebleeds typically don’t occur until high blood pressure has advanced to an advanced stage, one that’s possibly life-threatening. Even so, most people with the highest blood pressure readings don’t experience any of these symptoms. Some other signs of possible high blood pressure include excessive perspiration, muscle cramps, weakness, frequent urination and heart palpitations.

Feb. 4, 2021 | An adult with a blood pressure reading of 140 over 90 or higher has hypertension, or high blood pressure, and is considered at risk for stroke, heart disease and other medical problems. Before age 55, men are more likely than women to develop high blood pressure. After 55, women are more likely than men to develop the condition. Several factors can contribute to possible high blood pressure, but many of them can be controlled through changing your lifestyle. It’s recommended that those at risk for hypertension, such as someone with a family history of the disease, maintain a healthy weight since being overweight makes you 2 to 6 times more likely to develop the disease. A minimum of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity is also advised, as is a diet that’s low in sodium and cholesterol. Compared with other racial groups, African Americans tend to have higher average blood pressure numbers and get high blood pressure earlier in life.

Feb. 4, 2021 | High blood pressure is most often discovered during a routine physical examination. Fortunately, diagnosing high blood pressure is relatively simple. It involves measuring your blood pressure periodically over several weeks or months to see if the reading remains high. Blood pressure is taken with an inflatable arm cuff connected to a pressure-measuring unit, a device called a manometer. Your blood pressure generally isn’t considered high unless the average of two or more pairs of readings in a row is elevated, each pair taken at different visits to your doctor under similar conditions. Everyone’s blood pressure normally varies through the day. And some people have a rise in blood pressure especially during visits to a doctor, a phenomenon known as white-coat hypertension. That’s why it’s important to take more than one reading and on more than one occasion. Your doctor may ask you to record your blood pressure at home and work to provide additional data.

Feb. 4, 2021 | The safest way to control hypertension is to change your lifestyle. But sometimes lifestyle changes alone can’t reduce your blood pressure enough. You may also have to treat another medical condition besides high blood pressure. In these cases, you may need medication. Discuss with your doctor the goals of treatment and the roles that both lifestyle changes and medications can play. Lifestyle changes like a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products may improve the effectiveness of the medications you’re taking and may mean you’ll need fewer drugs or lower dosages. Many types of medications, such as diuretics, beta blockers and ACE inhibitors, are available to lower blood pressure. All of them work in different ways. If one medication doesn’t decrease your blood pressure to a safe level, your doctor may substitute another one or add one to your regimen. Your doctor may also suggest you take aspirin daily to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disorders.