Heart Health: High Blood Pressure

What Is Blood Pressure?

To understand blood pressure, it helps to think about how your heart works. Your heart is a pump that sends blood through tubes called arteries all around your body. Blood pressure is a measure of how hard your blood pushes against the walls of these arteries. Blood pressure readings are made up of two numbers, expressed as a fraction. The top number is your systolic pressure (the force as your heart beats). The bottom number is your diastolic pressure (the force as your heart relaxes).

High blood pressure is generally defined as 130 or higher for the first number, or 80 or higher for the second number. It is normal for your blood pressure to go up and down during the day. However, if it stays high for an extended amount of time you could have high blood pressure.

Many people with high blood pressure do not know they have it because it usually does not cause any signs or symptoms. That is why doctors sometimes call it “The Silent Killer.”

It’s important to discuss your target blood pressure range with your doctor. Knowing your range can help you monitor your blood pressure more effectively.

How High Blood Pressure Affects Your Body

This extra pressure can slowly cause damage. You usually can’t feel it so you might not know anything is wrong. That’s why it’s important to know your numbers and check your blood pressure regularly, even if you don’t have any symptoms of high blood pressure. Remember, symptoms usually don’t occur until they reach a severe stage and by the time most appear, high blood pressure may be life threatening.

If left untreated, high blood pressure may lead to:

• Heart Issues: It makes the heart work harder, which may lead to heart failure or heart attacks.
• Stroke: High pressure can damage arteries in the brain.
• Kidney and Vision Problems: It may damage the blood vessels that supply the kidneys and eyes.
• Memory Loss: It may raise the risk of dementia by affecting blood flow to the brain.

What Increases Your Risk?

Experts know that several factors may increase your risk of high blood pressure. Some of these are things you can manage, while others are simply part of who you are.

Common risk factors include:

• Family History and Ancestry: High blood pressure can be genetic, so check your family’s health history. African Americans are at increased risk for high blood pressure.
• Age: The risk goes up as we get older.
• Nutrition and Diet: Diets which contain too much salt and/or too little potassium and Vitamin D can increase our chances of getting high blood pressure.
• Tobacco: Tobacco use immediately raises blood pressure, and the chemicals in tobacco can damage the lining of artery walls.
• Weight: Extra body weight increases the need for our heart and vascular system to work harder to bring nutrients to vital body organs, which increases blood pressure.
• Other Health Conditions: Sleep apnea, diabetes, kidney disease and high cholesterol are often linked to high blood pressure.
• Medications: Some medications produce side effects which may include high blood pressure. Be sure to discuss medication side effects with your doctor or pharmacist.

Checking Your Numbers

During a checkup, the nurse or doctor puts a cuff around your upper arm or wrist to check your blood pressure. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that adults 18 and older should have their blood pressure checked regularly.

Your doctor may also ask you to check your blood pressure at home to see how it changes throughout the day. Measuring your blood pressure at home is easy. It’s also a great way to monitor your health. If you don’t have a blood pressure monitor at home, you can often find free ones at grocery stores, pharmacies, and gyms.

Tips for monitoring your blood pressure at home

Before you take your measurement:

• Avoid food, caffeine, or nicotine for 30 minutes before measuring.
• Make sure your bladder is empty.
• Take your measurement before taking any blood pressure medication.
• Find a quiet space where you can sit comfortably without distraction.

To measure your blood pressure:

• Sit at a table or desk with your blood pressure monitor.
• Roll up your shirt sleeve.
• Wrap the cuff mid-arm (above elbow) at heart level.
• Keep your arm relaxed and supported, with the palm facing up.
• Maintain a relaxed posture with legs uncrossed, feet flat on the floor, and back supported.

Steps That May Help You Manage Blood Pressure

In many cases, high blood pressure can be prevented and managed with some healthy lifestyle choices.

Lifestyle changes that may help include:

• Avoiding or reducing tobacco including cigarette and pipe smoking, chewing tobacco, and vaping.
• Eating a nutritious diet with low sugar and salt intake, and increased healthful nutrients including potassium and fiber.
• Keeping a healthy weight and exercising daily.
• Managing stress levels and mediation.

The Importance of Nutrition

Remember the old saying: You are what you eat? What we eat impacts our daily health, so good food is like good medicine. What we eat plays a key role in our everyday health. Eating healthy foods and getting good daily nutrition is important for many reasons, including maintaining healthy blood pressure. Eating the wrong foods can be like taking the wrong medicine.

A helpful resource for healthy eating specifically designed to prevent and treat high blood pressure is the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet. The DASH diet outlines and recommends healthy nutrition to help lower your blood pressure. This includes foods high in potassium, which is a key nutrient in lowering blood pressure. High potassium foods include leafy green vegetables, such as spinach and kale.

You should also try to eat less salt, no more than 2,300 milligrams each day. Pay attention to the amount of Sodium listed on the label of processed foods you buy. When cooking, you can make your food taste flavorful by using herbs, salt-free blends or lemon juice instead.

Medications and Talking With Your Doctor

Sometimes, changing your habits is not enough to lower your blood pressure. Your doctor may suggest you take medicine to help. Always talk to your doctor before you start any new medications or supplements. They can help you find the right option with the fewest side effects.

Questions you might ask your doctor:

• “What is my blood pressure goal?”
• “How often should I check my blood pressure at home?”
• “Are there any side effects I should look out for with my new medicine?”

If your doctor gives you medicine, make sure you take it exactly as prescribed. If you notice any problems or side effects after taking it, tell your doctor right away. They can help you change the medication if needed. If you are monitoring your blood pressure at home, remember to

Final thoughts for you to take away…

Managing high blood pressure is a long process, but you do not have to go through it alone. By checking your numbers regularly and making simple, healthy choices, you are taking positive steps for your future. Keeping an open line of communication with your healthcare team is crucial. They are there to support you. Small changes today can help your future health.