You can’t talk about American Heart Month without touching on the very important aspect of controlling your blood pressure to protect your heart! Many of us have had countless blood pressure checks over the years. It’s a standard vital sign measurement used in healthcare to evaluate a person’s health. Unfortunately, many people probably do not fully understand the gravity that blood pressure levels have on our heart and general health. Do you know what your average blood pressure is? Do you know what high blood pressure is or how it can impact your health? Let’s review this important factor…
First, what is high blood pressure? A condition, called hypertension, that puts you at risk for heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease. It does not usually cause symptoms. But it can be serious. When your doctor or nurse comments about your blood pressure, they will say two numbers. For example, “your blood pressure is 130 over 80.” The top number is the pressure inside your arteries when your heart is contracting. The bottom number is the pressure inside your arteries when your heart is relaxed. Blood pressure levels are defined as high, elevated, and normal as follows:
- High – Top number of 130+ and/or bottom number of 80+
- Elevated – Top number between 120 – 129 and bottom number of 79 or below.
- Normal – Top number of 119 or below and bottom number of 79 or below.
Your doctor may want to recheck and monitor your blood pressure regularly for a while to see if medication may be the best option to help lower it. There are several options available (water pills, ACE inhibitors, ARBs, beta blockers, etc.) These can help reduce your risks of further problems and even help you live longer. Your doctor will decide which medicine is best for you depending on how high your blood pressure is, other health problems, and how well you do on medicines you try. Your doctor might need to change your medicine or its dose a couple of times to find what works best and causes the fewest side effects. Plus, you might need to take more than one medicine to get your blood pressure under control. Whatever you take, it’s important to take it exactly as prescribed and tell your doctor if you have problems. Never stop or make your own changes to your medications without talking to your doctor first.
It’s also important to remember that you do have a lot of control over your blood pressure and can do the following to help lower it or minimize the medications you need to take.
- Lose weight (if overweight)
- Choose a diet low in fat and rich in fruits/vegetables
- Reduce the salt/sodium in your diet
- Be active for 30 minutes a day
- Limit alcohol consumption
- No smoking
- Keep a home blood pressure meter
Take the time to pay more attention to those blood pressure readings when you get them in the future! For more questions about your blood pressure or heart disease risk, or to schedule an annual physical, please call for an appointment at the Power County Family Clinic at 226-1057.