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High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure or hypertension is a common health concern for people from all walks of life. We can lower our risk for high blood pressure by maintaining a healthy weight and staying active. Staying active includes one hour of exercise 4 to 5 days per week.

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Maintaining a body mass index or BMI between 18 and 25 to avoid being overweight is also an important preventive measure. Even someone who is morbidly obese with a BMI of 40 or greater can decrease their risk of high blood pressure just by staying active and losing a few pounds, every little bit counts! Avoiding excessive caffeine and salt intake is also helpful. Sometimes high blood pressure can be hereditary, making healthy and preventive measures even more important. Yearly checkups with your health care provider are very important to facilitate early treatment of high blood pressure. Treatment is generally inexpensive and will help avoid increased risk for the many health problems which can occur in cases of untreated high blood pressure. Many generic medications are available for treatment of high blood pressure and cost less than $10.

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How high is too high?

In general, hypertension begins when the top or first number is 130 or greater, and the bottom number is greater than 80. Blood pressure can be monitored at home with an automatic blood pressure cuff such as this one: https://amzn.to/45CUQAs
It is important to make sure the cuff is the correct size for your arm. Bring the cuff to your medical provider’s office for advice on this. When measuring your blood pressure you should be sitting comfortably in a relaxed position for 10 to 15 minutes with legs uncrossed and arm at the same level of your heart.

What are the risks of untreated high blood pressure?

Hypertension is known is the silent killer. This is because you can feel perfectly fine and still have elevated blood pressure. The longer you have high blood pressure, the higher the risk of complications. Complications of untreated high blood pressure include but are not limited to:

Heart Attack
Stroke
Heart Failure 
Kidney Disease and Kidney Failure 
Atherosclerosis – Blood Vessel Disease or Blockage 
Vision Disease or Loss
Sexual Dysfunction

These diseases can be quite disabling. It is much better to stay one step ahead of your health and prevent these conditions before they develop. People who already have high blood pressure or some of the complications above can promote their best health state by following all of their health care provider’s advice and closely following their individual treatment plan as prescribed. Remember: Your health matters!

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