What is high blood pressure?
 Arteries
are like pipes that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body. High
blood pressure, or hypertension, occurs when your blood moves through your arteries
at a higher pressure than normal. What do the numbers mean?
Blood pressure is really two
measurements, separated by a slash when written down, such as 120/80. You may
also hear someone say a blood pressure is "120 over 80." The
first number is the systolic blood pressure. This is the peak blood pressure when
your heart is squeezing blood out. The second number is the diastolic blood pressure.
It's the pressure when your heart is filling with blood--relaxing between beats. A
normal blood pressure is 120/80 or lower. High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher.
If your blood pressure is between 120/80 and 140/90, you have "pre-hypertension." How
is high blood pressure diagnosed? Blood
pressure is measured by putting a blood pressure cuff around your arm, inflating
the cuff and listening for the flow of blood. Your doctor will measure your blood
pressure at more than one visit to see if you have high blood pressure. How often should I have my blood pressure
checked? Even in children,
blood pressure should be checked occasionally, beginning at about age 2. After
age 21, have your blood pressure checked at least once every 2 years. Do it more
often if you have had high blood pressure in the past. What problems
does high blood pressure cause? High
blood pressure damages your blood vessels. This in turn raises your risk of stroke,
kidney failure, heart disease and heart attack. Does it have any
symptoms? Not usually.
This is why it's so important to have your blood pressure checked regularly.
Hypertension
Risk Factors - excessive
weight
- lack
of physical activity
- excessive
salt intake
- diets
high in fat and cholesterol
- alcohol
consumption
- smoking
- stress
- ethnicity
- gender
How
is it treated? Treatment
begins when you change your lifestyle to help
lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease. These things
alone may work. If not, you may also need to take medicine. If
you must take medicine, making changes in your lifestyle can help reduce the amount
of medicine you take. How do tobacco products
affect blood pressure?The
nicotine in cigarettes and other tobacco products causes your blood vessels to
constrict and your heart to beat faster, which temporarily raises your blood pressure.
If you quit smoking or using other tobacco products, you can significantly lower
your risk of heart disease and heart attack, as well as help lower your blood
pressure. What about losing weight and exercising?Losing
weight if you're overweight helps lower blood pressure in most people. Regular
exercise is a good way to lose weight. It also seems to lower high blood pressure
by itself. Is sodium really off limits?
Not everyone is affected by
sodium, but sodium can increase blood pressure in some people. Most people who
have high blood pressure should limit the sodium in their diet each day to less
than 2,400 mg. Your doctor may tell you to limit your sodium even more. Don't
add salt to your food. Check food labels for sodium. While some foods obviously
have a lot of sodium, such as potato chips, you may not realize how much sodium
is in things like bread and cheese. Do I need to quit drinking
alcohol altogether? In
some people, alcohol causes blood pressure to rise quite a lot. In other people,
it doesn't. If you drink alcohol, limit it to no more than 1 or 2 drinks per day.
One drink is a can of beer, a glass of wine or 1 jigger of liquor. If your blood
pressure increases with alcohol, it's best not to drink any alcohol. Does
stress affect my blood pressure? Stress
may affect blood pressure. To help combat the effects of stress, try relaxation
techniques. These things work best when used at least once a day. Ask your family
doctor for advice. What about medicine? Many
different types of medicine can be used to treat high blood pressure. These are
called antihypertensive medicines. The
goal of treatment is to reduce your blood pressure to normal levels with medicine
that's easy to take and has few, if any, side effects. This goal can almost always
be met. If your
blood pressure can only be controlled with medicine, you'll need to take the medicine
for the rest of your life. Don't stop taking the medicine without talking with
your family doctor or you may increase your risk of having a stroke or heart attack.
What
are the possible side effects of these medicines? Different
drugs have different side effects for different people. Side effects of antihypertensive
drugs can include feeling dizzy when you stand up after lying down or sitting,
lowered levels of potassium in your blood, problems sleeping, drowsiness, dry
mouth, headaches, bloating, constipation and depression. In men, some antihypertensive
drugs can cause problems with having an erection. Talk
to your family doctor about any changes you notice. If one medicine doesn't work
for you or causes side effects, you have other options. Let your doctor help you
find the right medicine for you. | 
