Hard to Spot . . . So Easy To Detect & Treat!
While hypertension (or high blood pressure) is easily detected and typically treated by lifestyle changes (and prescription drugs if needed), there are no real signs or symptoms to warn you of this condition. In fact, it is thought that almost 1/3 of the 65 million Americans with hypertension don’t even know they have it. In some extreme cases of hypertension, there may be some symptoms, including: severe headaches, fatigue or confusion, vision problems, chest pain, breathing difficulty, irregular heartbeat, and blood in the urine. But when the condition gets to this stage, hypertension could result in vision problems (glaucoma), kidney failure, stroke, heart attack, and heart failure.
There really is no need to allow hypertension to slip up on you. Your blood pressure is so easily checked. The measuring device is a meter called a sphygmomanometer and is a non-invasive procedure used by your health care provider during every visit. It is also easy to check your own blood pressure with a meter that can be purchased at almost any drug store, or often available for free use at some grocery stores.
Simply put, blood pressure is the amount of pressure that the blood exerts in the arteries as the heart moves the blood through the body. Normal blood pressure is categorized as less than 120/80 (read as “120 over 80”). The first number measures the “systolic” pressure, which is the highest pressure in the arteries as your heart contracts and pumps blood into the body. The second number measures the “diastolic” pressure, which is the lowest pressure in the arteries as the heart relaxes. Pre-hypertension occurs when blood pressure ranges from 120/80 to 139/89. This can indicate a high risk for developing hypertension and is a clear indication that it is time to see your health care provider. Hypertension is categorized as 140/90 and above.
While there is no certainty as to the exact causes of hypertension, these are factors which may contribute to the condition: smoking, obesity, lack of physical exercise, excess salt and fatty foods in the diet, insufficient potassium in the diet, excessive alcohol consumption, stress, aging, and genetics. In addition to those people who have the foregoing factors, others who may be likely to develop hypertension include: African-Americans, pregnant women, and women who take birth control pills.
While it is extremely important to follow your health care provider’s advice regarding the treatment of hypertension, changes in lifestyle will certainly be included. Depending on your specific issues, those changes can include the need to:
- Stop smoking
- Eliminate or reduce the consumption of alcohol
- Modify your eating habits by lowering the intake of sodium and fatty foods, and by eating daily servings of fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods
- Lose excess weight
- Get sufficient exercise
In the event that the lifestyle changes are insufficient, your health care provider may prescribe certain antihypertensive medications to your treatment.
Here’s the bottom line on hypertension:
Get regular health checkups and check your blood pressure at least once a year and more often after age 40
Watch what you eat and drink
Get plenty of exercise. For those of you who include a weekly visit to 20 Minutes To Fitness in your exercise routine, you’ll be pleased to know that weight-bearing strength training is one of the best forms of exercise to keep your blood pressure in the safe range.
With detection being so simple, there really is no good excuse for not knowing your blood pressure. You are responsible for your own health. Don’t let yourself down!
Hypertension
