The Basics of Understanding and Managing High Blood Pressure
If you’re reading this blog post, it’s probably because, at one point or another, you’ve been told that you have high blood pressure. That sounds scary—so first, what is your blood pressure all about?
According to UnitedHealthcare, blood pressure, “measures the force of the blood against the walls of your arteries as your heart beats and rests. Having high blood pressure puts you at risk for heart disease and stroke, which are leading causes of death in the United States.”
Systolic Reading vs. Diastolic Reading
Your doctor will give you two numbers, formatted like, “xx over xx” or “xx/xx”. The first number is your systolic reading. This tells you how much force your blood has against your artery walls within the lower two chambers of your heart.
Your diastolic reading is the second number that your doctor will tell you. This tells you how much force your blood has against your artery walls within the moments your heart is relaxed, and refilling with blood. Or better yet, it can be defined as the time in between your heartbeats.
How to Understand My Blood Pressure Reading
High blood pressure is also often referred to as “hypertension”, and low blood pressure is often referred to as “hypotension”. According to the American Heart Association, here’s how to decode your blood pressure reading.
Factors That Affect Blood Pressure
There are many surprising (and not-so-surprising) factors that affect your blood pressure. Here are just a few that lead may increase your risk for hypertension:
Your gender (men are at higher risk until age 64, after that age, women overtake men)
If you have family members with high blood pressure
If you’re overweight or obese
If you have diabetes, high cholesterol, or kidney disease
If you’re Black/African American
If you smoke or drink in excess
If you are sedentary
If you have a diet that’s high in salt, sugar, and fat
If you suffer from sleep apnea
The risk factors for low blood pressure look a little different.
If you’re taking prescription meds like diuretics, anti-anxiety or anti-depressants, nitrates
If you suffer from thyroid problems, abnormal heart rhythms, heart valves, or POTS
If you suffer from diabetes, MS, or Parkinson’s
If you’re pregnant or have a spinal cord injury
Managing Blood Pressure
Untreated, high or low blood pressure can damage your blood vessels and organs and oftentimes can lead to a stroke, heart failure, heart attack, kidney disease, seizures, chest pain, and more. Luckily, managing high blood pressure is all a matter of lifestyle changes that involve:
Eating healthy (fewer fats, sugars, salt in your diet)
Quitting smoking and heavy drinking
Hydrating more frequently
Getting some daily exercise
Additionally, to manage both high and low blood pressure, your doctor may prescribe you medication to treat your condition. Give us a call and ask us about our blood pressure treatments today!