Hypertension and You

Hypertension and You: Get the Facts

You have probably heard of high blood pressure, which also goes by the name hypertension. Every time you come in for a checkup, your physician checks your blood pressure. If you have hypertension, your blood is applying too much force against the walls of your blood vessels.

When your blood pressure is higher than 130 over 80mmHg, it is noted as hypertension. Nearly 85 million Americans have been diagnosed with hypertension. Worried that you might be one of them? It’s important to have your physical so you know where you stand with your blood pressure.

If you do find that you have hypertension, the good news is you can do something about it before it’s too late. Ideally, if you’re at risk for hypertension, you’ll need to make changes to your diet to keep from going into the danger zone. But even with extremely high blood pressure, treatment is available to help you get back in good health.  

What Can You Do If You Have Hypertension?

The first step after your physical and diagnosis is to make lifestyle adjustments to help improve your health. Your doctor will help you make a plan to get your blood pressure back down to normal. Even if you don’t have hypertension and you run a risk of high blood pressure, or have a family history for heart attack or stroke, you should do the following things for your best health.

– Get more exercise

For 5 to 7 days of the week, it’s recommended that you do a minimum of 30 minutes of moderately-intense exercise. That can include things like walking, running, jogging, cycling, swimming, aerobics, or anything that gets your heart rate up.

– Reduce your stress

Stress is one of the biggest causes for skyrocketing blood pressure. It’s unavoidable, however, you can find healthy ways to manage stress in your life. Meditation, yoga, journaling, exercising, taking up creative arts, or anything that brings you into a state of relaxed enjoyment are the best ways to cope.

– Avoid certain foods

Some foods make it harder for you to lower your blood pressure. Stay away from salt, deli meats, canned soups, frozen pizza, pickles, sugar, chicken skin, alcoholic beverages, and packaged foods. Learn to read labels on the foods you buy to prevent from taking in too much sodium.

– Stop smoking

Smoking is never advised, especially if you have high blood pressure. It can send it soaring. Take steps to quit now to save your health.

– Manage with medications

There are certain medications your doctor may prescribe for your hypertension. Make sure that before you take anything, you let your doctor know about any other prescriptions or OTC medicines or supplements you’re taking to avoid any interactions.

By managing your hypertension now with your primary care doctor, you will feel better and have a longer, healthier life to live.