Are You Affected by Hypertension?
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects nearly 80 million U.S. adults, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), but millions have no idea they suffer from it because it often has no symptoms. This February, when matters of the heart are most widely-discussed, let?s take a look at some basic blood pressure information everyone should know.
Blood pressure is the force that keeps your blood circulating through your body once it leaves the heart. Blood pressure is measured using two numbers ? the first being the pressure when the heart contracts (systolic pressure) and the second being the pressure when the heart is at rest between beats (diastolic pressure). The AHA uses the following chart to differentiate the different risk levels:
Blood Pressure Category | Systolic mm Hg (top #) | Diastolic mm Hg (bottom #) | |
Normal | <120 span=""> | and | <80 span=""> |
Prehypertension | 120-139 | or | 80-89 |
HBP Stage 1 | 140-159 | or | 90-99 |
HBP Stage 2 | 160+ | or | 100+ |
Hypertensive Crisis | 180+ | or | 110+ |
Height, hair and eye color runs in families and so can high blood pressure. If your parents or close blood relatives have had hypertension, you are more likely to develop it, too. Stress, smoking and second-hand smoke exposure, getting older, diet and lack of physical activity can also contribute to high blood pressure.
There are several things you can do to control your blood pressure. The AHA suggests eight ways to do this:
- Eat a better diet, which may include reducing salt intake
- Enjoy regular physical activity
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Manage stress
- Avoid tobacco smoke
- Comply with medication prescriptions
- If you drink, limit alcohol
- Understand hot tub safety
At The Little Clinic, we can quickly and easily check your blood pressure and discuss ways you can keep it in the healthy range. In fact, blood pressure screenings are free every day at The Little Clinic. Click here to find a clinic near you.
