High blood pressure awareness month

May is High Blood Pressure Awareness Month. Community Health Nurse Tammy Meier has advice for everyone concerning high blood pressure.

“High blood pressure is sometimes called the silent killer, with good reason, too,” she said. “It has few symptoms, but left untreated can dramatically increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.”

Around 30 percent of the adult population suffers from high blood pressure - or hypertension- yet many do not even realize it.

“It sounds obvious, but the only way of knowing if there’s a problem in the first place is to have it measured,” Meier pointed out. “In fact, we should all be seeing our provider to be checked out on a regular basis. Some local pharmacies have blood pressure monitoring units the public can use free of charge to track you results, and share with your provider.”

So, what exactly is high blood pressure?

Blood pressure measures how strongly the fluid presses against the walls of your arteries as it’s pumped around the body by your heart. If this pressure is too high it puts a strain on your arteries and heart, which makes it more likely that you will suffer a heart attack, stroke or kidney disease.

It is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and it is recorded as two figures: systolic (the pressure of the blood when your heart beats) and diastolic (the pressure when your heart rests between beats). If your provider says your blood pressure is “140 over 90” (or 140/90mmHg), it means you have a systolic pressure of 140mmHg and a diastolic pressure of 90mmHg. You are said to have high blood if these readings consistently show your blood pressure to be 140/90mmHg or higher.

“Your chances of having high blood pressure increase as you get older, hence the importance of getting it checked,” Meier said.

Who is at higher risk for developing high blood pressure?

“People with a family history of high blood pressure, African-Americans, people aged 35 years or older, people who are overweight or obese, people who smoke, people who eat too much salt, people who drink too much alcohol, women who use birth control pills, people who aren’t physically active and pregnant women,” Meier explained.

If you have had a prior stroke or heart attack, controlling high blood pressure can help prevent another one. Experts say to follow these steps: Lose weight if you’re overweight, eat a healthy diet that’s low in salt, saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol, enjoy regular physical activity, limit alcohol to no more than two drinks a day if you are a man and one drink a day if you’re a women take medication as prescribed and know what your blood pressure should be and try to keep it at that level.