High Blood Pressure
When your blood pressure is too high, and remains above the normal range, your heart has to work harder than it normally would. If left untreated over time, high blood pressure may lead to more serious health problems such as stroke, heart attack, heart or kidney failure.
Risk Factors - You are more likely to have high blood pressure if you are:
- a man
- African-American
- older than 35 years old
- have family members with high blood pressure
- overweight and don't exercise
- a smoker
- eat a lot of salty foods
- take birth control pills
What Is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure means that the force of your blood pushing against the wall of your arteries is consistently above the normal range.To determine if you have high blood pressure, you will need to get your blood pressure checked. Your blood pressure reading has two numbers:
Systoloic: the top number is the pressure when your heart beats.
Diastolic: the bottom number is your pressure when your heart is at rest.
You have high blood pressure if the top number is 140 or higher or the bottom number is 90 or higher all the time.
What Can I do to Avoid Having High Blood Pressure?
- If you are overweight, lose weight.
- Eat a low sodudium and low fat diet.
- Limit your alcohol intake to no more than two drinks a day.
- Exercise regularly.
- Take your medication as your doctor prescribes.
- Monitor and know what your blood pressure is.
Taking Blood Pressure Medicine
If your doctor prescribes medication to lower your blood pressure:
- Take your medicine every day.
- Take your medication exactly the way your doctor prescribes. Never stop treatment on your own.
- To be sure that your medicine is working for you, have your blood pressure checked.
- If you experience problems with your medication or have side effects, speak with your doctor.
- To help you remember, plan to take your medicine at the same time every day.
- Ask your doctor or pharmacist what to do if you miss a dose.
- Get a refill before your medications run out.