Today marks World Health Day, and commemorates the United Nations World Health Organization, with attention being paid to the dangers of hypertension as a world wide danger to mankind’s health, a silent killer!
One of my readers and supporters Maggie Mitchell, is going to present an informed article on this topic, as she is a long time top rated and experienced Nurse, who I highly respect for her expertise. I hope all my readers will enjoy what she presents below, and I thank her for her contribution to the blog on this matter!
April 6, 2013 — To mark World Health Day on 7 April, WHO (The World Health Organization) is calling for intensified efforts to prevent and control hypertension, also known as high blood pressure. Worldwide, high blood pressure is estimated to affect more than one in three adults aged 25 and over, or about one billion people. Hypertension is a major contributor to heart disease and stroke – which together make up the world’s number one cause of premature death and disability.
High blood pressure is a common condition in which the force of the blood against your artery walls is high enough that it may eventually cause health problems, such as heart disease.
Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.
You can have high blood pressure (hypertension) for years without any symptoms. Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases your risk of serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke.
High blood pressure typically develops over many years, and it affects nearly everyone eventually. Fortunately, high blood pressure can be easily detected. And once you know you have high blood pressure, you can work with your doctor to control it.
Most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms, even if blood pressure readings reach dangerously high levels.
Although a few people with early-stage high blood pressure may have dull headaches, dizzy spells or a few more nosebleeds than normal, these signs and symptoms typically don’t occur until high blood pressure has reached a severe — even life-threatening — stage.
When to see a doctor~
You’ll likely have your blood pressure taken as part of a routine doctor’s appointment.
Ask your doctor for a blood pressure reading at least every two years starting at age 18. He or she will likely recommend more frequent readings if you’ve already been diagnosed with high blood pressure or other risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Children age 3 and older will usually have their blood pressure measured as a part of their yearly checkups.
If you don’t regularly see your doctor, you may be able to get a free blood pressure screening at a health resource fair or other locations in your community. You can also find machines in some stores that will measure your blood pressure for free, but these machines can give you inaccurate results.
~What do the numbers mean?
The two numbers that measure your blood pressure are written like a fraction: one number on top and one on the bottom — for example, 128/82. The number on top is called the “systolic pressure.” Systolic blood pressure measures the pressure inside your blood vessels at the moment your heart beats. The number on the bottom is your diastolic pressure. Diastolic blood pressure measures the pressure in your blood vessels between heartbeats, when your heart is resting.
Because your blood pressure changes so often throughout the day, it is best to use more than one reading to figure out your average blood pressure. This is because, from day to day, a person’s blood pressure usually fluctuates within a certain range. Posture, exercise, tension, and nicotine use are a few things that can make a person’s blood pressure change within a few minutes. Blood pressure can also run high or low in families. When comparing your blood pressure numbers to what’s considered “normal,” it’s important to look at your:
Family history
Overall health
Diet
Lifestyle.
The top number is called the systolic blood pressure, and the bottom number is called the diastolic blood pressure.
Normal blood pressure is when your blood pressure is lower than 120/80 mmHg most of the time.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is when your blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg or above most of the time.
If your blood pressure numbers are 120/80 or higher, but below 140/90, it is called pre-hypertension
Many factors can affect blood pressure, including:
How much water and salt you have in your body
The condition of your kidneys, nervous system, or blood vessels
The levels of different body hormones
What’s To high?
To find your average blood pressure, you will need to have your blood pressure taken two or more times, and each reading should be from a different day. Anything under 120/80 is considered normal blood pressure, but very low blood pressure can also be a health concern. Average numbers for blood pressure between 120/80 and 139/89 are considered to indicate “prehypertensionâ€. If the average of your blood pressure numbers is more than 140/90, you have high blood pressure.
One reading of more than 140/90, however, doesn’t necessarily mean that you have high blood pressure. Although it’s likely that your doctor will want to watch your blood pressure over a certain period of time to see if it stays there. You can also have high blood pressure if the average of only one of the numbers in your readings is too high.
You are more likely to be told your blood pressure is too high as you get older. This is because your blood vessels become stiffer as you age. When that happens, your blood pressure goes up. High blood pressure increases your chance of having a stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney disease, and early death.
You have a higher risk of high blood pressure if you:
Are African American
Are obese
Are often stressed or anxious
Drink too much alcohol (more than one drink per day for women and more than two drinks per day for men)
Eat too much salt in your diet
Have a family history of high blood pressure
Have diabetes
Smoke
Most of the time, no cause of high blood pressure is found. This is called essential hypertension.
High blood pressure that is caused by another medical condition or medication is called secondary hypertension. Secondary hypertension may be due to:
Chronic Kidney disease
Disorders of the adrenal gland )
Pregnancy (see: preeclampsia)
Medications such as birth control pills, diet pills, some cold medications, and migraine medications
Narrowed artery that supplies blood to the kidney
Hyperthyroidism
You are more likely to be told your blood pressure is too high as you get older. This is because your blood vessels become stiffer as you age. When that happens, your blood pressure goes up. High blood pressure increases your chance of having a stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney disease, and early death.
You have a higher risk of high blood pressure if you:
Are African American
Are obese
Are often stressed or anxious
Drink too much alcohol (more than one drink per day for women and more than two drinks per day for men)
Eat too much salt in your diet
Have a family history of high blood pressure
Have diabetes
Smoke
Symptoms
Most of the time, there are no symptoms. For most patients, high blood pressure is found when they visit their health care provider or have it checked elsewhere.
Because there are no symptoms, people can develop heart disease and kidney problems without knowing they have high blood pressure.
If you have a severe headache, nausea or vomiting, bad headache, confusion, changes in your vision, or nosebleeds you may have a severe and dangerous form of high blood pressure called malignant hypertension.
Exams and Test
Your health care provider will check your blood pressure several times before diagnosing you with high blood pressure. It is normal for your blood pressure to be different depending on the time of day.
Blood pressure readings taken at home may be a better measure of your current blood pressure than those taken at your doctor’s office. Make sure you get a good quality, well-fitting home device. It should have the proper sized cuff and a digital readout.
Practice with your health care provider or nurse to make sure you are taking your blood pressure correctly. Your health careprovider will perform a physical exam to look for signs of heart disease, damage to the eyes, and other changes in your body.
Tests may be done to look for:
High cholesterol levels
Heart disease, such as an echocardiogram and EKG
Kidney disease, such blood work for a basic metabolic panel, urinalysis and ultrasound of the kidneys
Treatment for High Blood Pressure
The goal of treatment is to reduce blood pressure so that you have a lower risk of complications. You and your health care provider should set a blood pressure goal for you.
If you have pre-hypertension, your health care provider will recommend lifestyle changes to bring your blood pressure down to a normal range. Medicines are rarely used for pre-hypertension.
You can do many things to help control your blood pressure, including:
Eat a heart-healthy diet, including potassium and fiber, and drink plenty of water. See: Dash Diet
Exercise regularly — at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day.
If you smoke, quit — find a program that will help you stop.
Limit how much alcohol you drink — one drink a day for women, two a day for men.
Limit the amount of sodium (salt) you eat — aim for less than 1,500 mg per day.
Reduce stress — try to avoid things that cause you stress. You can also try meditation or yoga.
Stay at a healthy body weight — find a weight-loss program to help you, if you need it.
Your health care provider can help you find programs for losing weight, stopping smoking, and exercising. You can also get a referral from your doctor to a dietitian, who can help you plan a diet that is healthy for you.
There are many different medicines that can be used to treat high blood pressure.
Often, a single blood pressure drug may not be enough to control your blood pressure, and you may need to take two or more drugs. It is very important that you take the medications prescribed to you. If you have side effects, your health care provider can substitute a different medication. It may take a few tries to find the right medication for you.
Do not stop taking your blood pressure even if you are feeling good. Remember, sometimes there will be no symptoms with high blood pressure and by not taking your medication as prescribed, you are putting yourself at risk for complications of high blood pressure.
Outlook
Most of the time, high blood pressure can be controlled with medicine and lifestyle changes. Losing weight, managing your stress, and exercise can lower blood pressure.
Possible Complications of High Blood Pressure
When blood pressure is not well controlled, you are at risk for:
1. Chronic Kidney disease
2. Bleeding from the aorta the large vessel that supplies blood to the heart
3. Heart attack and stroke
4. Poor blood supply to the legs.
5. Problems with your vision
If you have other health problems such as Diabetes, it’s even more important to lower your blood pressure.
There are many online resources to learn more about High Blood Pressure and it’s Complications.
The American Heart Association
Mayo Clinic
National Institute of Health
World Health Organization
WebMD
Your health care provider or the Health Department will have pamphlets and other printed information available to you.
Health Screening Clinics. Often organizations will hold free health screenings in your community. Registered Nurses will be available to take your blood pressure and perform other assessment exams to help determine if you have high blood pressure.
If you do have a high reading you will be referred to your primary health provider or clinic for further diagnosis and treatment.
Margaret L. Mitchell, MSRN, CNS
Thought this woukd be a goid place to share this.
Obama Care- What It Means To You
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/03/29/obamacare-in-plain-english-what-it-means-for-you/
It’s time we bulldoz over Republican lies and fearmongering.
Very Good Information Maggie…expecially the web link. Keep up the good work.
Impressive information
“It is amazing that people who think we cannot afford to pay for doctors, hospitals, and medication somehow think that we can afford to pay for doctors, hospitals, medication and a government bureaucracy to administer it” – Thomas Sowell
Thomas Sowell is an example of a so called intellectual, who revels in drawing attention to himself by making ridiculous statements, when we have tens of millions of Americans who have had no health care, in a nation which has those who have no problem with birth, but problem with taking care of those born who are not born to privilege!
I would be wit Mr. Sowell, his line of thinking is logical, unlike “if you want to know whats in the Bill you will have to vote for it” my God what an idiot we have in her.
“Those who pose as the biggest champions of the poor are almost invariably the biggest opponents of means tests. They want bigger government and the poor are just a means to that end. Whether the issue is housing, medical care or innumerable other things, the argument will be made that the poor are unable to get some benefit that the government ought to provide for them. But the minute you accept that, the switch takes place and suddenly we are no longer talking about some benefit confined to the poor but about “universal health care†or “affordable housing†as a “right†for everyone.†– Thomas Sowell