For High Blood Pressure
If you have high blood pressure, your doctor may watch it closely. This is because its a risk factor for heart disease.
Having elevated blood pressure puts you at risk for high blood pressure. If your blood pressure is elevated, your doctor may suggest lifestyle changes like eating a heart-healthy diet, cutting back on alcohol, and exercising regularly. These may help bring your blood pressure numbers down. You may not need prescription medications.
If you have stage 1 hypertension, your doctor may suggest lifestyle changes and medication. They may prescribe a drug like:
Do You Have High Blood Pressure What The Guidelines Say
Your blood pressure is an important part of your overall health.
But what is it? Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels. If it is too high, it can put a strain on your heart and blood vessels, and can lead to increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
Your blood pressure is measured using a device called a sphygmomanometer that cuff that goes around your arm. The measurement then indicates a unit of pressure known as millimeters of mercury . It shows how hard your heart is working to pump blood.
Your blood pressure is written as two numbers. The top number, known as the systolic pressure, measures the force of the blood against the artery walls when the heart contracts to pump blood out. It is working its hardest at that point.
The bottom number is the diastolic pressure, which shows the force of the blood when the heart is resting in between contractions. That number is lower.
Doctors use standard guidelines to determine if your blood pressure falls into a range known as normal. If it is too high and is consistently higher than the guidelines, it known as hypertension.
What Is The Treatment For High Blood Pressure
- limiting your alcohol intake to no more than 2 drinks per day for men, or 1 drink per day for women with high blood pressure
However, lifestyle changes may not be enough. Some people also need medication to help reduce blood pressure levels to normal. While medicines are usually very effective at lowering blood pressure, they may cause side effects in some people.
Usually doctors will start a person on a low dose of a medicine and see how it goes. If it doesnt work well enough, or if there are troublesome side effects, other medicines will be used, sometimes in combination, until the blood pressure is controlled. This can take time. Some people will take medicines for life, although others will find that continuing to lose weight and changing their diet reduces the need for medicines.
Someone whose blood pressure is very high or causing symptoms such as headache, or if they have conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, may need urgent treatment with medicines to bring the blood pressure down to normal levels.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners recommends that you regularly review with your doctor or specialist any medications you are taking for high blood pressure or high cholesterol to assess the ongoing benefits and risks. For further information, visit the Choosing Wisely Australia website.
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What Is High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is recorded with 2 numbers. The systolic pressure is the force at which your heart pumps blood around your body.
The diastolic pressure is the resistance to the blood flow in the blood vessels.
They’re both measured in millimetres of mercury .
As a general guide:
- high blood pressure is considered to be from 140/90mmHg or 150/90mmHg if you’re over the age of 80
- ideal blood pressure is usually considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg, while the target for over-80s is below 150/90mmHg
Blood pressure readings between 120/80mmHg and 140/90mmHg could mean you’re at risk of developing high blood pressure if you do not take steps to keep your blood pressure under control.
Everyone’s blood pressure will be slightly different. What’s considered low or high for you may be normal for someone else.
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What Does A Blood Pressure Reading Of 124/80 Mean
Readings between 120/80 and 139/89 indicate Pre-Hypertension or High Normal blood pressure. The good news is you dont have hypertension. However, your blood pressure is higher than recommended for most adults.
Research suggests that people with pre-hypertension are more likely to have a heart attack or stroke compared to those with lower blood pressure.
What Is Blood Pressure And Why Is This Important
Blood is pumped through our bloodstream by the heart. This creates pressure on the vessel walls. If the arteries are elastic, this pressure can be cushioned well.
With age, the elasticity of the blood vessels decreases. Their ability to expand is reduced and your blood pressure will rise. This can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. It can even lead to a heart attack or a stroke.
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Regular Blood Pressure Checks If Diagnosed With High Blood Pressure
If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, your blood pressure will need to be closely monitored until it is brought under control.
After your blood pressure has been controlled, your GP or practice nurse will measure your blood pressure at agreed regular intervals .
It is important you attend these appointments to ensure your blood pressure is being maintained within an acceptable range.
The Blood Pressure Chart
Once you know your numbers, you can use the blood pressure chart to see what they mean and if your blood pressure is in the healthy range. The chart is suitable for adults of any age, as the cut-off point for diagnosing high blood pressure doesnt change with age.
How to use the blood pressure chart
Simply find your top number on the left side of the chart and your bottom number on the bottom. Where the two lines meet is your blood pressure.
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And Why Should This All Matter To You
Mountains of research over time have shown a very clear link between high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. A 20-point higher systolic blood pressure or a 10-point higher diastolic blood pressure is associated with double your risk of death from a heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular complication . What many people dont realize is that those who survive these events find their lives permanently altered by disability and medical complications.
Much is being made of the fact that the new definitions of high blood pressure will mean roughly half of all US citizens will be considered to have high blood pressure, but when you really look at the numbers, as cardiologists already have, not that many more people will actually be advised to take medications. Although the public has good reason to be suspicious of “big pharma,” thats not what this is about.
Diet and lifestyle changes are powerful medicine. Even if your blood pressure is normal now, you can help to prevent it from becoming elevated starting today. Eat more fruits, veggies, and whole grains, and limit foods high in sodium and unhealthy fats. Be as physically active as possible.
There is a lot more in the very long, detailed executive summary, including specific guidance for various populations, myriad diseases, and special circumstances, but this is the gist of it. The document is free, and available here.
What Do Blood Pressure Numbers Mean
Blood pressure readings are composed of two numbersfor example, 120/80 mm Hg. Both numbers are an important part of your blood pressure reading.
The top number measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. The bottom number measures the pressure in your arteries between each heart beat.
The standard unit of measure, mm Hg, stands for “millimeters of mercury.” Mercury pressure gauges have been replaced with electronic pressure gauges, but the abbreviation is still used.
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Risks Of High Blood Pressure
If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs, such as the brain, kidneys and eyes.
Persistent high blood pressure can increase your risk of a number of serious and potentially life-threatening health conditions, such as:
- have a relative with high blood pressure
- are of black African or black Caribbean descent
- live in a deprived area
Making healthy lifestyle changes can sometimes help reduce your chances of getting high blood pressure and help lower your blood pressure if it’s already high.
What Is A Normal Blood Pressure Reading
You can get a blood pressure reading with various blood pressure monitors at Urgent Care NYC. These include a wrist monitor, an ambulatory blood pressure monitor, or the good old fashioned kind complete with inflatable ball and mercury bubble. No matter which monitor you use, however, a normal blood pressure reading will always fall within a certain range. To understand what makes up a normal blood pressure reading, its important to know what blood pressure is. The heart pumps blood through the four heart chambers and into major arteries that transport blood throughout the body via the circulatory system. Each time the heart muscle contracts, it creates pressure known as systolic blood pressure. This pressure is measured to produce the first numbers got through a blood pressure reading. When the heart muscle relaxes, between beats, is the moment that systolic blood pressure can be measured.
Blood Pressure Range
For most healthy people, blood pressure falls within a certain range. Those who suffer from stress, high cholesterol or obesity often have increased heart rates that are known as high blood pressure. On the other end of the range, some people also suffer from low blood pressure, but this is almost always because of illness or blood loss. Extremely low blood pressure can cause shock and in the end, death.
Blood Pressure in Children
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How Blood Pressure Is Measured
A doctor or nurse will measure your blood pressure with a small gauge attached to an inflatable cuff. It’s simple and painless.
The person taking your blood pressure wraps the cuff around your upper arm. Some cuffs go around the forearm or wrist, but often they aren’t as accurate.
Your doctor or nurse will use a stethoscope to listen to the blood moving through your artery.
Theyâll inflate the cuff to a pressure higher than your systolic blood pressure, and it will tighten around your arm. Then theyâll release it. As the cuff deflates, the first sound they hear through the stethoscope is the systolic blood pressure. It sounds like a whooshing noise. The point where this noise goes away marks the diastolic blood pressure.
In a blood pressure reading, the systolic number always comes first, and then the diastolic number. For example, your numbers may be “120 over 80” or written as 120/80.
How Common Is High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a common condition, it is estimated that 18% of adult men and 13% of adult women have high blood pressure but are not getting treatment for it.
In 90-95% of cases, there is no single identifiable reason for a rise in blood pressure. But all available evidence shows that lifestyle plays a significant role in regulating your blood pressure.
Risk factors for high blood pressure include:
- being overweight
- excessive alcohol consumption.
Also, for reasons not fully understood, people of Afro-Caribbean and South Asian origin are more likely to develop high blood pressure than other ethnic groups.
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What Are Some Healthy Lifestyle Changes To Improve Low Blood Pressure Long
Controlling low blood pressure naturally can sometimes be challenging, but equally doable with the right self-intervention measures. Numerous studies say regular exercise can have positive effects on cardiovascular health, which in turn can balance low blood pressure. However, individuals should avoid exercising in extreme heat and outdoors, especially during the summer months. Researchers also advise against prolonged rest and spending long hours in the steam room, sauna, or hot tub. Also, compression socks can improve blood flow throughout the body and boost blood pressure levels.
What Does The Diastolic Blood Pressure Number Mean
The diastolic reading, or the bottom number, is the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats. This is the time when the heart fills with blood and gets oxygen.
This is what your diastolic blood pressure number means:
- Normal: Lower than 80
- Stage 2 hypertension: 90 or more
- Hypertensive crisis: 120 or more. Call 911.
Our chart below has more details.
Even if your diastolic number is normal , you can have elevated blood pressure if the systolic reading is 120-129.
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What You Should Know About A Blood Pressure Of 124/93
The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association have created blood pressure guidelines to assist in the definition of hypertension and its treatment decision-making process. Stage one hypertension is the intermediary stage between the elevated blood pressure stage, which covers systolic pressures ranging from 120-129 mmHg and diastolic pressures under 80 mmHg, and stage two hypertension, which covers systolic pressures of 140 mmHg and up and/or diastolic pressures of 90 mmHg and up.
When your blood pressure readings consistently, meaning at least two reliable readings on two separate occasions, read 130-139 mmHg systolic pressure or 80-89 mmHg diastolic pressure, its considered hypertension stage one.
What Does It Mean If You Fall Into The New Guidelines
With these new guidelines, it is estimated that about 14 percent of people will now be classified as having hypertension many of those individuals may be younger. However, only a small percentage will require intervention by medication. Individuals who now fall into a hypertensive category will receive more aggressive prevention interventions, like lifestyle changes.
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What Is Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is a measurement of the extent of the force of blood on your blood vessel walls as your heart pumps. Its measured in millimeters of mercury .
Systolic blood pressure is the top number in a reading. It measures the pressure on blood vessels as your heart squeezes blood out to your body.
Diastolic blood pressure is the bottom number in a reading. It measures the pressure on blood vessels in between heartbeats while your heart fills up with blood returning from your body.
Its important to manage your blood pressure.
Hypotension, or blood pressure thats too low, can cause serious symptoms, like dizziness or fainting. Severely low blood pressure can damage organs by depriving them of blood flow and oxygen.
Hypertension, or blood pressure thats too high, can put you at risk for:
Here Is Information About One Of The Most Dangerous And Sneakiest Health Conditions: Blood Pressure
What is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is a measure of how hard your blood pushes against your arteries as it moves through your body. High blood pressure occurs when your blood pressure, the force of your blood against the walls of your blood vessels, is consistently too high. High blood pressure is harmful because it makes the heart work harder and less efficiently.
Why blood pressure matters
High blood pressure can cause significant damage to your eyes, kidneys, brain and blood vessels. Left untreated, it can lead to kidney failure or vision loss. High blood pressure also can affect your ability to think, remember and learn. There’s even a type of dementia vascular dementia caused by high blood pressure.
High blood pressure is one of the most dangerous health conditions because of how sneaky it can be. You can have high blood pressure for years without experiencing any symptoms. Even without symptoms, damage to your heart can still occur. Fortunately, high blood pressure can be easily detected. And once you know you have high blood pressure, you can work with your health care provider to control it.
How is blood pressure measured?
Blood pressure is traditionally measured using an inflatable cuff around your arm. The cuff is inflated, and the cuff gently tightens on your arm. The air in the cuff is slowly released and a small gauge measures your blood pressure.
Your blood pressure is recorded as two numbers:
What is considered normal?
What you can do
Know your numbers
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How To Measure Blood Pressure
There are a few ways to check your blood pressure. For example, your doctor can check your blood pressure in their office. Many pharmacies also offer free blood pressure monitoring stations.
You can also check it at home using home blood pressure monitors. These are available for purchase from pharmacies and medical supply stores.
The recommends using an automatic home blood pressure monitor that measures blood pressure on your upper arm. Wrist or finger blood pressure monitors are also available but may not be as accurate.
When taking your blood pressure, make sure you take the following steps:
- Sit still, with your back straight, feet supported, and legs uncrossed.
- Keep your upper arm at heart level.
- Have the middle of the cuff rest directly above the elbow.
- Avoid exercise, caffeine, or smoking for 30 minutes before you take your blood pressure.