Millions worldwide suffer from hypertension, commonly referred to as high blood pressure. Unfortunately, many more may have undiagnosed high blood pressure, since it often presents without symptoms. Why should you be concerned?
If your blood pressure is not controlled, it can result in damage to your heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other organs. Since many individuals experience no symptoms, this damage can be occurring at this very moment, without you knowing it. For this reason, hypertension is often called the "silent killer." Therefore, you should go for frequent screenings of your blood pressure. Home blood pressure cuffs are also available, which are easy to use and allow for monitoring of your blood pressure from the comfort of your own home.
What is a "normal" blood pressure:
Blood pressure is given as a series of two numbers. Traditionally, a blood pressure of 120/80 has been used as the standard cutoff for determining elevated blood pressure. However, "normal" blood pressure is when the top number (systolic blood pressure) is LESS THAN 120, and the bottom number (diastolic blood pressure) is LESS THAN 80. Systolic blood pressure represents the force of the blood on the walls of the arteries when the heart beats, while the diastolic blood pressure represents the force between beats.
- stay active
- achieve a healthy weight
- limit salt/sodium intake
- eat healthy
- limit alcohol
- take prescription medication if prescribed by physician
For more information, visit http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
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