Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 12 : Spring 2012 | Page 70

Your Blood Pressure
What Is Your Doctor Measuring?
by Professional Home Nursing

Blood pressure is measuring the force of the blood
pushing against the walls of your arteries as the heart
beats and pumps the blood out of your heart to the rest of
your body. STATISTICS: 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. have
high blood pressure. High blood pressure usually has no
symptoms, but rarely people will complain of a headache.
Most people learn they have hypertension at a routine
exam or when seen for other health problems. Systolic (top
number) measures the pressure when the heart beats while
pumping blood. Diastolic (bottom number) measures the
pressure when the heart is at rest between beats.

Pre-high blood pressure means you are likely to end
up with high blood pressure unless you take steps to prevent
it. See your doctor and follow the recommendations. You
will always have a diagnosis of high blood pressure, once
your doctor has determined you have high blood pressure,
even after your blood pressure is under control. Do not
stop your medications unless your doctor directs you to
stop them. You may have high blood pressure if only the
systolic (top number) or the diastolic (bottom number)
is high. You do not have to be considered high on both
numbers to have high blood pressure. Diabetics with a
blood pressure of 130/80 or higher are considered to have
high blood pressure.

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SPRING 2012

Potential risk factors for developing high blood
pressure include: chronic kidney disease, thyroid disease,
sleep apnea, use of asthma corticosteroid, cold relief
products, and birth control or hormone replacement
medications, pregnancy, family history: males over 45,
females over 55, or all Americans over 60, stress, lifestyle
such as overuse of alcohol, lack of exercise, smoking, lack of
potassium in diet, and Obesity.

Complications of high blood pressure include: an
enlarged heart that weakens and can lead to heart failure also
called CHF, aneurysms which is an abnormal “ballooning”
of the wall of the artery, narrowing of the blood vessels in
the kidney that can lead to various degrees of kidney failure,
narrowing of other blood vessels throughout the body
which can limit the flow of blood to the heart, brain and
legs, increased risk for heart attack, stroke, kidney disease or
amputations, visual changes

Possible treatments include: lifestyle changes and
medications, healthy eating that includes reduction in
red meats, low-sodium diets (no more than 1 tsp. of salt
daily) as well as at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise
on most days. This may be achieved by dancing, brisk
walking, bike riding, working in a garden, cleaning house,
or bowling. Jogging, swimming, or playing sports could be
considered more intense exercise and my not be appropriate
for everyone. - Any level of exercise should be approved by
your physician, manage your stress or learn to cope with
stress - limit alcohol drinks: men no more than two a day
and women no more than one a day