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Understanding High Blood Pressure — and Lowering It
A blood pressure reading is one of the medical procedures we come to expect from our healthcare providers. But how seriously do you take these readings? Sometimes people may hear the numbers with little understanding of what they mean or even what to do about them.
Though sometimes taken for granted, maintaining a healthy blood pressure is a crucial part of living a healthy lifestyle — neglecting it can lead to a wide range of serious health consequences affecting far more than just your heart.
Understanding your blood pressure readings
When your healthcare provider reads your blood pressure to you, how do you know what constitutes a good reading? The American Heart Association compiled this helpful data to help explain the different levels of blood pressure readings, ranging from healthy to emergency situations.
| Blood Pressure Category | Systolic mm Hg (upper number) |
and/or | Diastolic mm Hg (lower number) |
| Normal | Less than 120 | and | Less than 80 |
| Elevated | 120-129 | and | Less than 80 |
| High blood pressure (hypertension) stage 1 |
130-139 | or | 80-89 |
| High blood pressure (hypertension) stage 2 |
140 or higher | or | 90 or higher |
| Hypertensive crisis (consult your doctor immediately!) |
Higher than 180 | and/or | Higher than 120 |
Risks from high blood pressure
As with any health condition, high blood pressure is not something to be ignored. Untreated, high blood pressure can lead to any number of serious or even fatal conditions. According to the American Heart Association, these may include any of the following:
- Heart attack — High blood pressure can damage your arteries, which can lead to a blockage and hinder blood flow to the heart.
- Stroke — The blood vessels in your brain can also be damaged by high blood pressure, which could in turn lead to clogging and bursting.
- Heart failure — The higher your blood pressure is, the harder your heart must work. If your heart works too hard, it can enlarge and eventually fail.
- Kidney disease or failure — The arteries around your kidneys are also affected by high blood pressure. Just like the arteries around your heart, these arteries can become damaged, which consequently prevents your kidneys from effectively filtering blood.
- Vision loss — As the blood vessels in your brain can become strained and damaged, so too can the blood vessels in your eyes, leading to reduced vision or total loss of vision.
- Sexual dysfunction — Your sex life can also fall victim to high blood pressure. Lack of blood flow to certain parts of the body can lead to erectile dysfunction in men and a reduced libido in women.
- Angina — A form of chest pain, angina is caused by heart disease or microvascular disease, both of which are a result of high blood pressure.
- Peripheral artery disease — Caused by atherosclerosis, peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a narrowing of the peripheral arteries that carry blood from the heart to other parts of the body, particularly the legs, arms, stomach, and head, resulting in pain and fatigue.
Lowering your blood pressure
If you receive a high blood pressure reading, don’t panic. Lowering your blood pressure can be as easy as making a few lifestyle changes, including:
- Eating a well-balanced, low-salt diet.
- Limiting alcohol consumption.
- Exercising regularly.
- Managing your stress.
- Maintaining a healthy weight.
- Quitting smoking.
- Taking prescribed medication.
- Scheduling regular checkups with your healthcare provider.
If you or a loved one wants to learn more about the cardiac providers and services available, contact Culbertson Memorial Hospital.