Blood pressure is the force of blood pressing against the walls of your arteries- much like the pressure of water in a garden hose. You need some blood pressure to move blood through the arteries to where it is needed. However too much pressure can over time lead to:
- Damage and hardening of the arteries
- Weakening of the artery walls making them more likely to burst
- Promotion of fatty plaque buildup which narrows the arteries and restricts blood flow
- Increased amount of work the heart has to do
Blood pressure is measured with a sphygmomanometer, also known as a blood pressure cuff. Systolic blood pressure (top number) is the pressure in your arteries when the heart contracts and the diastolic (bottom number) is the pressure remaining in your arteries when the heart relaxes between beats. Normal BP is less than 120/80
There are several risk factors for high blood pressure and they can be either modifiable or non-modifiable.
Non-modifiable (things you cannot change) risk factors include:
- Family history
- Age
- Race
Modifiable (things you can change) risk factors include:
- Inactivity
- Being overweight
- Poor diet
- Smoking
- Stress
Sometimes high blood pressure can be managed with lifestyle change and sometimes medications need to be added in addition to lifestyle changes. MAWDS is an acronym for:
MAWDS= medication, active, weight, diet, smoking and stress
Medications- there are a variety of medications available to treat high blood pressure and your provider will select the right medication for your unique health situation.
Activity – 30 minutes most days of moderate aerobic activity is recommended
Weight-There are two common measures used by healthcare providers to help determine if you are at an unhealthy weight body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference.
Diet- What you eat and drink can have a big effect on you blood pressure. Build a better diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, more whole grains, and choose heart healthy proteins. The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is an eating plan promoted by the National Institutes of Health. It has been proven to lower blood pressure especially when combined with salt restriction.
Other things you can do if you are diagnosed with HBP:
- Take medications as directed
- Follow-up with your provider often
- Choose a home monitor
- Measure your BP at home