What you should know
High blood pressure is often a silent killer that leads to heart and vascular disease. Adults in Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama are more likely to have high blood pressure (hypertension) than those in other states.
Hypertension is often not felt. Many people don?t know when their blood pressure is high. Hypertension can lead to heart attacks and strokes, major causes of death in the Mid-South. Hypertension can also destroy kidneys and lead to birth defects in newborns.
Surprisingly, many children in the Mid-South develop hypertension in their youth. Excess calorie intake and weight increase their health risks. Daily stress from poor living conditions also contributes to their risk of hypertension. If a kid develops high blood pressure, it?s likely the child will continue to have high blood pressure as an adult.
Your blood pressure is measured by two numbers ? when you heart is beating (the systolic pressure or top measure) and when your heart is at rest between beats (the diastolic pressure or bottom number.) For most adults, a blood pressure below 120 over 80 (120/80) is the ideal blood pressure.
Many people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes have hypertension, high triglycerides, and high cholesterol. They are in danger of developing severe cardiovascular and kidney disease. Intensively treating hypertension in people with kidney disease can greatly decrease the number who lose kidney function and require dialysis.
Medicines for hypertension have saved many lives. Diuretics, beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors are often prescribed.
Natural ways to prevent and reduce hypertension can be as important as medication. Natural treatments include improvements in diet (reduction of salt, saturated fats and excess sugars), increased exercise, and reduction in stress.
A team approach is important for treating hypertension. The team should include you, your primary care provider, your pharmacist, a dietitian, and perhaps a social worker, church health ministry worker, or community health worker.
If you are like many people in the Mid-South, heart and vascular disease are in your future. Heart problems, strokes, and hardened arteries are too common in states along the Mississippi. For maps, see cdc.gov/dhdsp/ and cardiologist.org/heart-disease-in-the-united-states-map.
What you should do
Don?t give wellness lip service. Sincerely commit to improving your daily lifestyle.
Establish solid ways to protect your health. Don?t smoke! Exercise. Eat mainly fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid fatty red meats. Get enough calcium, vitamin D, and folic acid in your diet. Cut down salt, alcohol, sugar and overeating. Learn to enhance flavor with herbs, lemon and salt-free seasonings.
Maintain a regular relationship with the same primary care doctor or nurse and get annual checkups.
Talk to your primary care provider about ways to monitor your blood pressure when you are not in the clinic. You can check it at home, in some stores and churches, and at health fairs.
Take your prescribed medicine to control hypertension, high cholesterol, depression and other health problems. Ask your care provider if you should be taking daily low-dose aspirin.
Get the recommended amount of sleep. Sleeplessness can increase stress and blood pressure.
Consider natural, safe ways to reduce stress. Daily exercise is a key step. Learn meditation. Quiet your life by turning off loud music, constant chatter on the TV, and negative news programs.
Be aware that drugs for managing high blood pressure can have side effects. Most side effects are mild. Keep up your potassium; bananas, yogurt, and spinach are good sources. Talk to your care provider about potential side effects if you are pregnant, take insulin, or have impotency problems.
If you keep getting pressure measures over 120/80, don?t ignore them. Promptly tackle hypertension before it gets worse. Get help for prediabetes symptoms like hypertension, fast weight gain or loss, thirstiness, and high blood sugar.
Prevent hypertension and heart risks at their root ? in childhood. Eating and exercise habits are often established when we are kids. Use a family approach to build healthy habits.
For more information
See cdc.gov/bloodpressure. Also, many local providers help heart and diabetes patients manage their blood pressure and health risks. For recent local ratings of these medical offices and hospitals, visit healthcarequalitymatters.org.
Better Health: Take Charge! is provided by the Healthy Memphis Common Table: healthymemphis.org. This article supports the care and advice of your doctor.
Article source: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/21/get-handle-on-high-blood-pressure-to-avoid/
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