Pomperaug District Department of Health

High Blood Pressure Fact Sheet

 

What is High Blood Pressure?

           Blood Pressure is the force that blood exerts against the walls of your blood vessels during each heartbeat. The heart creates this force as it pumps the blood to all parts of your body. High Blood pressure occurs when the blood vessels become narrower. The narrower your blood vessels, the harder your heart has to work to move the same amount of blood throughout your body.

 

Blood pressure often goes up and down during the day. When it goes up and stays high, then it is high blood pressure, or hypertension. Hypertension is often called the “silent killer” because it may cause no symptoms for a long time. If high blood pressure is not treated it can cause damage to the kidneys, blood vessels, and heart. It is a leading cause of heart attacks and strokes.

 

The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have it measured. Blood pressure measurement gives two numbers. The numbers are written like a fraction. The top number is the systolic pressure – the pressure of the blood while your heart is beating. The bottom number is the diastolic pressure – the pressure of the blood while your heart is resting between beats.

 

What should my blood pressure level be?

The chart below shows blood pressure categories for adults 18 and older. If your systolic and diastolic pressures fall into different categories, you overall status is the higher category.

 

 

Systolic Pressure

 

Diastolic Pressure

Optimal Blood Pressure

< 120

and

< 80

Normal Blood Pressure

< 130

and

< 85

High-Normal Blood Pressure

130 - 139

or

85 - 89

High Blood Pressure

> 140

or

> 90

 

             It takes at least two elevated blood pressure readings before a diagnosis of hypertension can be made.

 

What are the risk factors for high blood pressure?

          About 90% of the cases of high blood pressure have no known cause. However, there are some controllable factors that increase the chance of developing high blood pressure:

              •     Obesity

                  •     Eating too much salt

                  •     Alcohol (heavy and regular use)

                  •     Lack of exercise

                  •     Stress

 

            There are also some factors that you cannot control:

              •     Race

              •     Heredity

              •     Age

 

 

What can be done about high blood pressure?

 

           Diet

                  Cutting back on salt and sodium may help reduce your blood pressure. You should eat no more than 6 grams of salt a day, which equals about 2400 milligrams of sodium. When watching salt intake, remember to watch out for processed foods.  Other healthy eating habits include choosing foods that are low in calories and fat. You should also choose foods that are high in starch and fiber.

 

             Weight Loss

              Many people with high blood pressure are also overweight. Often when people lose weight, their blood pressure drops automatically. Keeping your weight in the desirable range is not only important to prevent high blood pressure, but also for your overall health and well being.

 

                  To lose weight you need to eat fewer calories than you burn. It is important to have healthy eating habits. Along with watching the type of food you eat, it is also important to watch how much you eat. The healthiest and longest-lasting weight loss happens when you do it slowly, losing 1-1.5 pounds a weeks. Crash diets are not healthy.

 

                  To burn calories, you need to increase your physical activity.

 

           Exercise

              Make exercise a part of your lifestyle. Aerobic activities such as brisk walking, swimming and biking are all good choices. Even light activities such as yard work, golfing, or dancing can be beneficial. Try to find ways to make yourself move – take the stairs instead of the elevator or park farther away from the store or office. Remember to see your doctor before beginning any vigorous exercise program.

 

          Medication

                  In addition to healthy eating habits and exercise, some people may need to take medication to control their high blood pressure. There are many different kinds of medications – some get rid of excess fluid and salt; others open up narrowed blood vessels and others prevent blood vessels from narrowing. You may need a trial period on various medications before the doctor finds the best medicine for you. The most important thing to remember about medications is to make sure you take it as prescribed, even if you are feeling well.