May is National High Blood Pressure Education Month

Many people have high blood pressure, and its associated health risks, even if they don’t realize it. Estimates suggest nearly half of adults in the United States live with high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. In May, we focus on educating people about the disease and what you can do to lower your risk factors or manage it. Fortunately, there are many ways to manage high blood pressure through lifestyle choices, as well as medications to treat it.

High blood pressure creates continual stress on your body, as the force of the blood flowing through your arteries is too high. This is influenced by both the amount of blood your heart pumps and how narrow your arteries are. More blood creates more force, and narrow arteries create more force as well. 

Often, high blood pressure carries no symptoms and is only found through routine screenings at a doctor’s office. Whether or not you have symptoms, high blood pressure damages the circulatory system, which raises risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney disease, vision loss, and other types of heart disease. Being aware of your blood pressure levels and taking steps to lower high blood pressure is important to your overall health. 

For some patients, medication is required to lower their blood pressure. For others, lifestyle changes can improve it. Many of those changes work together and support each other. Because blood pressure increases with weight, one of the most effective ways of lowering blood pressure is weight loss. In particular, extra weight around your waistline increases your risk for high blood pressure. 

Working in tandem with weight loss, diet and exercise also help lower blood pressure. Just 30 minutes of physical activity most weekdays can lower your blood pressure to safer levels. Exercise includes any movement that gets your heart pumping to an aerobic level, including walking, biking, swimming, or dancing. Eating a healthy diet that is high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and low in saturated fats and salt can reduce your blood pressure as well. 

Other lifestyle factors like stress, alcohol use, and smoking also contribute to blood pressure issues. One of the most important things to remember is to be aware of your blood pressure numbers, since hypertension often shows no symptoms. Regular checkups with your primary care doctor or a specialist are critical for monitoring your blood pressure. 

If you have a history of high blood pressure and need a physician who can help monitor the condition, contact Oklahoma Heart Hospital to schedule an appointment with one of our physicians.