Listen Up – High Blood Pressure is Dangerous

Most people who have high blood pressure do not have any symptoms and have little way of knowing how the condition is potentially damaging their arteries by making them less elastic, which decreases the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart and leads to disease.

Left untreated, high blood pressure significantly increases the risk of having a heart attack, stroke, brain aneurysm, heart failure, kidney failure, clogged arteries, vision loss, and dementia. It’s silent, until one day it isn’t.

A simple, one-minute blood pressure check can sound the alarm on high blood pressure and stave off that day, specifically with the implementation of tried-and-true methods to lower blood pressure and the risk of heart disease and other afflictions.

Individuals with elevated blood pressure should make changes to their lifestyle, including limiting salt in their diet, increasing exercise, losing weight if appropriate (even 10 fewer pounds can lower blood pressure), quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol intake to one to two drinks per day.

Medications will likely be prescribed for those with high blood pressure who also have cardiac risk factors and/or a family history of heart disease. Taking the appropriate medicine can improve blood pressure and health outcomes. Talk to a doctor to determine which medication may be best for you ‒ you can find a Southwestern Medical Center practitioner by clicking here.

The most important thing you can do during May, or any month, is to go to a doctor and have your blood pressure checked. If your blood pressure is high (or low), your doctor can help figure out why and advise on what you need to do to get your blood pressure where it needs to be (typically, that’s around 120 over 80).

And if you are thinking this doesn’t apply to me, know this: nearly half of all American adults have high blood pressure. As the saying goes, “check yourself before you wreck yourself.”