Hypertension, or high blood pressure, occurs when the force that your blood exerts on the walls of your veins and arteries is high enough to negatively affect your health. This condition is exceptionally common, affecting some 68 millions Americans, almost 20% of whom are unaware they have it.
Left unchecked, hypertension can set the stage for aneurysm, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, dementia, and narrowing of the blood vessels in your eyes and kidneys.
Controlling your blood pressure is important for preventing hypertension and its many serious complications. Residents of the Lanham, Maryland area looking for ways to treat hypertension can find help with Kadie E. Leach, MD, and her skilled medical team.
There’s also a lot you can do at home to manage and improve this illness. Let’s examine this further by looking at what blood pressure is, what the numbers in a reading mean, and ways to lower it and improve your health.
Your circulatory system is made up of your heart and the blood vessels (veins and arteries), and “pressure” is the mechanism that moves nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood throughout your body. Consistent, unencumbered blood flow is vital to maintaining normal, healthy circulation, and the system is commonly compared to the movement of water in plumbing.
Your heart pumps blood with every beat, or contraction. Your blood pressure changes for a variety of reasons throughout the day depending on the kinds of activities you’re engaged in, from sitting and sleeping to exercising and experiencing an emotional reaction. When your blood pressure is higher than normal on a regular basis, regardless of activity, you may have hypertension.
When you receive a blood pressure reading, the numbers represent two separate activities: systolic and diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure refers to arterial pressure during each heartbeat, and diastolic pressure refers to arterial pressure at rest, or between heartbeats.
This means that 120/80 (considered to be normal blood pressure) is literally stated as 120 systolic pressure over 80 diastolic pressure, normally said as 120 over 80. The pressure is measured in mmHg, which means millimeters of mercury.
Here are some effective lifestyle strategies that promote healthy blood pressure levels:
Losing excess body weight can have several positive benefits for your health, including helping to regulate blood pressure. Just reducing excess weight by 5-10 pounds can improve your blood pressure numbers significantly.
Engaging in regular exercise and becoming more physically active throughout the day fosters optimal circulation and helps regulate blood pressure. Physical activity also temporarily raises your heart and breathing rates, which strengthens your heart so it pumps more efficiently with less strain. Getting at least 40 minutes of moderately intense or vigorous exercise most days of the week can make a world of difference in your heart health.
Switching to a diet that minimizes added sugars, refined carbohydrates, processed food, and sodium and emphasizes whole, fiber-rich foods, high-quality lean proteins, and potassium can have a significant positive effect on blood pressure regulation.
Smoking is dangerous to your body for many reasons, including the damaging effects it has on both your blood vessels and blood pressure. Besides raising your blood pressure, tobacco use causes inflammation in arteries and veins that can inflict far-reaching, long-term damage on your entire circulatory system.
Stress can be directly responsible for raising blood pressure. If you have work and/or home issues that make you feel anxious and worried, keeping your blood pressure under control becomes all the more important. To reduce stress and prevent blood pressure spikes, make a calming activity like reading, deep breathing, mediation, or stretching part of each day.
Any of these changes can work with medications and other treatments to keep your blood pressure under control and help you stay healthy. If you’re dealing with high blood pressure, we can help. Call or click online to make an appointment with Dr. Leach today.
