What is Blood Pressure
Everyone has 'blood pressure'. It is a
measure of how hard your heart has to work in order to pump blood around
your body.
Measurement of blood pressure
Two different numbers measure your blood
pressure level:
- One number records the blood pressure
as it is pumped out from your heart. This is called systolic
pressure.
- Another number records the pressure
when your heart relaxes.
This is called diastolic pressure.
Normal blood pressure levels
The 'normal' level is usually said to be
120 (systolic) over 80 (diastolic), although this varies with age, stress
and activity. If your blood pressure is higher than 140/90, you should
have a chat with your doctor.
How to find out if your blood pressure
is high
A person with high blood pressure can look
and feel perfectly OK. There are usually very few obvious symptoms. The
only way to tell what your blood pressure is, is to have it measured.
So if you haven't had it checked in the last couple of years, get it checked.
If you are aged 40 or over, you should get it checked about once a year,
especially if you smoke or suffer from obesity or drink to excess.
If you have high blood pressure
The most important thing is, DON'T PANIC!
High blood pressure is relatively common and is caused by a variety of
factors. Fortunately, it usually responds very well to proper treatment,
so like I say - don't worry!
Causes of high blood pressure
Usually, there is no single cause: a variety
of factors are involved.
For example:
- Family history
- Being overweight
- High alcohol intake
- High sodium diet (e.g. eating too much salt)
- Low potassium diet (e.g. eating too little fruit & vegetables)
- Getting older
The effect of high blood pressure
High blood pressure adds to the workload
of the heart and arteries. Over time, this can lead to an increased likelihood
of heart attacks and strokes.
How to reduce high blood pressure
Family history of high blood pressure
If you have a family history of high blood pressure and your own blood
pressure is high, your doctor may recommend drug treatment. This will
usually be for life, although the risk of a stroke or heart attack is
usually greatly reduced.
No family history
If your blood pressure is high but you don't have a history of high blood
pressure in your family, your doctor may still recommend drug treatment.
However, in most cases, your doctor will advise you to adopt a healthier
lifestyle along the following line:
- Quit smoking
Smoking and high blood pressure are two serious factors for heart disease
and stroke. Smoking 20 cigarettes a day gives you twice the normal risk
of a heart attack and five times the risk of a stroke.
- Avoid being overweight
High blood pressure and stokes are twice as common in obese people.
Diabetes is four times more common in middle-aged obese people.
- Eat less salt, and more fruit & vegetables
Switch to low-sodium brands of salt. Don't add too much salt to food,
especially processed food (processed food often contains high levels
of salt). Spice your food with other ingredients.
- Regular amounts of fresh fruit & vegetables help to maintain
a normal blood pressure. They also help protect you against heart disease
and cancer. So make lots of home-made soup (disguises the taste of green
vegetables!) and eat lots of chopped fruit (chopped fruit is less frightening
than whole pieces of fruit!)
- Go easy on alcohol
Try to keep your intake below these recommended upper limits
For men - 3 units per day.
For women - 2 units per day.
[1 unit = half pint of beer, or 1 glass of wine; 1.5 units = 1 measure
of spirits]
- Get more active
Long term regular physical activity can lower your blood pressure. Provided
you take it slowly to begin with and gradually build up to about 20-30
minutes a day, exercise has enormous benefit. Always consult your doctor
before starting any exercise program.
- Learn to relax
Stress is a major contributory factor to disease. Exactly how it affects
blood pressure is not known, but anything that helps to ease your mind
and reduce worry is GOOD. So go with the flow and start relaxing.
Diet and
Blood Pressure Links
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