When we talk about "blood pressure" it refers to the pressure of the blood against the walls of the blood vessels. We all need some blood pressure, called "normal blood pressure", to stay alive, but blood pressure levels that are too much higher than normal can be dangerous. A healthy lifestyle helps keep blood pressure normal. Everyone's blood pressure varies with their daily activities. For example, our blood pressure is usually lower during sleep and higher when we are excited anxious or active. But it is when blood pressure is constantly higher, or lower, than the normal range that causes serious problems. The medical term for high blood pressure is "Hypertension".
Signs and Symptoms
Most people with high blood pressure have no symptoms and feel well. However, over time, constantly high blood pressure can cause heart and blood vessel disease and lead to problems such as Brain damage- stroke, dementia;
heart damage- heart attack, heart failure; kidney damage or blindness.
Signs and symptoms of high blood pressure may
include:shortness of breath, irregular heart beat (palpitations), blurred vision, dizziness, repeated nose bleeds, repeated or prolonged headaches, diastolic pressure consistently above 90mmHg and systolic pressure consistently above 140mmHg.
The only way to find out if blood pressure is high is to measure it. It is recommended that adults have their blood pressure measured regularly, to detect high blood pressure before any damage is done. If your blood pressure is normal and you have no other factors that increase your
risk of developing heart and blood vessel disease, the Heart Foundation recommends a blood pressure check every 1-2 years. If your blood pressure is high, or you have other risk factors more frequent checks are recommended and should be discussed with your doctor.
Measuring Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is usually measured by wrapping an inflatable cuff around the upper arm. The cuff is connected to a measuring device called a "sphygmomanometer" and measures the pressure of the blood flow in the vessels by recording two measurements. The top number represents the SYSTOLIC Blood Pressure - the pressure inside the artery when the heart beats, and the bottom number represents the DIASTOLIC Blood Pressure - the pressure inside the arteries as the heart relaxes between beats. The "ideal " blood pressure measurement is 120/80, but not everybody will record this. Blood pressure will vary between individuals and each will have a different normal level, but it will be somewhere near this "ideal " figure.
Lifestyle factors that impact on blood pressure
Our lifestyle can significantly affect our blood pressure and also the health of our heart and blood vessels. Lifestyle factors that can contribute to high blood pressure and to heart and blood vessels disease include: too much
salt in diet; too much fat in diet; being overweight; drinking too much alcohol; not enough physical activity; smoking and stress. The risks of high blood pressure and heart and blood vessel disease increase with age and are also higher for people who: have a family history of hypertension; have certain medicals conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnoea and take certain medications - such as oral contraceptives.
A healthy lifestyle is very important to help prevent or control high blood pressure and to reduce the risks of heart and blood vessel disease. Eat a healthy, balanced range of foods with lots of vegetables, fruits, legumes and grain based foods. Limit or avoid all together highly salted foods and don't add salt to your food - use other flavourings instead like herbs, spices, vinegar, lemon juice, onion and garlic. Limit foods high in fats, especially saturated and trans fats and just have moderate or small amount of foods containing poly and mono-unsaturated fats. Keep to a healthy body weight. Limit alcohol as much as possible. Don't smoke. Manage stress levels. And exercise regularly - The heart Foundation recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise on all or most days of the week.
Information supported by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Feb 2011
Body Creation - Steve Grigoropoulos 0419 348 838