STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Some of my EMT students were recently learning how to measure blood pressure and were practicing on each other. This lesson may have saved the life of one of them.
As a female student was measuring the blood pressure of a 23-year-old classmate, we noticed that she took his pressure over and over. Then, with a puzzled look on her face, she said to us, “Could one of you check this? I don’t think I’m getting his pressure right.”
We did check it and confirmed that this young man had a very high blood pressure — 180/114. He was sent to the doctor immediately.
To see this student you would not think to yourself, ‘Hmmm, high blood pressure.’ He is young, appears healthy and slender, and doesn’t smoke. Did he know about his blood pressure?
“No,” he replied. He then went on to say that he wasn’t really surprised about it, since most of his older family members had high blood pressure (aka hypertension). He came back a few days later with a new prescription and, hopefully, a plan to keep his blood pressure under control.
Could you be someone with undiagnosed high blood pressure? According to recent statistics from the American Heart Association (AHA), one in three adults has high blood pressure. More than half of the known cases of high blood pressure are not controlled. Why is that so important?
Take this true-or-false quiz to test your knowledge about hypertension.
1. There are fewer deaths directly related to high blood pressure today than 10 years ago.
2. High blood pressure is equally prevalent in all races.
3. Hot tubs can be risky for people with high blood pressure.
4. You can usually tell if you have high blood pressure by experiencing headaches or fatigue.
5. Fatty fish such as salmon should be avoided.
6. While keeping your weight within healthy limits can help control your blood pressure, if you’re slender that doesn’t mean you’re in the clear.
1. False. Surprisingly, between 1996 and 2006 cases of hypertension rose 19.5 percent and deaths due to hypertension rose 48 percent.
2. False. African Americans have the highest rate of high blood pressure and, as a result, also have a higher rate of complications and death due to heart disease and other long-term effects of uncontrolled hypertension.
3. True. This may surprise some of you, but if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, going in and out of a hot tub can cause your blood pressure to increase significantly, especially if you are going from hot to cold to hot. If your pressure is well controlled, a moderate trip to the hot tub should be safe, but clear it with your doctor.
4. False. Unless your pressure is enough to be at immediate risk for stroke or death, you probably will not notice any changes. For this reason, it’s important to monitor your blood pressure often and get it treated if it is high. Long-term treatment is pretty typical. Keeping it under control is the key. If the medicine has unpleasant side effects, talk with your doctor who can replace it with something else.
5. False. The fats in salmon, herring, and trout, for example, are rich in omega 3 fatty acids — a benefit for blood pressure control. Eat at least two servings a week.
6. True. The previously mentioned student is slender, young and appears healthy, but he had a dangerously high blood pressure. Untreated, this can lead to blood vessel damage, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and other complications.
So how high is too high? The AHA says that if your systolic (top number) is less than 120, you’re OK. Between 120 and 130 and you’re “pre-hypertension.” If your systolic number is over 140, you have high blood pressure.
For the lower number, 79 is the cutoff for acceptable. Between 80 and 89 and your doctor may issue a warning to change your lifestyle. Numbers higher than 90 mean you need immediate treatment to avoid damaging organs and blood vessels.
High blood pressure is common and manageable. See your doctor. Get it checked. If you need medication, use it until or unless your doctor tells you that you no longer need it.
For more information on management and prevention of high blood pressure, visit the AHA’s website at www.heart.org.