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Blood Pressure
BLOOD PRESSURE AND HYPERTENSION
PLEASE TAKE MY BLOOD PRESSURE
The taking of blood pressure is a way of measuring the efficiency of your heart and arteries. Many factors (diet, medication, emotions, physical exertion, time of day, type of equipment used, etc.) can affect a blood pressure reading. One abnormally high or low reading does not necessarily indicate cardiovascular disease. A pattern of elevated readings indicates trouble. People with normal readings should also monitor blood pressure on a regular basis for reassurance and early detection of a problem.
The nurse will wrap a cuff around your upper arm and inflate the balloon inside. This compresses the arm artery and stops the flow of blood to your arm for a moment. The nurse slowly releases the inflated cuff while listening to the artery through a stethoscope. The nurse hears the blood flow into the vessel when the pressure in the cuff equals the pressure in the artery. The actual noise the nurse hears is the sound made by valves within the artery that slam shut to prevent backflow when the heart rests. The reading on the gauge at that moment represents the systolic pressure, or the pressure when the heart muscle is contracting. When the nurse can no longer hear the artery filling, the reading on the gauge is the diastolic pressure, or the heart between contractions, at rest. Those two words systolic and diastolic are from the Greek language and are specific to heart function.
Simple blood pressure monitoring is reported in a standard way. First is the heart-at-work (systolic) reading and second is the heart-at-rest (diastolic) reading. The standard normal range for adults is between 95 and 140 systolic over 60 to 90 diastolic. A reading within normal limits is an indication that the arteries and heart are dilating and contracting properly to deliver blood to all parts of the body. You can have your blood pressure monitored by a professional nurse at the Park Forest Health Department.
TREATMENT FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
High blood pressure and hypertension are the same thing. Some people call it “high blood”. By definition, it means elevation of systolic pressure (heart-at-work), diastolic pressure, (heart-at-rest) or both. You can obtain a current table of “standards” published by the American Heart Association or another reputable organization. By linking to the Heart Association website or requesting a hard copy from the Health Department. Most importantly, consult your physician. Untreated or inconsistently treated hypertension is consistently linked with an increased risk of stroke, heart failure, coronary artery disease, kidney damage and vision loss. Treatment depends on how high blood pressure is and whether symptoms of heart disease, kidney damage or vision loss are present. If the doctor tells you that you have high blood pressure, here are the typical treatment approaches.
FOR HIGH NORMAL
Diet and exercise are the keys. There is increasing evidence that certain dietary inclusions and exclusions are both corrective and protective.
FOR MILD HYPERTENSION AND BORDERLINE SYSTOLIC HYPERTENSION
The physician will first try dietary and exercise approach. If this does not achieve results, medication management will be the alternative. This may be easier for the patient, taking a pill versus increasing self-discipline. However, one medication is begun, it is usually for a lifetime and long-term drug therapy can have complications.
FOR MODERATE AND SEVERE HYPERTENSION
This includes isolated systolic hypertension (systolic hypertension with normal diastolic pressure), which is common in older women. Drug treatment is recommended.
FOR ALL CATEGORIES OF HYPERTENSION
Know your own medications. Your pharmacist can give you detailed written analysis of the different drugs a physician can prescribe for hypertension. Contact a nurse at the Park Forest Health Department by email or by calling 748-1118 if you have questions about your hypertension. We can help you monitor your blood pressure, too. Finally, ask your doctor questions. Physicians prefer patients to be interested enough in their own health to ask questions. Your partnership with your doctor and your active involvement in your own care are essential to keeping high blood pressure in check.
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