High Blood Pressure

Hypertension or high blood pressure, which kills more than 50,000 Americans every year according to the American Heart Association, is called the “silent killer” because it has no symptoms. Hypertension increases a person’s risk of a heart attack or a stroke.

There are two types of blood pressure, systolic (when the heart beats) and diastolic (when the heart rests). It is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), systolic pressure being the top number and diastolic pressure the bottom number. A reading of 140/90 mm Hg or higher indicates hypertension. Normally, systolic pressure should be less than 120 and diastolic pressure less than 80. People with blood pressures between 120 and 139 for systolic and between 80 and 89 for diastolic are said to have pre-hypertension. People with pre-hypertension are at risk of developing hypertension in the future.

If you have not been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you should have your doctor check it at least once a year. Once you have been diagnosed with hypertension, your doctor may recommend some medications and lifestyle changes (diet and exercise). You must then monitor your blood pressure constantly to keep track of your progress and see how well your medications work.

There are two types of blood pressure monitors that can be used at home: an aneroid monitor and a digital monitor. Aneroid monitors include an arm cuff, a rubber bulb, a gauge and a stethoscope. You manually inflate the cuff by squeezing the rubber bulb and then read the pressure in the gauge. Digital monitors, on the other hand, come with automatic cuffs and a digital screen where the blood pressure is displayed.