Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Hypertension (high blood pressure)—140/90 mm Hg or higher—can affect both children and adults of any race, but is more common in middle aged and elderly people, and in African-Americans. It also affects people who are obese, drink heavily, or suffer from diabetes or kidney disease. Weight loss and exercise can prevent or even lower your high blood pressure (hypertension).

Hypertension increases a person’s risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. Although it usually has no symptoms, you may experience a mild headache. When the blood pressure is too high you can start experiencing symptoms such as a crushing chest pain, nosebleed and blood in urine, confusion and tiredness. If you feel these symptoms you must see your physician immediately.

With an appropriate treatment, you can control your hypertension. It may require, however, monitoring your blood pressure as long as you live. Fortunately, this can be done at home with a digital blood pressure monitor.

Digital blood pressure monitors are easy to use and carry around. The arm cuff inflates by itself at the push of a button—or by squeezing a bulb in a semiautomatic model. Some models are totally automatic and have a sensor technology to estimate exactly how high to inflate the arm cuff, automatically adjusting for each person (deflation is automatic also). The blood pressure is shown on a screen, making it easy to read—the monitor displays the systolic/diastolic pressure (range 0-260 mmHg), heart rate, time and date. The measurements can be stored in the monitor’s memory and printed out (not in all models).

For people on the go, there are wrist blood pressure monitors with reading memory, automatic inflation and total weight of less than 5 ounces. The wrist cuff is comfortable and the display easy to read. Keeping a good record of your blood pressure during the day can help you and your doctor adjust your hypertension treatment and avoid unexpected complications.