High blood pressure is often referred to as the silent killer because there are rarely any symptoms until you suffer a major health crisis. Fortunately, the team at AFM Healthcare can put your mind at rest with regular blood pressure screenings, and if your readings are too high, they can help you bring them down to a healthier level. Call the office in Winter Park and Oviedo, Florida, or request an appointment online.
request an appointmentWhat is high blood pressure?
Having high blood pressure, or hypertension, means that the force at which your blood is pumping through your arteries is at a level that could cause serious harm to your circulatory system and other organs.
Uncontrolled hypertension can cause:
- Stroke
- Heart disease
- Kidney failure
- Heart attack
One of the difficulties of having high blood pressure is that you’re unlikely to experience any symptoms, at least until the damage causes other health problems. For that reason, it’s essential to attend regular blood pressure checks.
What causes high blood pressure?
High blood pressure can be due to a variety of causes, including:
- High-fat diet
- High cholesterol
- Consuming too much salt
- Diabetes
- Hormonal imbalances
- Kidney disease
- Lack of exercise
- Advancing age
- Being overweight
- Stress
- Smoking
- Drinking too much alcohol
Medications such as birth control pills can also raise blood pressure.
How is my blood pressure measured?
The good news about blood pressure is that it’s straightforward to measure, and therefore you can find out how healthy your reading is in moments. Your provider wraps an inflatable band around your upper arm and inflates it, taking the readings off a meter.
The top number is the systolic reading, measuring the blood as the heart pumps. The bottom number is the diastolic reading, in between heartbeats. This gives you a combined reading that indicates whether you have normal, raised, or high blood pressure.
A normal blood pressure reading is below 120 systolic and below 80 diastolic. High blood pressure would be over 140 systolic and above 90 diastolic, and if it reaches 160 or above systolic and 100 or above diastolic, your blood pressure is dangerously high.
How is high blood pressure treated?
The most effective way of managing high blood pressure is to make changes in your lifestyle if that’s the cause of the problem. The team at AFM Healthcare is happy to spend time helping and advising you with diet and exercise information and nutritional counseling, offering support to help you achieve your weight loss goals and make significant changes like quitting smoking.
There are several medications available for treating high blood pressure, but wherever possible, lifestyle changes should be the primary treatment. At AFM Healthcare, many patients have come off their medication with a doctor’s support.
To book your blood pressure exam, call the AFM Healthcare location nearest you, or request an appointment online.