High Blood Pressure
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High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is known as "the silent killer." Nearly 50 million Americans have high blood pressure. Of those, less than 30 percent have it under control. If left untreated, high blood pressure greatly increases your risks for stroke, heart attack, kidney and eye damage.
Your heart pumps blood through a network of arteries, veins and capillaries. The moving blood pushes against the arterial walls, and this force is measured as blood pressure.
The Genesee County Health Department says that high blood pressure results from the tightening of very small arteries, called arterioles. Arterioles regulate the blood flow through your body. As these arterioles tighten, your heart has to work harder to pump blood through smaller space, and the pressure inside the vessels grows.
Although the real cause of high blood pressure is not known, a number of factors are associated with the condition. You are at an increased risk of high blood pressure if you:
- have a family history of high blood pressure;
- are African American;
- are male (women are more at risk after age 55);
- are older than 60;
- face high levels of stress;
- are overweight or obese;
- use tobacco products;
- use oral contraceptives;
- eat a diet high in sodium and saturated fat;
- drink more than one to two alcoholic beverages per day;
- are physically inactive; or
- have diabetes. Researchers have also found a gene that appears to be linked to high blood pressure.
- Having the gene does not mean that you or your children will develop high blood pressure, but it does mean that you are more likely to develop it, so your blood pressure should be closely monitored.
A visit to your health care provider is the only way to find out if you have high blood pressure and it's good practice to have your blood pressure checked at least once a year.
If your blood pressure is found to be high, the first course of treatment usually involves lifestyle changes such as:
- eating foods low in fat and sodium;
- controlling your weight;
- engaging in regular physical activity;
- learning to better manage stress;
- quitting smoking; and
- avoiding alcohol.
A healthier lifestyle will benefit all areas of your life, including your blood pressure. For more information on high blood pressure and how it's treated, please contact the Genesee County Health Department at 344-2580 x5000.
