May is National High Blood Pressure Month! High blood pressure, also known as hypertension is a chronic medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is elevated. If this pressure goes undetected overtime it has the potential to damage the body in many ways.
In this article http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hbp/ from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute it shows about 1 in 3 adults has high blood pressure. You can have high blood pressure for years and never know it as high blood pressure does not always cause symptoms. It’s important to know your numbers even if you feel great!
Numbers to Know
Systolic number (Top Number) – This number is the blood pressure reading when the heart beats while pumping blood.
Diastolic number (Bottom Number) – This number is the blood pressure reading when the heart is at rest between beats.
|
Category |
Systolic Number |
|
Diastolic Number |
|
Normal |
Less than 120 |
And |
Less than 80 |
|
Prehypertension |
120-139 |
Or |
80-89 |
|
High Blood Pressure |
|
|
|
|
Stage 1 |
140-159 |
Or |
90-99 |
|
Stage 2 |
160 or higher |
Or |
100 or higher |
High blood pressure tends to develop with age. Living a healthy lifestyle will help some delay or prevent this rise in blood pressure. If you do have high blood pressure it’s important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, monitor your pressure with visits to your doctor and following your treatment plan. For more information on high blood pressure please contact the expert physicians of Dominion Internal Medicine @ (540) 878-5408.
Compassionate Care for a Healthy Heart, Body and Mind