Why is blood pressure so important?
As the heart pumps blood it exerts pressure against the arteries that carry the blood. High blood pressure can occurs for a number of reasons such as diet and heredity. It should be monitored carefully because unchecked, high blood pressure, or hypertension as it is known, can cause many health problems, even death.
What are the risks?
For many high blood pressure does not have any obvious symptoms, but is detected during a routine doctor’s visit. An evaluated blood pressure one time does not mean you have high blood pressure. A diagnosis is made after a number of high blood pressure readings are recorded.
Dealing with High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is very treatable. Your doctor may have given you a new diet to follow or new medications. Let’s look at the reasons diet and medication plays such a large role in the treatment of high blood pressure.
What kind of changes will I have to make?
You have to accept that there will be some lifestyle changes that you are going to face. One is eating the right foods. Generally, a low salt diet will be recommended. There is a firm link between salt intake and blood pressure. Salt raises the amount of water drawn from your cells into your blood stream which raises the pressure on your heart and artery walls.
As well as reducing your salt intake you must watch
Smoking is strongly linked to high blood pressure and especially to coronary disease. Having high blood pressure and smoking significantly raises your chance of having a heart attack or stroke.
What kind of medication will I need?
There are many different medications available that are used for treating high blood pressure. It might take a couple of attempts for your doctor to find the right medication for you. If you experience any unusual side effects from your medication, you should call your doctor or pharmacist right away. In some cases if you follow a healthy lifestyle and change your diet, your doctor could recommend that you do not need to take medications anymore.
Have you heard of white coat syndrome?
White coat syndrome occurs when you are waiting in the doctor’s office waiting for the nurse or doctor to come in to take your vital signs, including your blood pressure. Because stress can affect your blood pressure, it can seem elevated in the doctor’s office. You then have someone else take your blood pressure later at home or at a pharmacy and low and behold your blood pressure has dropped back down.
Monitoring your blood pressure at home…
Your doctor may suggest you take your blood pressure at home. He may do this to establish if you have high blood pressure or to help monitor your blood pressure to establish if you are taking the correct medication or if a particular lifestyle change has a positive effect on your blood pressure.
Taking your blood pressure at home is easy. It can also give you a sense of control over your blood pressure as you are the one monitoring it. You don’t have to wait three to six months to get it checked at the doctor’s office.
Choosing a Blood Pressure Monitor
There are many blood pressure monitors available to choose from. The low tech form is one in which you have a blood pressure cuff called a sphygmometer, and a stethoscope. This can be used by someone else to check your blood pressure or you can use it yourself. It is difficult to use this by yourself because of all of the items you most hold on your arm and it is sometimes hard to hear your pulse, especially if you have not been trained to do so.
In more recent times automatic blood pressure monitors have become available for home use. These monitors range in price and functions. The more functions it has and the more clinically accurate it is, the more you can expect to pay. That is not to say cheaper models are not accurate for home use. There are plenty of models that are moderately priced that can give you excellent results.
These automatic type monitors come in three main models; one for the upper arm, one for the wrist and one for the finger. It is agreed among those who have tested them that the upper arm model is the most accurate.
The next important thing to consider is the cuff size. You must find the right sized cuff to fit your arm for the most accurate readings. The sizes range from child size to extra large.
Some models record and keep a record of your readings. It is still a good idea to keep a written log in case something happens to your cuff.
Now you’re armed with the knowledge that with the right blood pressure cuff, blood pressure monitoring can be easy and accurate at home.
You can find more information and advice related to blood pressure monitors and measuring your blood pressure at home on my website Blood Pressure Monitor.
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