The Importance of Keeping an Eye on Your Blood Pressure
If you eat well and exercise regularly, you probably don’t have to worry about having high blood pressure, right? Wrong.
In fact, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), high blood pressure is common, and nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure — many of whom don’t even know they have it. This is why high blood pressure is often coined as a “silent killer” or a “silent condition.” More often than not, there aren’t any obvious symptoms of this disease, which is why it’s so important to have it checked for annually by a physician or cardiologist.
High blood pressure, which is also known as HBP or hypertension, occurs when the force of blood flowing through your blood vessels is consistently too high and at unhealthy levels.
Cardiology Services at MRH
Dr. Gerald Myers provides cardiology services to individuals in Moffat County. For more information or to schedule an appointment at MRH, call 970-826-2400.
Blood pressure checks are recommended on a yearly basis; however, that number may vary depending on your levels. During a blood pressure check, two measurements are taken: the systolic (top number), or pressure in the system when the heart is beating, and the diastolic (bottom number), the pressure in the system when the heart is at rest and between beats.
Dr. Gerald Myers, clinical cardiologist at Memorial Regional Health, said he recommends his patients have a 135/85 and below blood pressure reading, which is the standard for AHA.
Uncontrolled hypertension can lead to symptoms like headaches and other complications, which include heart attacks, strokes, aneurysms, heart failure, weakened and narrowed blood vessels in the kidneys, metabolic syndrome, trouble with memory or understanding, dementia, dizziness, facial flushing and blood spots in the eyes.
Some Tips for Managing High Blood Pressure:
Get at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise a week, limit alcohol intake and maintain a low-fat, low-salt diet. Dr. Myers also advises weight management (if you’re overweight), smoking cessation and stress reduction. One or all of these can be attempted before starting medications. With proper treatment and management, it’s still possible to live a healthy lifestyle with this condition.
