Hypertension
Everyone has blood pressure. It is the pressure of blood against the walls of your blood vessels (arteries) as the heart pumps blood around your body. Your blood pressure will increase and decrease depending on what you are doing. When you are exercising, nervous or stressed your blood pressure will increase. Your blood pressure will decrease when you are sitting or sleeping. However, if your blood pressure remains high, even when you are resting and relaxed, you may have high blood pressure (or hypertension).
A National Heart Foundation survey completed in 2010 found one-in-three Australians aged 30–65 years had been told by a doctor that they have high blood pressure. This means that 3.5 million Australians have high blood pressure. Therefore, hypertension is very common and the number of both men and women with high blood pressure increases steadily with age.
Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg). Your blood pressure is recorded as two figures, for example 120 over 80 (120/80). The top number is the pressure in the arteries when the heart squeezes blood out during each beat. The lower number is the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between each heartbeat. It is best to measure blood pressure when you are relaxed, and sitting or lying down.
Normal blood pressure is generally less than 120/80 mmHg.
Normal-to-high blood pressure is between 120/80 and 140/90 mmHg
High blood pressure is greater than 140/90 mmHg and if you have blood pressure above 180/110 mmHg, your blood pressure is very high.
World Hypertension Day (WHD) is on 17 May 2015. The theme of WHD for the next five years will be ‘Know your numbers’ with the goal of increasing high blood pressure awareness in all populations around the world.
High blood pressure (hypertension) increases your chance of developing heart disease, a stroke, blood vessel disease and other serious conditions. Generally, the higher the blood pressure, the greater the health risk. There are often no symptoms or signs of high blood pressure – you can have high blood pressure and feel well.
Certain factors can increase the risk of serious problems associated with high blood pressure including:
smoking
having high blood cholesterol
being overweight
having diabetes.
Treatment for hypertension often includes lifestyle changes. These changes may include losing weight (if overweight), regular physical activity, a healthy diet, cutting back if you drink a lot of alcohol, stopping smoking, a low-salt diet and reduced caffeine intake. If needed, medicine can lower blood pressure.
It is very important to have your blood pressure checked regularly by a health professional, such as our Pharmacists. If you want to ‘know your numbers’ visit you local pharmacy. It is your health destination.
Many pharmacies offer blood pressure-testing services. Pharmacists can take your blood pressure using easy-to-use, painless blood pressure machines. They will check your blood pressure in a quiet, non-threatening environment, explain your readings, offer advice on how to lower and maintain lower blood pressure and refer you to a doctor if further testing is required.
Our Pharmacy also offer services that can help you change your lifestyle including stopping smoking and weight-loss clinics. Visit our local pharmacy today and find out what we have available.
You can get more detailed information on hypertension from the Self Care Fact Cards titled High blood pressure, Exercise and the heart, Weight and health, and Smoking available from our Pharmacy.
Reproduced from PSDA Health Column 13/5/15
