High Blood Pressure
Everyone has a Blood Pressure.
It is needed to make your blood flow around your body. The heart produces pressure, like a pump, and away it goes, just like water in a pipe!
It goes up and down during the day, depending on what you are doing. Exercise, pain, illness, stress, sleep, all affects blood pressure in different ways.
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) is when your blood pressure stays higher than needed, even when you are relaxed and sitting quietly.
High Blood pressure is quite common in NZ.
Nearly 1 in 5 people have it.
Almost half are not even aware of it because high blood pressure usually doesn't have any symptoms, until it causes damage.
It is important to treat high blood pressure, before any symptoms occur.
The Heart Foundation of NZ say an ideal blood pressure is 120/75 or less, some people naturally sit slightly above or below this.
High Blood pressure is classed as 140/90 or higher consistently.
Continued high blood pressure can cause damage: Stroke, Heart attack, Heart failure, Kidney damage and eye damage are all common with uncontrolled high blood pressure. Even if you feel fine with high blood pressure, we urge you to get it undercontrol, because it is all fine and dandy, until it isnt.
Blood Pressure checks are important as you age (over 40s I'm Talking to you)
Especially if you:
- Have a family history of it
- Are overweight
- Take The Pill (oral contraceptives)
- Have diabetes or high cholesterol
- Are a smoker
All these things push your blood pressure up, and can contribute to the problem. You can even purchase blood pressure meters which are easy to use, push button, and you can have at home!
High Blood Pressure must be controlled, this means a healthy lifestyle. And for some people, medicines.
Luckily, there are things you can do to help reduce your blood pressure.
- Maintain a Healthy weight
- Exercise regularly
- Eat less salt, sugar, caffeine and alcohol.(sorry folks)
- Quit Smoking
- Learn to relax (stress and tension can add to High Blood Pressure!
Medicines can control high blood pressure, but they will not cure it.
Take them at the same time each day, and do not stop taking them suddenly. If you want to come off them, or change them in any way, chat to your doctor or pharmacist first, so we can give you a safe way to do it.
They should not make you feel rubbish, so if they are, speak to your doctor or come in for a chat. Some medicines can suit your friend or family member but not suit you. Everyone reacts differently. There are sooooo many types out there these days, which is what we are here for! No question is too small . So ask away!
Some natural remedies can also be beneficial to reduce your blood pressure and support your circulation.
If you are already on Blood Pressure medication and want to look at natural products, come in for a chat just so we can reccomend products that will not interfere with your current medicines. There are heaps to choose from! Ginger, Co-Enzyme Q10, Fish Oil, Garlic and Magnesium all show promising results in respect of High Blood Pressure.
Overall, blood pressure can be managed, lived with and controlled with excellent results. Just look around! So many of your freinds, family members, and work colleagues are all living with it, and you probably don't even realise!
When it is ignored or uncontrolled, that is when devastating health outcomes are all too common.
Knowledge is power people.