Hypertension Brochure (1)

What is it?
High blood pressure is a common
condition in which the long-term force
of the blood against your artery walls
is high enough that it may eventually
cause health problems, such as heart
disease. Blood pressure is determined
both by the amount of blood your
heart pumps and the amount of
resistance to blood flow in your
arteries. The more blood your heart
pumps and the narrower your
arteries, the higher your blood
pressure. You can have high blood
pressure (hypertension) for years
without any symptoms. Even without
symptoms, damage to blood vessels
and your heart continues and can be
detected. Uncontrolled high blood
pressure increases your risk of serious
health problems, including heart
attack and stroke.
(Mayo Clinic, 2017)
Jessie Dewey, RN
HYPERTENSION
{high blood pr essur e}
Photo credit: photobucket.com
Too high?
Blood pressure is measured with
systolic and diastolic pressure
readings. Normal blood pressure
for an adult is considered 120/80.
Blood pressure is considered high
at 140/90 or above.
(Centers for Disease Control, 2012)
W E CA N'T PROM ISE T O FIX
A LL YOUR PROBLEM S BUT
W E PROM ISE YOU W ON'T
HA V E T O DO IT A LONE
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Complications? Risk factors? What can I do?
Hypertension can put your life in
danger. It can speed up the process
of blocking arteries which can
damage the:
- Heart ? leading to heart attacks or
heart failure
- Brain ? leading to stroke
- Kidneys ? leading to kidney trouble
and dialysis
- Eyes ? leading to eye trouble and
blindness
- Blood vessels - leading to reduced
blood flow and sexual dysfunction
(American Heart Association, 2017)
Hypertension Fact:
High blood pressure has many risk
factors. Some of these include:
- Age
- Family history
- Race
- Overweight/obese
- Stress
- Using tobacco
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Not being physically active
- Certain chronic conditions
- Too much salt (sodium) in diet
- Too little potassium and/or vitamin D
in diet
(Mayo Clinic, 2017)
If you are taking blood pressure
medication, there are also lifestyle
changes that can help control and
even prevent high blood pressure.
Here is what you can do:
- Eat healthy foods, such as the
DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop
Hypertension) diet
- Decrease salt (sodium) in your diet
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Limit alcohol
- Increase physical exercise
- Stop smoking
- Manage stress
- Monitor blood pressure at home
- Practice slow, deep breathing and
relaxation
(Mayo Clinic, 2017)
There is a reason is often called the "silent killer." Most of the time,
hypertension or high blood pressure has no obvious symptoms to indicate
something's wrong. The best ways to protect yourself are being aware of the
risks and making changes that matter (American Heart Association, 2017)."

References
American Heart Association. (2017). High blood pressure. Retrieved from
https://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/
GettheFactsAboutHighBloodPressure/The-Facts-About-High-Blood-Pressure_UCM_002050_Article.jsp
Centers for Disease Control. (2012). Getting blood pressure under control. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/hypertension/
Mayo Clinic. (2017). High blood pressure (hypertension). Retrieved from
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/basics/definition/con-20019580