Abnormally high blood pressure is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, increasing mortality risks, instigating chronic illnesses, and reducing quality of life.
If you’re unsure about the meaning behind your blood pressure measurements, you’re certainly not alone: an estimated 700 million people are unaware of their hypertension diagnosis, despite the fact that, left untreated, it can result in death. Today, 1.28 billion people worldwide live with high blood pressure and face a higher risk of kidney, brain, and heart disease at all stages of life.
Misunderstandings and myths regarding blood pressure are prevalent, and detrimental to heart disease prevention. It’s critical to have a firm grasp of blood pressure and its proper management to equip yourself for long term health. So in this article, I’m going to answer some of the most common blood pressure questions.
What is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is one of the most important functions of the human body. This vital force powers the entire circulatory system, delivering much-needed nutrients to every part of the body. Healthy hearts pump five liters of blood every minute while at rest, beating more than 100,000 times a day to maintain oxygenation, hydration, and consciousness.
When the body’s ability to regulate blood pressure goes awry, it becomes increasingly difficult to manage a healthy lifestyle. Side effects from high blood pressure may encourage chronic inflammation, cause weight gain, and increase your risk for heart attacks and strokes.
How do I measure blood pressure?
To understand the measurements of healthy blood pressure, you must first understand its basic units. There are two numbers used in the calculation of blood pressure:
- Systolic: The top number of your blood pressure reading, which measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats (contractions).
- Diastolic: The bottom number of your blood pressure reading, which measures the pressure in your arteries between heartbeats (at rest).
Blood pressure is typically measured using millimeters of mercury (mmHg), which estimates the average volume of blood putting pressure on your vessel walls. Your care provider may choose to use a blood pressure cuff (sphygmomanometer) that measures the flow of blood from the brachial artery. Other devices, including fingertip readers or digital monitors, are very common in doctors’ offices.
There are also lots of monitors that you can buy to use at home, which I highly encourage. Knowing your current numbers and any changes will help you understand the next steps for maintaining healthy blood pressure.
What is a healthy blood pressure?
A systolic reading under 140 mmHg and a diastolic reading under 90 mmHg is considered to be in the “normal” range. However, this range will change considerably depending on other health factors, including weight, age, athleticism, and genetic makeup.
It’s also important to remember that your blood pressure will not be determined by a single reading. Doctors will take multiple measurements over time to check for averages, which will be used to reach a final verdict. If you have a systolic or diastolic value that goes above or below set values, it may be considered abnormal.
Blood pressure that falls outside of healthy ranges may result in physical consequences. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is known as the ‘silent killer’ for many reasons. Not only is it difficult to catch early, but it may result in health complications or even death for otherwise healthy persons. While less dangerous, hypotension (low blood pressure) may result in weakness, dizzy spells, and even unconsciousness. Severe cases may cause a continuous brain fog, as the body doesn’t have enough oxygen running to essential organs.
Keeping your blood pressure at a healthy level is essential to heart disease prevention. Fortunately, this can be accomplished even without prescription medications.
How do I keep my blood pressure at a healthy level?
There are a few lifestyle changes you can implement immediately to work on lowering blood pressure and increase heart health.
- If you are overweight or obese, consider losing some extra pounds with diet and exercise. Weight management is one of the most effective ways to prevent hypertension from developing. Losing body fat can help to maintain a healthy blood pressure reading, and increase your overall health as well.
- Monitor your sodium intake. Salt is often hidden in processed foods, making it easy to over consume it. Increasing your intake of potassium-rich foods can help balance out the difference. At the same time, eating a clean diet can result in not eating enough sodium, which can also be detrimental to health. Try to monitor your intake, including by checking labels when grocery shopping.
- Exercise regularly. This doesn’t mean you have to join a gym, but aim for at least 30 minutes of heart-pumping activity five days per week. Weight training, stretching, and even walking are excellent methods of injecting movement into your daily schedule.
- Find ways to reduce unnecessary stressors in your life. Stress can have a significant impact on blood pressure, making it difficult to lower your numbers through other means. Set aside ten minutes a day for yoga, meditation, or deep breathing exercises to relax and de-stress your body.
- Smoking is a hidden contributor of high blood pressure, spiking your readings for up to an hour after stubbing out that cigarette. Work on reducing your daily intake or quitting completely if possible. There are many reasons to quit smoking other than hypertension, so speak with your primary care provider about potential solutions.
You may need to combine the above steps with medications and prescribed treatments to see meaningful improvements in your blood pressure. Of course, a holistic and integrated solution to heart disease prevention is always preferable to a siloed approach.
Understanding your blood pressure and how to improve it begins with solid information, preferably from a skilled hypertension expert. If you’d like to discuss your current blood pressure with a hearth health professional, I offer free telehealth calls that provide direction and focus for your long term health.
While online heart health consultations may seem like a small step, getting a better understanding of your current health markers can help to establish baseline measurements and practical steps toward lowering blood pressure.