Getting the Facts About Your High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a serious health problem that affects 35 million Americans or one out of every six people. It can be found in all races, age groups and in both sexes. If you know your have it, then you already know that you need to take care of it. If you suspect that you may have it, get it checked by your doctor. There are over a million people living with high blood pressure and don’t even know that they have it.

Hypertension also occurs disproportionately more often in minority communities. According to the AHA, the prevalence of high blood pressure among black Americans is the highest in the world. It is a major risk factor for stroke. About 780,000 Americans will have a new or recurrent stroke this year due to this disease. It is more dangerous than high cholesterol. It has been dubbed the silent killer because it shows little to no signs and can cause major damage to the organs.

If you suspect you have it and don't want to be dependent on medications there are some things you can do. Here are a few things to help you start to get a grasp on controlling your blood pressure.

1. Increase your Potassium and Magnesium intake, this is something that most people's bodies need and can be essential in helping to prevent hypertension before it begins and to treat it naturally with less reliance on drugs.

2. Decrease your stress, this is one of the most controllable factors for people, and while some people thrive psychologically on high stress levels their bodies do not always fair as well without the appropriate outlets to relieve that pressure. Some contributing factors may be genetic, but they all combine over time with damaging effects.

3. Lose weight if you think you're over weight or don't know. Find out what your ideal weight should be for your height, and start a simple exercise program. Walking about 15 minutes a day will help you to start strengthening your heart.

4. Cut down on the sodium or salt and use salt substitutes. Increase your intake of fruits, vegetable, and nuts. This alone can help to start lowering your pressure.

When getting your pressure checked the Systolic blood pressure (top number) does not concern doctors unless it gets really high (i.e.160) because it measures the pressure created against the arterial walls when the heart is pumping. A systolic change from 135 to 145 is usually insignificant, but check with your doctor. Systolic pressure is the pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts. Diastolic pressure is the pressure when the heart rests and fills between beats.

So now that you have a little insight to what high blood pressure is and what it can do. What are you going to do about it? Remember to consult with your doctor before you start any kind of exercise program. If you are already taking medication, devise a plan along with your doctor to help slowly decrease or get you off the medication.