Health Focus: Hypertension
Losar Tashi Delek everyone!
As the New Year dawned upon us, and having taken pledges both politically & socially, we believe it is equally important to add another pledge, i.e. to “Take charge of our personal health”. Without a healthy mind & a body, it will be harder to accomplish things that we are passionate about. So, let us take charge of our health, and take steps to start living healthy…
Our focus this month is on Hypertension (High Blood Pressure). Looking at our past health screenings, we have encountered quite a number of our community members having high blood pressure readings. It could be due to many reasons, and does not necessarily mean you have ‘Hypertension’. “If someone were to take your blood pressure immediately after you’d delivered a speech or jogged five miles, the reading would undoubtedly seem high. This is not necessarily cause for alarm: It’s natural for blood pressure to rise and fall with changes in activity or emotional state. It’s also normal for blood pressure to vary from person to person, even from one area of your body to another. But when blood pressure remains consistently high, talk with your doctor about treatment” (Web MD).
Our goal of holding these screenings, is to bring awareness about your health & promote healthy lifestyle changes, and not to diagnose diseases as it is beyond our scope of practice.
Those people with higher blood pressure and blood sugar from the past screenings were referred to Nisha Thapa, Nurse Practitioner and her colleagues from Davis Street Clinic in San Leandro. They provide free health check-up, free necessary blood work and write prescriptions for medicines necessary for controlling your blood pressure, should you need to take one. If you are concerned about your blood pressure or health in general, please go see your health care provider (if you have health insurance), or contact Nisha Thapa at Davis Street Clinic. Nisha will be at the clinic on Fridays, and you can call her at (415) 297-7643 before Friday to make an appointment.
If you have any questions or concerns related to health, you can also contact us (TANC Health Promotion Committee) at (415) 358-0699. We’ll be happy to answer your questions, or refer you to services available. All your concerns/inquiries will be kept strictly confidential.
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A simple and informative video on High Blood Pressure (source: Answerstv.com)
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HYPERTENSION (Source: Web MD)
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is the most common cardiovascular disease. It is the leading cause of stroke and a major cause of heart attack. In the United States alone, approximately 73 million people have high blood pressure.
If you have high blood pressure, you’ll probably find out about it during a routine checkup. Or, you may have noticed a problem while taking your own blood pressure. But be sure to see your doctor for a definite diagnosis, and take the opportunity to learn what you can do to bring your blood pressure under control.
Blood pressure refers to the force of blood pushing against artery walls as it courses through the body. Like air in a tire or water in a hose, blood fills arteries to a certain capacity. Just as too much air pressure can damage a tire or too much water pushing through a garden hose can damage the hose, high blood pressure can threaten healthy arteries and lead to life-threatening conditions such as heart disease and stroke.
How Is Blood Pressure Measured?
A blood pressure reading appears as two numbers. The first and higher of the two is a measure of systolic pressure, or the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats and fills them with blood. The second number measures diastolic pressure, or the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats.
Normal blood pressure rises steadily from about 90/60 at birth to about 120/80 in a healthy adult. If someone were to take your blood pressure immediately after you’d delivered a speech or jogged five miles, the reading would undoubtedly seem high. This is not necessarily cause for alarm: It’s natural for blood pressure to rise and fall with changes in activity or emotional state.
It’s also normal for blood pressure to vary from person to person, even from one area of your body to another. But when blood pressure remains consistently high, talk with your doctor about treatment. Consistently high blood pressure forces the heart to work far beyond its capacity. Along with injuring blood vessels, hypertension can damage the brain, eyes, and kidneys.
People with blood pressure readings of 140/90 or higher, taken on at least 2 occasions, are said to have high blood pressure. If the pressure remains high, your doctor will probably begin treatment. People with blood pressure readings of 200/120 or higher need treatment immediately. People with diabetes are treated if their blood pressure rises above 130/80, since they already have a high risk of heart disease.
Researchers identified people with blood pressures slightly higher than 120/80 as a category at high risk for developing hypertension. This condition is called prehypertension and affects an estimated 50 million American men and women. Prehypertension is now known to increase the likelihood of damage to arteries and the heart, brain, and kidneys, so many doctors are now recommending early treatment.
