Blood pressure is the pressure of blood in the arteries. If your blood pressure is too high it can narrow the arteries and blood vessels in your body and this can lead to damage to the brain or heart.
If it is too high over a period of time and not treated, then you will be at increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. High blood pressure is also a risk factor for kidney disease, dementia, and some eye conditions.
High blood pressure (also called hypertension) usually has no symptoms, which is why many people do not know they have it. That is why it is often called “the silent killer.”
The good news is that high blood pressure can be treated and often prevented, and there are lots of actions you can take to lower your risk.
Whether you have high blood pressure or normal blood pressure, it is important to realize that the higher your blood pressure, whatever it is, the higher your risk of heart disease or stroke. This means that all of us should be adopting a lifestyle that will help to lower our blood pressure whether we have high blood pressure or not.
The only way to find out what your blood pressure is is to have regular checks. Keep a record yourself and remember the numbers in the same way you remember or keep track of your height and weight. In other words, know your numbers! Encourage your family and friends to do the same.
Blood pressure can be high, normal, or low. If you consistently have a reading of 140/90 or higher, you may have high blood pressure (hypertension). High blood pressure increases your risk of developing some health conditions, including cardiovascular disease.
Generally, the lower your blood pressure, the healthier you are. As a general guide, the ideal blood pressure for a young healthy adult is 120/80 or lower, however, it’s possible to have abnormally low blood pressure.
People with a reading of around 90/60 or lower are generally considered to have low blood pressure. For some people with low blood pressure, there may be an underlying cause that could need treatment.
Simple lifestyle changes can assist in reducing hypertension:
- Lose extra pounds and watch your waistline.
- Exercise regularly.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Reduce sodium in your diet.
- Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
- Quit smoking.
- Cut back on caffeine.
- Reduce your stress.
Physician’s Weight Control Center has never approached its clients with a one-size-fits-all strategy. Instead, it works to approach each person with a supervised individualized plan to promote a sustained change in behavior in his or her lifestyle. Each patient PWCC works with is unique and therefore deserves a tailored plan that will have the best results for his or her particular lifestyle and health needs.
Our goal is to guide you back to self-efficacy—to believe that you can be successful in making positive changes and sustaining those changes over time—and show you just how successful you can be with reaching your wellness ambitions.
The process of behavioral change is both enlightening and empowering and it is that experience of empowerment and enlightenment that makes the changes you make sustainable.
Contact us today for more information on how Physician’s Weight Control Center and our wellness coaches can help you.
