Dear Mom,
Dad said you had a doctor's appointment for your high blood pressure today. He mentioned that you still had questions about what you could do to lower your blood pressure. That is such a great question! In nursing school, we are learning about how important it is for each person to take responsibility for their health and many times, just by changing a few things we do each day, we can see great changes in our health. While some people's blood pressure numbers can be difficult to bring down to healthy levels, USUALLY there are many things people can do to improve their blood pressure. I am very thankful that you are interested in making the effort to try out some lifestyle changes that could make you feel better!
So Mom, it is first important to understand that there are 2 different types of hypertension. (Remember, hypertension is just another word for high blood pressure!) Most people (90-95%) have what is called Primary or Essential Hypertension. This is what the doctors think you have. Primary Hypertension develops slowly over many years and we don't really know the exact cause. Yet we do know there are many risk factors that increase your chances of developing Primary Hypertension. I added a list of these risk factors, because they can help guide you in understanding what changes you can make to lower your blood pressure. Of course, I am sure the doctor mentioned, the most important thing is for you to faithfully take your blood pressure medicine every day as directed.
The second type of high blood pressure is called Secondary Hypertension -- yes, you could also call this Secondary High Blood Pressure, just as well! This type develops suddenly, and usually people with this type have higher blood pressure numbers than people with Primary Hypertension. It is called Secondary because there is something wrong in this person's body that is causing their blood pressure to rise. As an example, they could be having problems with their kidneys, which in turn is causing their blood pressure to go up. These problems usually have to do with the kidneys, blood vessels, or hormones. If you are interested, I added a list of potential causes for Secondary Hypertension --you might have friends with this and its good to understand that treatment and medications are aimed at the problem causing the hypertension and not necessarily the hypertension itself.
Mom, I hope this information helps. After you have had a chance to look over the Primary Hypertension Risk Factors, give me a call and we can brainstorm on day-to-day little changes you can make that could help lower your blood pressure! Also, if you have any questions about how to take the prescriptions that your doctor has ordered for you, please let me know. I am happy to help sort through your medication schedule with you, though I am sure your doctor or his nurse or medical assistant would also be willing to answer your questions too.
It was a sunny day here in Seattle! Hope your weather has been allowing you to get outside and rake up all of those oak tree leaves!
Love, your daughter,
Mary
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Risk factors for developing high blood pressure, also called hypertension:
- Family history
Height, hair and eye color runs in families --- so can high blood pressure. If your parents or close blood relatives have had HBP, you are more likely to develop it, too. You might also pass that risk factor on to your children. That's why it's important for children as well as adults to have regular blood pressure checks. You can't control heredity, but you can take steps to live a healthy life and lower your other risk factors. Lifestyle choices have allowed many people with a strong family history of HBP to avoid it themselves. Learn about lifestyle changes you can make to prevent HBP.
- Advanced age
As we age, we all develop higher risk for high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Blood vessels lose flexibility with age which can contribute to increasing pressure throughout the system. - Gender-related risk patterns
A higher percentage of men than women have HBP until 45 years of age. From ages 45 to 54 and 55 to 64, the percentages of men and women with HBP are similar. After that, a much higher percentage of women have HBP than men. - Lack of physical activity
Physical activity is good for your heart and circulatory system. An inactive lifestyle increases the chance of high blood pressure, heart disease, blood vessel disease and stroke. Inactivity also makes it easier to become overweight or obese. Give yourself the gift of improved health and lower blood pressure with regular, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. - Poor diet, especially one that includes too much salt
To care for our bodies, we all need good nutrition from a variety of food sources. A diet that's high in calories, fats and sugars and low in essential nutrients contributes directly to poor health as well as to obesity. In addition, there are some problems that can happen from eating too much salt. Some people are "salt sensitive," meaning a high-salt (sodium) diet raises their high blood pressure. Salt keeps excess fluid in the body that can add to the burden on the heart. While too much salt can be dangerous, healthy food choices can actually lower blood pressure. Learn about enjoying a heart-healthy diet.
- Overweight and obesity
Being overweight increases your chances of developing high blood pressure. A body mass index between 25 and 30 is considered overweight. A body mass index over 30 is considered obese. About two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese. About one in three - Drinking too much alcohol
Heavy and regular use of alcohol can increase blood pressure dramatically. It can also cause heart failure, lead to stroke and produce irregular heartbeats. Too much alcohol can contribute to high triglycerides, cancer and other diseases, obesity, alcoholism, suicide and accidents. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. If you drink, limit your alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. One drink equals a 12-ounce beer, a 4-ounce glass of wine, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor, or one ounce of hard liquor (100-proof). If you drink in excess, find out about curbing alcohol intake.Possible contributing factors
There is some connection between blood pressure and these factors but science has not proven that they actually cause high blood pressure. - Stress
Being in a stressful situation can temporarily increase your blood pressure, but science has not proven that stress causes high blood pressure. Some scientists have noted a relationship between coronary heart disease risk and stress in a person's life, health behaviors and socioeconomic status. How you deal with stress may affect other, established risk factors for high blood pressure or heart disease. For example, people under stress may overeat or eat a less healthy diet, put off physical activity, drink, smoke or misuse drugs. Find ways to reduce stress. Smoking and second-hand smoke
Smoking temporarily raises blood pressure and increases your risk of damaged arteries. The use of tobacco can be devastating to your health, especially if you're already at risk for high blood pressure. Secondhand smoke --- exposure to other people's smoke --- increases the risk of heart disease for nonsmokers. Learn how to kick the habit.- Sleep Apnea
Some 12 million Americans have sleep apnea, according to National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute estimates. Sleep Apnea is a potentially life-threatening sleep disorder in which tissues in the throat collapse and block the airway. The brain forces the sleeper awake enough to cough or gulp air and open the trachea up again. But then, the whole cycle starts all over again. Pauses in breathing can contribute to severe fatigue during the day, increase your safety risks, and make it difficult to perform tasks that require alertness. Sleep apnea is also a risk factor for such medical problems as high blood pressure, heart failure, diabetes and stroke. Learn more about sleep apnea.
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Secondary hypertension: HBP caused by a pre-existing problem
In 5-10 percent of high blood pressure cases, the HBP is caused by a pre-existing problem. This type of HBP is called secondary hypertension because another problem was present first.
Factors that may lead to secondary hypertension include:
- Kidney abnormality, including a tumor on the adrenal gland, which is located on top of the kidneys
- A structural abnormality of the aorta (the large blood vessel leaving the heart) that has existed since birth
- Narrowing of certain arteries
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Understand Your Risk for High Blood Pressure. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2015, from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/UnderstandYourRiskforHighBloodPressure/Understand-Your-Risk-for-High-Blood-Pressure_UCM_002052_Article.jsp
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