HYPERTENSION: Did Your Know?

Hypertension, also called high blood pressure, is blood pressure that is higher than normal.

Did you know that high blood pressure increases your risk for heart disease and stroke? These are the two leading causes of death for Americans.High blood pressure is also very common. Millions of adults in the United States have high blood pressure, but from many of them it is not controlled.

Blood pressure is the pressure of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. Arteries carry blood from your heart to other parts of your body.

Blood pressure normally rises and falls throughout the day, but it can damage your heart and cause health problems if it stays high for a long time.

If you have high blood pressure, here are ways to get your blood pressure checked:

• By a health care team member at a healthcare provider's office.

• At a pharmacy that has a digital blood pressure measurement machine.

• With a home blood pressure monitor that you can use yourself.

If your numbers are high:

• please talk with your healthcare provider as soon as possible

• Take your medication as prescribed by your healthcare provider

• Make lifestyle changes such as exercising regularly and decreasing your salt intake

• Eat a healthy diet