What to Do for High Blood Pressure Reading

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major health problem that is common in older adults. Your body's network of blood vessels, known every bit the vascular organisation, changes with age. Arteries go stiffer, causing blood pressure to go up. This tin be true even for people who take heart-healthy habits and feel just fine. High blood force per unit area, sometimes called "the silent killer," often does not cause signs of disease that you tin see or feel. Though information technology affects near one-half of all adults, many may non even exist enlightened they take it.

If loftier blood pressure isn't controlled with lifestyle changes and medication, it tin can pb to serious health problems, including cardiovascular disease such as centre disease and stroke, vascular dementia, center problems, and kidney disease. The adept news is that blood pressure level can be controlled in nigh people.

What is blood pressure?

Blood force per unit area is the force of blood pushing confronting the walls of arteries every bit the heart pumps blood. When a health care professional person measures your blood pressure, they utilize a blood pressure gage around your arm that gradually tightens. The results are given in two numbers. The first number, called systolic blood pressure, is the pressure caused by your eye contracting and pushing out blood. The second number, called diastolic blood pressure, is the pressure when your heart relaxes and fills with blood.

A blood pressure reading is given as the systolic blood pressure number over the diastolic blood force per unit area number. Blood pressure levels are classified based on those ii numbers.

• Low blood pressure, or hypotension, is systolic claret pressure lower than 90 or diastolic claret pressure lower than 60. If you have low claret pressure, yous may experience lightheaded, weak, dizzy, or even faint. Information technology tin be caused by not getting enough fluids, blood loss, some medical conditions, or medications, including those prescribed for high blood pressure.
• Normal claret pressure for well-nigh adults is defined as a systolic force per unit area of less than 120 and a diastolic pressure of less than fourscore.
• Elevated claret pressure is defined every bit a systolic force per unit area between 120 and 129 with a diastolic force per unit area of less than 80.
• High claret pressure is defined equally 130 or higher for the starting time number, or 80 or higher for the second number.

For older adults, frequently the first number (systolic) is 130 or higher, just the second number (diastolic) is less than 80. This problem is chosen isolated systolic hypertension and is due to age-related stiffening of the major arteries. Information technology is the most common course of loftier blood pressure in older adults and can atomic number 82 to serious health problems in addition to shortness of breath during light physical activity, lightheadedness upon standing too fast, and falls.

One reason to visit your physician regularly is to have your blood force per unit area checked and, if needed, programme how to manage your blood pressure.

Exercise I have loftier blood pressure?

Anyone can have high blood pressure. Some medical conditions, such as metabolic syndrome, kidney disease, and thyroid problems, can cause loftier blood pressure. Some people have a greater chance of having it because of things they can't change. These are:

• Age. The risk of having high blood pressure increases equally you get older, specially isolated systolic hypertension.
• Gender. Earlier historic period 55, men take a greater chance of having high claret pressure. Women are more likely to have high blood pressure after menopause.
• Family history. High claret force per unit area tends to run in some families.
• Race. African Americans are at increased run a risk for high blood pressure.

High claret force per unit area frequently has no signs or symptoms, but routine checks of your claret pressure will assistance observe increasing levels. If your blood pressure level reading is high at 2 or more cheque-ups, the doc may also ask you to measure your blood pressure at home.

There are important considerations for older adults in deciding whether to kickoff handling for high blood pressure level if it is to a higher place 130/fourscore, including other health weather and overall fitness. Your medico may work with y'all to find a claret pressure level target that is all-time for your well-being and may suggest practice, changes in your diet, and medications.

How can I control my blood force per unit area?

You can often lower your claret pressure by irresolute your day-to-solar day habits and past taking medication if needed. Treatment, especially if you lot accept other medical conditions such every bit diabetes, requires ongoing evaluation and discussions with your physician.

Lifestyle changes yous can make to help prevent and lower high blood pressure:

• Aim for a healthy weight. Existence overweight adds to your risk of high claret force per unit area. Ask your doctor if you lot need to lose weight. In full general, to maintain a healthy weight, you demand to burn the aforementioned number of calories as you consume and beverage.
• Do. Moderate activity, such as brisk walking or swimming, can lower high claret force per unit area. Set goals and so you tin do safely and piece of work your manner up to at to the lowest degree 150 minutes (two.5 hours) per week. Cheque with your doctor earlier starting an exercise plan if you have any health problems that are not being treated.
• Eat a heart-healthy diet. A counterbalanced diet of vegetables, fruits, grains, protein, dairy, and oils — such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (Nuance) eating plan — tin can lower your claret pressure.
• Cut down on salt. As you lot get older, the body and blood pressure become more sensitive to salt (sodium), which is added to many foods during processing or preparation. Limiting your amount of salt each solar day may help. Nuance is a low-table salt diet.
• Potable less alcohol. Drinking alcohol tin can touch your blood force per unit area. For those who drink, men should not accept more than 2 drinks a mean solar day and women no more than one a day to lower their adventure of high blood force per unit area.
• Don't smoke. Smoking increases your chance for high blood pressure, middle illness, stroke, and other health problems. If you fume, quit. The health benefits of quitting can be seen at any age — you are never too old to quit.
• Become a proficient night's slumber. Tell your medico if you've been told yous snore or sound like you cease breathing for moments when yous slumber. This may be a sign of a problem called slumber apnea. Treating slumber apnea and getting a good night's sleep tin can assistance to lower claret pressure.
• Manage stress. Coping with bug and reducing stress tin assist lower high blood force per unit area.

In improver to recommending lifestyle changes, your dr. will probable prescribe medication to lower your claret pressure to a prophylactic level. Isolated systolic hypertension, the most common form of high blood pressure in older adults, is treated in the same way every bit regular high blood pressure but may require more than one type of blood force per unit area medication. You may try several kinds or combinations of medications earlier finding a plan that works best for you. Medication can control your claret force per unit area, but it tin't cure it. If your md starts you lot on medication for high blood force per unit area, y'all may need to have information technology long-term.

Tips for taking blood pressure medication

Untreated high claret pressure can increase your risk of serious health problems. If your doctor prescribes medication to lower your claret pressure, remember:

• If you take claret pressure medication and your blood pressure goes down, information technology means medication and lifestyle changes are working. If another dr. asks if you have high blood pressure level, the answer is, "Aye, but it is being treated."
• Healthy lifestyle changes may assistance lower the dosage you demand.
• Go up slowly from a seated or lying position and correspond a bit before walking. This lets your blood pressure conform before walking to forestall lightheadedness and falls.
• Tell your doctor about all the drugs you take. Don't forget to mention over-the-counter drugs, including vitamins and supplements. They may affect your blood pressure. They also tin can change how well your claret pressure medication works.
• Blood pressure level medication should be taken at the same time each day equally role of your daily routine. For example, take it in the morning with breakfast or in the evening before brushing your teeth. If you miss a dose, do not double the dose the adjacent day.
• Remember to refill your medication earlier you run out and bring it with you lot when traveling. Information technology'southward of import to proceed taking your medication unless your doc tells you to stop.
• Earlier having surgery, enquire your doctor if you should have your blood pressure medication on the mean solar day of your operation.

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For more than data nearly high blood pressure

Million Hearts Initiative
Centers for Illness Control and Prevention
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
https://millionhearts.hhs.gov

This content is provided past the NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA). NIA scientists and other experts review this content to ensure it is accurate and upwards to date.

Content reviewed: Oct 27, 2021

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Source: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/high-blood-pressure-and-older-adults

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