Accept the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s challenge to get active and lower the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension). May is National Blood Pressure Education Month. The goal is to get Americans moving. Get your kids and parents to join you in the #MoveWithHeart campaign.

Home Care Services in Mount Laurel NJ: National Blood Pressure Education Month
While you’re learning new ways to enjoy being active, take time to also learn these five facts about your blood pressure. If you understand what blood pressure is, you’ll better understand why it is so important to your health.

Around 70 Percent of Heart Attack Victims Have High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure measures the force of the blood on the blood vessel walls during and between heartbeats. When blood pressure is high, the force of the blood is high. This is how it impacts heart health.

Estimates are that 70 percent of all initial heart attacks occur in people with high blood pressure. If your pressure is higher than 120 over 80, you should see a doctor to discuss ways to lower it.

These Bad Habits Increase the Risk of Having High Blood Pressure
There are five bad habits that increase the risk of high blood pressure. They include:

• Being overweight
• Eating a diet high in salt
• Overindulging on alcoholic beverages
• Skipping the recommended 30 minutes of exercise each day
• Smoking

You Can’t Feel Blood Pressure
People think they’ll be able to feel if they have high blood pressure. That’s not always the case. You may feel dizzy or lightheaded, but it’s easy to discount those symptoms. Most people don’t know they have high blood pressure until they hear it from their doctor.

Certain States Have Higher Rates of Hypertension
The CDC keeps track of the prevalence of high blood pressure throughout the U.S. What they found is that certain states do have higher percentages than others.

The states with the highest percent of hypertension in adults 20 or older are:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Oklahoma
• Indiana
• Mississippi
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• West Virginia

Around 20 Percent of Adults Have No Idea They Have High Blood Pressure
Estimates are that 20 percent of adults in the U.S. are unaware they have high blood pressure. As this condition increases the risk of kidney disease, stroke, and heart disease, it’s important to get your blood pressure checked.

You can buy equipment to test it at home. You can sit at a machine in most pharmacies. You can go to the doctor. It’s important to have this reading tested regularly.

If high blood pressure is already present, dietary changes, medications, and daily exercise help lower the numbers. Make sure your mom or dad is following the doctor’s orders. You can hire senior care services to help out with medications, meals, and daily care routines. Talk to a senior care agency to schedule home care services.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care in Cherry Hill, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Attentive Care Inc. 1-800-493-5660

Sources:
www.nhlbi.nih.gov
www.cdc.gov