The Dangers of High Blood Pressure
Doctors call high blood pressure “the silent killer” because it can cause serious health problems without showing any symptoms.
What is Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of our blood vessels as it travels through our body. It’s like the pressure of water flowing through a garden hose. When doctors measure blood pressure, they look at two numbers: the systolic (when the heart beats) and the diastolic (when the heart rests between beats).
Why is High Blood Pressure Dangerous?
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, means the pressure in your blood vessels is too high. This high pressure can damage your blood vessels and make your heart work harder than it should. Over time, high blood pressure can lead to health problems, such as:
- Heart Disease: High blood pressure can cause your heart to become larger and weaker, leading to heart attacks or heart failure.
- Stroke: It can damage the blood vessels in your brain, increasing the risk of a stroke, which happens when part of the brain doesn’t get enough blood.
- Kidney Damage: Your kidneys help filter waste from your blood. High blood pressure can damage the blood vessels in your kidneys, making it harder for them to do their job.
- Eye Problems: It can also damage the blood vessels in your eyes, leading to vision problems or even blindness.
- Sexual dysfunction: Healthy blood pressure is essential for sexual function. When you have hypertension, you may experience reduced blood flow to your pelvic area, leading to a loss of libido. Males with hypertension might also develop erectile dysfunction due to blood flow problems. Females may experience vaginal dryness and fatigue.
How Can We Keep Our Blood Pressure Healthy?
There are several ways to help keep our blood pressure at a healthy level:
- Eat a Balanced Diet: Eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can help keep your blood pressure in check.
- Exercise Regularly: Physical activity helps your heart stay strong and healthy.
- Limit Salt and Sugar: Too much salt and sugar can raise your blood pressure, so eating them in moderation is essential.
- Avoid Smoking and Alcohol: These can increase your blood pressure and harm your overall health.
- Manage Stress: Finding ways to relax and manage stress can help keep your blood pressure normal.
- Take your medications as prescribed: If a healthcare provider prescribes medication for your blood pressure, you should take your medicine as prescribed, even if you feel fine and your blood pressure is controlled. If you experience side effects from your medication, let your provider or pharmacist know.
- Enter Your Home Blood Pressures in MyChart: This is a good way to share your home blood pressure readings with your provider and care team. Please call the clinic at 608-257-9700 if you have more than one home blood pressure over 180/110. Please send a MyChart to your provider if you have more than one home blood pressure over 160/100.
How to enter your blood pressure in MyChart:
- Log into GHC MyChart.
- Click on the “Menu” button in the upper left corner.
- Select “Track My Health” found under “My Record”
- Under active flowsheets, click “MyChart Fitness Tracking” or “Patient-Entered Blood Pressure.”
- Click “Add New Data.”
- Fill out the date, time, systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings, pulse, and save.
Resources
- GHC-SCW has Clinical Pharmacists who can help you with blood pressure management.
- Home blood pressure monitors are available for purchase at GHC-SCW pharmacies for $49.99.
- Additional information about blood pressure resources at GHC can be found here.
- High Blood Pressure Basics and Treating High Blood Pressure are both brief informative videos about high blood pressure from the Center for Disease Control (CDC)
- Let’s Talk about Blood Pressure is a free online course about high blood pressure from the American Heart Association (AHA).
- How To Monitor Your Blood Pressure at Home is a video by the AHA that explains how to check your blood pressure at home.
