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Could I Have High Blood Pressure and Not Know It?
May is Hypertension Awareness Month. At A Woman’s Wellspring, Stephanie Taylor, MD, PhD, and her team want to make sure you’re not walking around with a serious health condition you don’t know about. We provide primary care services, and part of that is tracking your blood pressure. We also offer counseling to help you make adjustments to your diet or habits that can help lower your blood pressure and improve your overall health.
Blood pressure basics
How critical is maintaining a healthy blood pressure? Here are some startling facts:
- High blood pressure contributes to 75% of deaths related to cardiovascular disease
- Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure
- Only about 25% of people with high blood pressure have it controlled
- It’s possible to have high blood pressure and not know that you do
Understanding your blood pressure reading is a crucial step in assessing your risk. Your reading consists of two numbers, written as a fraction with a numerator on top and a denominator on the bottom.
The top number is your systolic pressure, or the pressure on your artery walls when your heart beats. The bottom number is your diastolic pressure, which is the pressure between heartbeats. Either number can indicate hypertension.
Blood pressure is categorized like this:
- Normal - 120 or less over less than 80
- Elevated - 120-129 over less than 80
- Stage 1 - 130-139 over 80-89
- Stage 2 - 140 or higher over 90 or higher
- Crisis - 180 or higher and/or 120 or higher
When your blood pressure is normal, Dr. Taylor is likely to recommend continuing with your usual healthy habits. If elevated, she may suggest some adjustments to your routine and discuss your personal risk factors with you.
At stage 1 of high blood pressure, she is likely to closely consider your overall risk of cardiovascular disease and make recommendations regarding your lifestyle, diet, and exercise routine. Depending on your situation, she may recommend medication.
High blood pressure stage 2 is similar to stage 1, but you’re more likely to need medication. In a hypertensive crisis, you need immediate medical attention.
How to know if you have high blood pressure
The only way to know your blood pressure is to measure it. We strongly recommend you come to our office and have it taken during your annual physical, if nothing else. You can also take your blood pressure at home.
In some cases, Dr. Taylor recommends tracking your blood pressure for a time. White coat syndrome is a relatively common occurrence where people have higher blood pressure readings in medical settings. Taking your blood pressure at home over time may give you a clearer idea of what’s normal for you.
One of the reasons hypertension is so dangerous is that it rarely causes symptoms. As your blood vessels become narrower and stiffer, it’s harder for blood to pass through, but you don’t feel any different.
The good news is that hypertension is quite treatable and can be controlled if you know that you have it. Dr. Taylor works with each patient individually to assess personal risk factors and to find ways to help you address your health concerns.
If you don’t know your blood pressure or it’s been a while since your last reading, we encourage you to schedule an appointment to protect your health.