High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a condition that can lead to life-threatening health problems yet causes few, if any, symptoms in most people. At Wellsprings Natural Healthcare in Belcourt, North Dakota, Cheryll Simmons, FNP-BC, MSN, MPH, can help patients prevent serious health problems by carrying out regular blood pressure exams. To arrange a blood pressure checkup and protect your health, call Wellsprings Natural Healthcare or book an appointment online today.

Why should I be concerned about high blood pressure?

High blood pressure, known as hypertension, is a common condition with few symptoms but can lead to serious health problems like:

• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Aneurysm
• Heart failure
• Kidney malfunction
• Loss of vision
• Metabolic syndrome
• Memory problems and brain fog
• Dementia

High blood pressure doesn’t usually cause symptoms, so you could have high blood pressure and not be aware of it. At Wellsprings Natural Healthcare, Cheryll takes regular blood pressure readings from you to detect raised blood pressure before it causes irreparable damage.

How is blood pressure measured?

Blood pressure is a measurement of how much blood your heart is pumping and the resistance to the flow of blood in your arteries. Your blood pressure reading consists of two numbers. The first number measures the systolic pressure in your arteries with each heartbeat. The second number measures the diastolic pressure in your arteries between the beats.

Cheryll measures the pressure in your arteries using a comfortable cuff that wraps around your upper arm. By increasing and decreasing the tightness of the cuff, she determines the pressure of blood flow through your arteries.

A normal blood pressure reading would be 120/80 or below. Elevated blood pressure would be between 120 and 129 systolic and below 80 diastolic. Having an elevated blood pressure reading means you’re likely to develop hypertension if you don’t take action.

If you have a systolic reading between 130 and 139 or diastolic between 80 and 90, you have Stage 1 hypertension. More severe Stage 2 hypertension measures systolic pressure of 140 or higher or diastolic pressure at 90 or higher.

How is high blood pressure treated?

Once Cheryll identifies high blood pressure, she helps you reduce it to a healthier level. Some of the most important ways to lower blood pressure are lifestyle changes such as:

• Eating a heart-healthy diet
• Reducing salt intake
• Exercising regularly
• Watching your weight
• Quitting smoking
• Learning to manage stress
• Lowering alcohol consumption

You may also need to start a course of medication to lower your blood pressure.

At Wellsprings Natural Healthcare, Cheryll recommends taking steps to prevent hypertension by adopting healthy lifestyle choices, and she can advise you on how to make the necessary changes. Call Wellsprings Natural Healthcare or request an appointment online today.