Do You Have High Blood Pressure?

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High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is when the force of blood within your blood vessels is too high.  This does damage to your circulatory system and contributes to heart attacks and strokes. You can see more details on the damage to your body here.

Knowing your numbers

Blood Pressure is typically recorded as two numbers, written as a ratio. It's read as "117 over 76 millimeters of mercury"

  • Systolic: The top number, which is also the higher of the two numbers, measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats (when the heart muscle contracts).
  • Diastolic: The bottom number, which is also the lower of the two numbers, measures the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats (when the heart muscle is resting between beats and refilling with blood).

Because there are no clear symptoms, many with high blood pressure don't know that they have it.  Make sure you are regularly getting physicals, to have your blood pressure tested and prevent common ailments. In addition to seeing your doctor, follow their recommendations that are tailored to you and your situation.  

Here are some general lifestyle changes that are often used for high blood pressure:

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