|
Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood in the arteries as it is pumped by the heart around the body.
Blood pressure has two measurements. The systolic is the top number. It is the number that represents the pressure in the arteries while the heart is contracting and squeezing blood out during each beat. The diastolic is the bottom number and represents the relaxation of the heart before the next beat. It is a lower level of pressure than the systolic. The way we express blood pressure readings is systolic number over diastolic number e.g. ‘120 over 80’.
High blood pressure is called ‘hypertension’ in the trade. Uncontrolled blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack/disease and kidney disease. Blood pressure does not stay the same. It depends what you are doing. When your body (or mind for that matter) is under any type of stress, your BP is most likely to go up.
What’s normal?
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). As a guide, if your blood pressure is over 140/80, it would be a good time to make some lifestyle changes.
Risk factors you can’t control
· There is really only one factor that you can’t control and that is who your parents are. However, only 10% of hypertensive patients can attribute their high blood pressure to genetics.
· If you have other medical problems such as adrenal, thyroid or kidney disorders, you may also experience hypertension. This group also accounts for about 10% of hypertensive people.
This means that around 80% of people with high blood pressure can make lifestyle changes to reduce their reading. This is really good news, because it means that a woman does not have to accept that she simply has ‘blood pressure’.
A note about salt
The Heart Foundation strongly recommends that all Australians reduce their intake of salt. Salt holds onto water. Too much water in the body can increase blood pressure by exerting pressure in the kidneys.
The DASH diet is recommended as it is the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension. The Australian Food Standards Code says that any product that states it is ‘low-salt’ must have 120mg/100g or less of sodium. If you know this number when you go shopping, you will be able to check out the nutritional information panels and look for the sodium content of a product. Most of the salt we consume is actually in processed products, so it important that we try to choose fresh foods and produce over packaged ones. Breakfast cereals are one example of how there can be immense variations in sodium contents. Have a look next time you go shopping and you will see the difference between products. If you think your food is too bland without the salty addition, try to replace it with fresh herbs (probably not for breakfast cereal).
A note on cough medicines
Before you buy any cough medicine, please check with your pharmacist whether it is safe to take if you have high blood pressure. Some of these preparations can elevate your blood pressure to very dangerous levels.
If you have been diagnosed with hypertension or are keen to change your lifestyle and health habits, contact Jen at jen@healthabundance.com.au or phone 0422479949. | 
