Hidden Dangers of High Blood Pressure: Know the Facts

Over 50 million American adults have high blood pressure, also called hypertension, and 1 out of every 3 isn’t even aware they have this serious medical condition. One of the most dangerous aspects of high blood pressure (HBP) is that there are no clear warning signs. Hypertension can result from an underlying disease or condition like sleep apnea or kidney disease and if you have HBP, it’s important to monitor it daily with a BP cuff because it can lead to a host of medical problems including cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and stroke, which can strike suddenly.

Blood Pressure monitors the flow of blood from the heart to the body and its rate of return. For healthy living, know your numbers!

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).

A normal measure of BP is 120/80 mm HG. Stage 1 hypertension will show a BP of 140-159/90-99 and Stage 2 hypertension will show a BP of 160/100 or greater. Studies show that stress, lack of exercise, a poor diet and genetics can increase your blood pressure.

In 2007 George Bakris, MD, Director of the University of Chicago’s Hypertension Center, and Marshall Dickholtz, DC, Chiropractic Health Center in Chicago, performed a study to determine the affects of Atlas adjusting on HBP. In 8 weeks, 25 patients with HBP that had regular Atlas adjustments had significantly lower blood pressure than the 25 patients not given an adjustment (Journal of Human Hypertension.) Therefore, getting regular Chiropractic adjustments can improve HBP.

Physical activity, like yoga or daily walks have been shown to decrease HBP as well. Exercise is a mood regulator and when you start your day off with a great workout routine, you are in a fabulous mood for the rest of the day! Another key to lowering BP is managing stress. We live in a fast paced society and we stress about our jobs, family, finances, and health. We start to feel tired, irritated and eventually can develop a headache and increase our BP. By finding a stress reliever, you can change your mood from sad or angry to happy and ecstatic in seconds.

"Our diet also plays a key role in regulating our BP," says Melanie-Rae Cannady, D.C., Chiropractic Director of Chiro One Wellness Center of Wheaton. "If we eat a diet full of junk and fast food vs. a home cooked meal or salad, we are literally eating our way to a heart attack or stroke. By eating healthfully, you can lower BP tenfold." Have you ever eaten a fatty meal and felt drained the rest of the day and had to grab a coffee (caffeine) to make it through? Next time, eat a healthier meal or you can exercise to increase your energy level so you don’t need a “pick me up.”

With hypertension that cannot be regulated solely with lifestyle changes, the alternative method is to take medication and herbal remedies. Drug treatments include beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and aspirin. Herbal remedies include garlic, ginkgo biloba, and hawthorn (strengthens the arteries.) Some herbals, like ephedra (also used in medications and coffee), should not be used because it increases blood pressure. Vitamins used to help strengthen your heart include L-carnitine (also reduces cholesterol) and Coenzyme Q10 (used in patients with Heart Disease.)

"High blood pressure can destroy your body," says Cannady. "High blood pressure can cause atherosclerosis and the build up of thick muscle around the heart. To prevent these deadly consequences, make sure to maintain a healthy weight through diet and exercise, reduce salt intake to 1500 mg a day, drink alcohol only in moderation, and eat foods rich in potassium and magnesium."

Chiro One Wellness Centers recommends the following additional preventative measures:
· Your blood pressure can be tested in several places like your doctor’s office or at a pharmacy. Learn how to test your own blood pressure and invest in a device you can use at home.
· Get in the habit of testing your blood pressure once a month. Make sure each time to test it at the same point in the day, when you’re most relaxed. For accuracy, take 3 readings and figure out the average number between them.
· Pay attention to the top number – the systolic pressure, which indicates the pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood – the best lifelong measurement for hypertension. A systolic reading above 140 is considered too high and warrants seeing your doctor.

Melanie-Rae Cannady, D.C. serves as Chiropractic Director of Chiro One Wellness Center of Wheaton. Cannady is accepting new patients and can be reached at (630) 384-1920. For more information about Chiro One Wellness Centers, visit http://www.ChiroOne.net. Follow Chiro One of Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/ChiroOne.

For more information about Chiro One Wellness Centers, visit http://www.ChiroOne.net. Follow Chiro One of Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/ChiroOne.