St. Joseph’s/Candler Community Nurse Educator offers six ways you can lower and control your blood pressure

The African-American Health & Information Resource Center offers free blood pressure checks twice a week and a monthly hypertension management class

• Controlling your blood pressure will reduce risk of heart failure by 50 percent.
• When you control your blood pressure, it decreases the risk and incidence of stroke by 35 to 40 percent.
• If you decrease your blood pressure just by two, it will decrease your risk of stroke by 10 percent.
• The risk of having a heart attack goes down by 20 to 25 percent with a controlled blood pressure.
• That two point drop also decreases your risk of heart attack and coronary artery disease by 7 percent.

(Source: American Heart Association) 

So how do you control your blood pressure? It starts by knowing what your blood pressure consistently measures.

“Hypertension is known as the ‘silent killer’ because when someone has high blood pressure often there are not many signs or symptoms,” says Grace Geiger, community nurse educator at the African-American Health Information & Resource Center (AAHIRC). “Someone could be in stage one or two hypertension without knowing. This is why it is important to have your blood pressure checked.”

That’s one reason why the AAHIRC offers free blood pressure checks twice a week – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays and 9 a.m. to noon on Thursdays. Geiger also leads a monthly hypertension management class for those with high blood pressure or those who want to reduce their risk. All services are free. (Learn more below.)

Also, some pharmacies, health clinics and fire stations will offer free blood pressure checks.

What is blood pressure?

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the artery walls. The force is created with each heartbeat as blood is pumped through the arteries. Our arteries carry blood from the heart to other organs.

Having high blood pressure can harm your heart and brain health. It damages blood vessels and can lead to serious health problems including stroke, heart attack, heart failure and kidney disease.

Understanding readings

Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers, written as a ratio. The top number (systolic) measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats. The bottom number (diastolic) measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart is resting between beats.

Here’s a look at blood pressure categories from the American Heart Association:

Category	Systolic reading		Diastolic reading
Normal	Less than 120	and	Less than 80
Elevated	120-129	and	Less than 80
Stage 1 Hypertension	130-139	and	80-89
Stage 2 Hypertension	140 or higher	and	90 or higher
Severe Hypertension	Higher than 180	and/or	Higher than 120
Hypertensive emergency*	Higher than 180	and/or	Higher than 120

 

*If you are experiencing symptoms, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, numbness, changes in vision or difficulty speaking this is a hypertensive emergency and you should immediately call 9-1-1. If your reading falls in the severe hypertension category and you are not experiencing any symptoms, you should call your healthcare provider. (SOURCE: American Heart Association)

Controlling your blood pressure

Getting your blood pressure under control can help add years to your life when adopting new, healthy lifestyle habits. It also can lower your risk of severe complications that can come with uncontrolled blood pressure.

Besides knowing what your typical blood pressure reading is (yes, it can be different every time you check it), here are some ways to lower your blood pressure:

• Eat Smart: Lower your consumption of sodium, saturated and trans fats and added sugars. Eat more vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains and lean proteins, such as fish and lean poultry. Limit processed foods, red meat and sugary drinks and snacks.
• Move More: Exercise can help lower your high blood pressure levels. It also can help reduce stress, which contributes to high blood pressure too, Geiger says.
• Manage Weight: If you are overweight or obese, even a weight loss of five percent can lower or prevent high blood pressure.
• Stop Smoking: If you smoke or vape or use any nicotine product, stop now. Nicotine can cause a temporary increase in blood pressure and is harmful to your blood vessels.
• Sleep Well: Short sleep (less than seven hours) and poor-quality sleep are associated with high blood pressure.
• Stop Drinking Alcohol: Drink less or no alcohol to lower or prevent high blood pressure.

“There are many health benefits to lowering your blood pressure, but there’s also peace of mind associated with knowing what your reading is,” Geiger says. “Have it checked regularly, at different times of the day and keep a log. This can help you and your healthcare provider pick up on any patterns if it starts to go up.”

Related Article: Why does my blood pressure reading keep changing?

About the African-American Health Information & Resource Center

The AAHIRC is a community-centered health hub offering a wide range of free programs and services for individuals and families. We host daily classes on a variety of health topics from blood pressure to diabetes to cholesterol and more. Events also focus on mindfulness, such as stress reducing exercise classes, cooking demonstrations and more. There are also monthly computer-based classes.

See our upcoming events here 

The AAHIRC is located at 1910 Abercorn Street in front of the Georgia Infirmary. We are open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed for lunch from noon to 1 p.m.) and 8:30 to noon on Friday.

For more information, call us at 912-447-6605 or visit our website.