Show Your Heart Some Love

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Our hearts do their job without being asked, supporting our whole body, and often get taken for granted. (And some of us can relate.) So how can you help your heart help you? Get to know your heart and protect it from high blood pressure, sometimes called hypertension, with SFCHC.

The Heart of the Matter

We can’t talk about heart health without discussing blood pressure. Most people know blood pressure is important, and that hearing it’s high is bad news. But what IS it?

Blood pressure is how hard your blood is pushed against the walls of your arteries. This is affected by two things:

• How much blood is getting pumped
• How easy or difficult it is for blood to move through the arteries

You’ve likely had this checked with a blood pressure cuff, but again: what does that thing do? Your blood pressure is measured in the millimeters of mercury that appear on a blood pressure gauge. Okay, monitors are all digital now. But the two numbers in a reading represent the mercury that used to be there, and they’re important. Say you get a reading of 120/80, which is normal. The first number is how hard your heart pushes when it contracts, pumping blood to your body. The second number is the force your heart exerts when it’s resting in between pumps. Two sounds used to mimic a heartbeat – “bum, bum” – two numbers.

A healthy heart pumps blood through the body efficiently. Your body gets what it needs and your heart doesn’t get overworked. If your blood pressure is higher than normal, it means your heart is working harder than it should. A blood pressure reading of 160/100 or higher can be an emergency and requires immediate medical attention.

Because arteries run literally throughout your body, high blood pressure can damage any of the organs they support. There’s a long list of possible complications from high blood pressure:

• Heart attack or stroke
• Aneurysm (a weakened, bulging blood vessel)
• Heart failure
• Kidney problems
• Vision loss (from damaged blood vessels in the eye)
• Metabolic syndrome, which often leads to diabetes
• Memory and cognition problems
• Dementia

Yes, high blood pressure can even impact the blood flow to your brain.

Look Into Your Heart

Blood pressure usually increases because arteries are unhealthy or damaged. There are two main causes for this. Primary hypertension has no clear cause, and it develops over many years. Fat and cholesterol slowly build up into plaque on artery walls. The arteries get narrower, and your heart must work harder to get the same amount of blood through.

Secondary hypertension begins more suddenly and causes higher blood pressure than primary. Most of the underlying causes weaken or narrow the arteries:

• Adrenal gland tumors
• Congenital (something you’re born with) heart defects
• Some over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs
• Illegal substance use
• Kidney disease
• Sleep apnea
• Thyroid problems

Even people who don’t have any of these conditions may still be at greater risk. Any of these factors can make someone more likely to develop high blood pressure:

• Age – blood pressure naturally increases as a person gets older, especially after age 50.
• Black people are more likely to get high pressure and at a younger age.
• A family history of high blood pressure
• Obesity or being overweight. Excess weight causes changes in the body, including blood vessels.
• A lack of exercise – inactive people have higher heart rates.
• Tobacco use or vaping. Smoking in particular injures artery walls and makes them harden faster.
• A high-sodium diet. Too much salt causes your body to retain water, which increases blood pressure.
• Drinking too much alcohol, especially in men
• Stress
• Chronic conditions like diabetes
• Pregnancy

Put Your Heart Into It

“Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases your risk for a lot of serious health problems, including heart attack, stroke, kidney problems…that’s why they call it the silent killer.”

--Dr. Tom Shives, The Mayo Clinic

High blood pressure rarely comes with any noticeable symptoms. A study conducted at Lund University interviewed people with high blood pressure about their experiences. “No, if I hadn't gone [to the health center], I wouldn't have understood it,” said one participant. “That's what's so strange; I have never really, from the blood pressure, felt anything special.” Sometimes high blood pressure causes headaches, nosebleeds, or shortness of breath, but it’s usually after blood pressure has reached a dangerous level.

This is why it’s important to monitor your blood pressure. You should get your blood pressure checked every two years starting at age 18. After age 40, it should be checked annually (from age 18 if you have any of the risk factors). Free blood pressure monitors can sometimes be found in pharmacies, or you can buy one to use at home. If a cuff is the wrong size or the machine isn’t calibrated, however, you could get inaccurate results. SFCHC often hosts events offering free blood pressure screenings. These and regular checkups, both from care providers, ensure your blood pressure gets measured correctly.

There are several things you can do to lower high blood pressure or prevent it. You probably already know them by heart:

• Eat a healthy diet, low in salt, fat, and cholesterol and high in potassium
• Get regular exercise
• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight
• Limit your drinking of alcohol
• Don’t smoke
• Get 7-9 hours of sleep each day
• Manage your stress

The providers at SFCHC can suggest healthy meals you’ll love and work with you to find physical activity that fits your life. Our counselors can even help you stop an unhealthy habit and find self-care methods to get you through your day.

If your blood pressure remains high, there are medications that can help. Your provider may prescribe something to remove sodium and water, relax blood vessels and muscles, or slow your heart rate. These medications are often used in combination.

From Our Heart to Yours

SFCHC accepts many types of health insurance. For those without, we offer a sliding fee scale based on household size and income. SFCHC provides healthcare to anyone and everyone who needs it – with all our heart.

This article has been reviewed by the senior medical physicians on the SFCHC team.

Author

Heather Hillstrom For several years, Heather Hillstrom has proudly provided copywriting and videography services to support SFCHC's mission of compassionate care for all who need it. She gained much of her experience and education at prominent advertising and marketing firms, with clients in healthcare, real estate, medical technology, and environmental products and activism, among others. Her writing portfolio includes DVD/Blu-ray bonus features for Paramount’s RANGO and Disney’s LOST, nearly all the content for the latter’s companion website Lost University, and a radio and television campaign that aired during the Olympics. She wrote on the multi-award-winning web series NONE IN THE OVEN and her feature script HIT OR STAND was a Second Rounder at Austin Film Festival and a PAGE Awards quarterfinalist. Many of her projects and awards can be viewed at www.hungrypictures.com.