Posts Tagged "High Blood Pressure"
Monitoring Your Health: Four Measures to Know
How many times have you gone for your annual medical appointment and the doctor discussed your measures? How many times did you remember the numbers but not remember what they meant? I am referring to the measures of blood pressure and cholesterol. These combined are a fairly good predictor of heart health. According to the Centers for Disease Control, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. representing 29 percent of the population and is the leading cause of disability.
Blood pressure consists of two readings the top number and the bottom number. The top number is called systolic pressure, defined as the pressure of blood in the arteries as the heart contracts to pump blood. The bottom number is called diastolic pressure, defined as the pressure of blood in the arteries that occurs when your heart is at rest between heartbeats.
The measures have been lowered for pre-high blood pressure and now range 120-139 systolic and 80-89 diastolic. Many people have no symptoms of high blood pressure and are not aware they have the condition. Blood pressure monitors are available for purchase at drug stores and in most pharmacy areas. If you suspect you have high blood pressure it is a good idea to talk to your doctor. Daily monitoring is a good way to monitor blood pressure whether you are taking medication or not.
Cholesterol is the other measure with two numbers. Cholesterol is a waxy substance produced in the liver and existing in certain foods. When there is too much cholesterol in the body, it settles in the arteries causing clogging and narrowing. We often hear about good and bad cholesterol. The good cholesterol measure is HDL (high density lipoprotein). The bad cholesterol measure is LDL (low density lipoprotein). The suggested appropriate level for total cholesterol is 200. LDL should be less than 100 and HDL should be 40 or higher. Many times cholesterol can be controlled by diet and exercise.
Ask your physician for the lab report that shows your blood test results and ask questions. Keep a copy at home to compare to subsequent lab reports to monitor your progress year to year. Blood pressure and cholesterol are four good measures to know in monitoring your ongoing health and wellness. It is important that we all become more educated about our own health so that we can become better consumer advocates for ourselves and our family members.
Pamela D.Wilson, has over twenty years business experience including ten years in the healthcare field. Her specialization includes planning, counseling and advocacy for older adults. Contact her at The Care Navigator
Advantages Of Personal Electronic Blood Pressure Machines – Track Your Health In The Comfort Of Your Home And More Benefits
Medical experts are known to refer to high blood pressure or hypertension as the silent killer often times more fatal than diabetes, which is also a secondary condition for many patients suffering from high BP.
However, thanks to the advancements in science and technology, the latest home use equipment includes personal use blood pressure machines that don’t cost an arm and a leg to buy and allow you to get up-to-the-minute BP readings, accurately and easily.
Moreover, it so happens that many a time victims of high blood pressure problems do not exhibit any outward symptoms that would alert family, friends, coworkers or others around them regarding this life-threatening condition, which can also lead to a stroke or heart attack, if left unchecked.
This is where fatalities concerning a significant number of patients worldwide (50 million BP patients in the U.S. alone with nearly a third of this number unaware of even suffering from it) can be limited – by a simple act of buying one of best quality personal blood pressure monitors available across various budgets, at drugstores and in web stores.
Having anytime access to a reliable health monitoring system such as the electronic BP machine or a manually operated (mercury based, integrated with stethoscope use to arrive at accurate readings) BP checking device if one is medically trained to operate it, is a distinct advantage for those diagnosed with lifestyle diseases like hypertension.
The new-age compact, digital variety of blood pressure machines allow you to track your BP in the comfort of your home, saving you time, energy and money spent to have this checked up at a medical facility with no hassles of making appointments or dealing with adverse weather and traffic conditions.
Some of the more feature-rich home use BP measuring devices also capture accurate readings for pulse and maintain a record of past BP readings (from last 5 readings to 20 or more) to give users a range of results across a week or more. This ensures any lifestyle improvements, including dietary restrictions and medication changes to be incorporated at the earliest, based on the reports digitally displayed on the unit’s screen.
Those machines that are developed in consultation with medical advisors prove to be the best home medical support equipment as they enable users to access vital BP related info, past readings and record new ones for tracking changes and reviewing these easily when visiting the doctor next to determine future treatment options more accurately.
Another great advantage of quality BP monitoring systems is that since the personal use blood pressure monitors are mostly designed for simple push-button operation, seniors as well as those with limited use of their physical faculties can easily use them for close monitoring of BP readings for themselves or another person.
For example, the latest BP monitoring gadgets come with a self-inflating cuff that reduced the pumping required in basic models, which being a muscular activity can negatively impact the blood pressure readings and thus, is ideal for patients suffering from arthritis.
Finally, the latest LCD technology aided advanced BP devices afford an effective solution for multiple health conditions to be monitored efficiently, such as high blood pressure and diabetes along with asthma. Some allow for printing of the data, while others allow transferring of biometric readings via a virtual delivery system for healthcare providers across the same city or different continents with equal ease and accuracy.
Interested in learning about more features of the latest models of home use blood pressure machines or finding out the most competitive pricing for medical institutions requiring commercial BP monitors? Then click here now for a stunning range of high-tech devices that deliver on every count!
Keep Track of Your Health With a Blood Pressure Monitor
People today are more and more aware of what they need to do to ensure that they live long, healthy lives. Eating well, exercising, and getting a good night’s sleep are the three keys to maintaining your health, and prevention is always better than cure.
There are many tools that can be acquired by the average individual to help them keep track of their health, and one of these is a blood pressure monitor.
Probably everyone has seen the blood pressure monitor stations in pharmacies, and has sat there and checked their blood pressure at one time or another.
But checking your blood pressure sporadically, or every six months when you visit your doctor, does not help very much. A single reading means nothing. It is only by checking your blood over the course of time that a true picture of the state of your blood pressure will be shown.
And these days, portable blood pressure monitors are so inexpensive and easy to use that there is no reason why you should not acquire one to keep in your own home – and use on a daily basis.
If people suffer from high blood pressure, or have a family history of heart disease, such a monitor is imperative. Athletes concerned with their progress will also find the monitor helpful.
What Is A Blood Pressure Monitor
A home monitor consists of a cuff which you place around your bicep. This is connected to a small machine full of electronics, with a digital display. You press the Start button, and the cuff immediately inflates and tighten on your arm. Because it is so tight, it can sense how quickly the blood is flowing through your veins. This is your blood pressure.
The numbers given are your systolic and diastolic numbers, and your pulse.
Keep a notebook beside the machine, and each day take your blood pressure in the morning and at night. Write down the numbers in your notebook, and if you ever see any noticeable difference, especially if the numbers become very high, you’ll know that it’s time to visit your doctor for a consultation.
What does “systolic” and “diastolic” mean, anyway?
The definition of “systolic” is: The blood pressure when the heart is contracting.
The definition of “diastolic” is: The arterial pressure during the interval between heartbeats.
In other words, your heart contracts and then relaxes with each heartbeat – pushing your blood through your veins. When it contracts it is called systole and when it relaxes it is called diastole.
So you’ve taken your blood pressure. The typical numbers for a healthy human being are around 120 systolic and 80 diastolic. If your numbers are near these, that’s good. If you’ve been exercising or under stress your numbers may be inflated – that’s why it’s important to take daily readings so that you can compare them over time. If your numbers are consistently higher than this, it would be well to visit your doctor – bringing your records with you – to see if anything is amiss.
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High Blood Pressure
High blood Pressure. Discover how to lower blood pressure and the answer to the question: What is High Blood Pressure? Should John mccain worry about high blood pressure? What do those blood pressure numbers mean? Can you understand your blood pressure readings? Do you know the best blood pressure monitor?
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