Nurses Corner: February 2018

February is National American Heart Month. One aspect of heart awareness and health is your blood pressure.

Effects of high blood pressure:
High blood pressure can damage your health in many ways. It can seriously hurt important organs like your kidneys, heart and brain. Fortunately you can control your blood pressure to lower your risk for serious health problems.

• Heart: High blood pressure can harden your arteries, which decreases the flow of blood and oxygen to your heart and lead to heart disease. In addition, decreased blood flow to the heart can cause:
  • Chest pain, also called angina
    
  • Heart failure, a condition when your heart can’t pump enough blood and oxygen to your other organs
  • Heart attack, which occurs when the blood supply to your heart is blocked and heart muscle begins to die without enough oxygen. The longer the blood flow is blocked, the greater the damage to the heart.
    

• Brain: High blood pressure can bur st or block arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the brain, causing a stroke. Brain cells die during a stroke because they do not get enough oxygen. Stroke can cause serious disabilities in speech, movement, and other basic activities, and a stroke can kill you.
  

• Kidneys: Adults with diabetes, high blood pressure, or both have a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease than those without these diseases.

Controlling High Blood Pressure: You can make changes to your lifestyle that will help you control your blood pressure. Your doctor might prescribe medications that can help you. By controlling your blood pressure, you will lower your risk for the harmful effects of high blood pressure.

• Work with your Health Care Team: Follow your doctor’s instructions and stay on your medications. Do not stop taking your medications before talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
  

• Make Lifestyle Changes: Lifestyle changes are just as important as medications.
  • Diet, Eat a healthy diet that is low in salt (sodium), total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, and high in fresh fruits and vegetables.
    
  • Be active, try taking a brisk 10 minute walk 3 times a day - 5 days a week.
  • Do not smoke, if you smoke, quit as soon as possible. These lifestyle changes for blood pressure control are similar to those for Preventing High Blood Pressure. (source: Center for Disease Control & Prevention)

Parish nurses are available to help you monitor your blood pressure on the first weekend of each month.  Check the bulletin or website for times and location.

“Parish Nurse” Ministry Page - Click here