The Facts About High Blood Pressure | AFC Urgent Care Memphis

Have you been told you have high blood pressure? If so, you aren’t alone! Some 103 million Americans have high blood pressure, making it one of the most common conditions.

That’s almost half of all American adults. That’s why our team at AFC Urgent Care Memphis wants to take a few minutes today to break down the condition, including what you can do to prevent it.

What Is High Blood Pressure?

First things first, though, what is high blood pressure? High blood pressure, which is often called HBP, is diagnosed when your blood pressure is higher than ¹³⁰⁄₈₀.

But what is blood pressure? Blood pressure is the literal pressure with which your blood courses along your artery walls as it makes it way through the body. When your blood pressure is high, it means your blood is hitting those walls quite forcefully.

Over time, that force can damage the arteries and increase your risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke.

Am I at Risk of High Blood Pressure?

Anyone can develop high blood pressure, but it is a higher risk in some groups. That includes African Americans—some 40% of all African Americans have high blood pressure.

Other risk factors for developing high blood pressure include having a family history of the condition, living a sedentary lifestyle, eating a diet high in sodium and saturated fat, smoking, drinking too much alcohol, and not properly controlling stress.

How Can I Lower My Blood Pressure?

We just went over the risk factors for high blood pressure above. While you can’t control your family medical history or your race, the other risk factors are all within your control.

So, take steps to change them! Practice healthy lifestyle habits to maintain normal blood pressure. That means exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, getting plenty of quality sleep, not smoking, limiting your alcohol consumption and finding healthy ways to manage your stress.

One other important step? Have your blood pressure checked regularly. If it’s been a while since you’ve had a checkup, stop by AFC Urgent Care Memphis today!