Clinic Calendar

What is Blood Pressure?

Everyone has blood pressure.  It is the force of the blood against the walls of the arteries.  This force is generated by the heart as it pumps blood to all parts of the body.

What is High Blood Pressure?

In some people, blood pressure is nearly always higher that it should be because their arteries clamp down or shut off making it harder for the blood to pass through.  This makes their blood pressure rise.

According to recent estimates, nearly on in three U.S. adults has high blood pressure, but because there are NO symptoms, nearly one-third of these people don’t know they have it.  In fact, many people have high blood pressure for years with out knowing it.  Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney failure.  This is why high blood pressure is often called the “silent killer.”  The only way to tell if you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked.

Ten Ways to Control Your High Blood Pressure

1.  Have your blood pressure checked regularly.

2.  Know what your weight should be and work towards achieving that

     weight.

3.  Don’t use too much salt and avoid salty foods if possible.

4.  Eat a diet low in saturated fat.

5.  Woman should have no more than one alcoholic drink per day, men no

     more than two.

6.  Take medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor, do not skip even

      one dose.

7.   Keep appointments with your doctor.

8.   Follow your doctor’s recommendations about physical activity.

9.   Encourage you parents, brothers, sisters, and children have their blood

      pressure checked.

10. Live a normal life in every other way.

Take advantage of Carroll County Public Health’s FREE blood pressure clinics.  Have your Blood Pressure checked by a Registered Nurse:

10-11am @ the Hy-Vee Pharmacy in Carroll on the 1^st Wed. of every month.

11am-12pm @the Rec Center on the 2^nd Thurs. of every month.

8:30-10am @ Monterey Point in Carroll on the 4^th Wed. of every month.

To take a Blood Pressure Quiz or calculate your risk using the Blood Pressure Risk Calculator, check out the American Heart Associations website at:  www.americanheart.org