How to Detect the "Silent Killer" - High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

High blood pressure can be prevented if it is detected early. If your blood pressure measurements are 120-139/80-89 mmHg, then you are considered to have prehypertension. The normal range is less than 120/80 mmHg. The real problem with high blood pressure is that often times there are no signs or symptoms to indicate there is a problem.

So what's the procedure for detecting hypertension? First of all, if you fall into the risk category you should check on your pressure often. Some of the risk categories are: overweight, family history of hypertension, over 40 years old, African American or already diagnosed with prehypertension.

Before a physician will diagnose you with hypertension, they will measure your pressure two or more times on several occasions. If the measurements show a consistent reading of 140/90 mmHg or higher, then you will be diagnosed with high blood pressure or the medical term "hypertension".

There are some individuals who experience high blood pressure only when they are at the physician's office. This is called "white-coat hypertension" and if your doctor suspects that this might be the case, they may ask you to monitor your pressure at home. There is also a device that you may be asked to wear called an ambulatory blood pressure monitor. It is generally worn for about 24 hours and it takes your pressure every 30 minutes.

Secondly, if you are diagnosed with prehypertension or hypertension it is important to begin the process of changing your lifestyle. At this point you are either trying to prevent hypertension or you are trying to control it.

The third step is taking control of your life. This is not easy until you consider the alternative: heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, and blindness. Seriously looking at the above alternatives can be very motivational when it comes to making changes and sticking to them.

The changes you want to make are in your eating habits and the most important one to begin with is lowering your use of salt and sodium intake. Individuals who limited their sodium to 1,500 mg/day had better blood pressure lowering benefits. Low-sodium diets tend to keep the pressure from rising and if you are on medication, can actually help the medicines work better.

Some tips for reducing sodium in your eating plan are:

1. Buy fresh, plain frozen or canned vegetables which are labeled "no sodium, low sodium, reduced sodium or with no salt added".

2. Use herbs, spices and salt-free seasoning blends in cooking and at the table.

3. Buy and use fresh poultry, lean meat and fish rather than processed and canned types.

4. Cook pasta, rice and hot cereals without salt. Check the sodium content on all cereals and pasta.

5. Choose convenience foods that are low in sodium. Things like frozen dinners, pizza, canned soups or broth and salad dressings generally contain a lot of sodium so check for this before buying the product.

6. Rinsing canned foods will remove some of the sodium.

7. Everything you buy, check the sodium level and buy the lower sodium foods.

Remember, you are trying to keep your daily sodium level at 1,500 mg per day for the best benefits in lowering your blood pressure.

Small changes can add up to big benefits when it comes to preventing or controlling hypertension.