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High Blood Pressure Education Month
High Blood Pressure Education Month
May 1
May is High Blood Pressure Education Month
High Blood Pressure Education Month aims to save lives by increasing awareness and educating the public about cardiovascular risks and how to prevent them. High Blood Pressure Education Month is observed in May. By encouraging everyone to take at least one heart healthy action today, we can raise awareness of and potentially reduce high blood pressure across the United States. Getting your blood pressure checked for the first time this year, asking someone you love to get their blood pressure checked or even going for a long walk can help. By coming together to reduce high blood pressure, we work to reduce the risk for heart attack and stroke. Wear red for High Blood Pressure Education Month. Options on this site for raising awareness include red enamel awareness ribbon pins, red fabric ribbon, or red silicone awareness wristband bracelets.
Wear Red for High Blood Pressure Education Month
Every time your heart beats, it pumps blood through vessels, called arteries, to the rest of your body. Your blood pressure is how hard your blood pushes against the walls of the arteries. If your blood flows at higher than normal pressures, you may have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States. Millions of Americans have high blood pressure. However, many people who have it don’t know it. That’s why it is important to have your blood pressure checked at least once a year. And that is why high blood pressure is a “silent killer.”
High blood pressure doesn’t usually cause symptoms, but it can damage your body over time. If your blood pressure stays higher than 130/80 mm Hg for a period of time, it can cause serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and dementia.
The only way to know whether you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure measured and recorded regularly. This is a process that is simple and painless. If you find out you have high blood pressure, a health care professional can tell you how to prevent serious complications. These complications include disability and premature death.
What steps can you take to lower your blood pressure?
Some things put us at greater risk for high blood pressure.
Age: Blood pressure tends to get higher as we get older. But it can affect many of us when we’re younger, too.
Genes: High blood pressure often runs in families.
Sex: Before age 60, more men than women have high blood pressure. After age 60, more women than men have it.
Race or ethnicity: While anyone can have high blood pressure, African Americans tend to get it at a younger age. Among Hispanic adults, people of Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Dominican backgrounds are at higher risk.
Lifestyle habits: Eating too much salt, drinking too much alcohol, being obese, smoking, and not getting enough exercise can raise our blood pressure. In addition, studies show that if you engage in heart healthy activities with people at home, at work, in your community, or online, you have a better chance of staying motivated. Additionally, work with your doctor to set blood pressure numbers that are healthy for you.
Make Healthy Lifestyle Changes
Make lifestyle changes such as eating healthy, staying active, and watching your weight. If you smoke, quitting can help prevent heart disease and other complications of high blood pressure.
