Signs You Need a Blood Pressure Check

Over 100 million Americans have high blood pressure. Falling into this category means that you are at high risk of health complications. Performing a blood pressure check can potentially save your life or alert you to hypertension issues. 

Results of Uncontrolled High Blood Pressure 

If you do not perform a daily blood pressure check and have high blood pressure, you are at risk of many health complications. These complications include heart attacks, strokes, aneurysms, heart failure, narrowed blood vessels in the body, issues with memory, and dementia. Knowing the causes and symptoms of high blood pressure can help you understand how to avoid it. 

Causes of High Blood Pressure

Your age, race, and family history can cause high blood pressure. Additionally, obesity, lack of physical activity, tobacco use, an unhealthy diet, and alcohol can cause hypertension. Sometimes, people have high blood pressure that is related to an underlying condition. These conditions include obstructive sleep apnea, thyroid issues, adrenal gland tumors, and kidney problems. 

Symptoms of Hypertension

There are a variety of different symptoms of hypertension. These symptoms include headaches, nosebleeds, dizziness, chest pain, flushed cheeks, shortness of breath, and bloody urine. Some may feel faint or like they have a pounding in their head. If you have any of these symptoms, you may be having a hypertensive crisis and will want to see a medical professional as soon as possible.

How To Check Blood Pressure

If you are manually taking your blood pressure, you will need a blood pressure cuff with a balloon, stethoscope, and aneroid monitor. Before placing the cuff on your bicep, relax your arm and lay it straight on a level surface with your palm facing up. Inflate the cuff and place the stethoscope (with the flat side down) on the inside of your elbow crease. You then deflate the balloon. As you do so, you will hear a “whoosh” noise. This noise is your systolic blood pressure, so be sure to remember the number that you heard the “woosh” noise at. After this, you will hear your blood pulsing. Deflate the balloon until the pulsing stops. When it stops, you will have your diastolic blood pressure. You will then record your blood pressure, systolic over diastolic. Blood pressure machines are available to purchase. You also may find machines that will perform a blood pressure check at your local supermarket or pharmacy. 

Best Time to Check Your Blood Pressure

You should be sure to check your blood pressure at the same time each day. The best time to perform a blood pressure check is in the morning, before you take medications, eat breakfast, or drink caffeine. This will keep the reading authentic and unaffected by external factors. It is recommended that you also check your blood pressure before bed. You may wonder why you should take your blood pressure before taking meds for high blood pressure. Your morning reading is useful without your medications because it can be compared with your evening reading. This comparison will show you if your medication is working or not. 

Primary Care on Standby

If you need urgent care, you may need it immediately. BASS Primary Care always has staff on standby, ready to help. We provide vaccinations, routine check-ups, x-rays, MRIs, laboratory services, and more. We understand that it is a busy time for healthcare practices. BASS Primary Care strives to see our patients as quickly as possible and deliver the best results possible. To set up an appointment ahead of time, reach us at (925) 962-9120, or book with us online.