The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that around 75 million people living in the United States have high blood pressure.

In continuation of educating community members on ways to protect their heart health during American Heart Month, our team at AFC Urgent Care Cheltenham wants to offer you tips on how you can lower your blood pressure, which can help to reduce your risk of heart disease.

What Happens to Your Body When You Have High Blood Pressure?

Arteries within our body carry blood away from the heart. When the blood moves through the arteries to various parts of the body, it presses against the walls of your arteries. How forcefully it hits the walls is what’s known as blood pressure.

When your blood pressure is high, the blood is hitting the artery walls forcefully. Over time, this can damage the arteries, impairing the heart’s ability to pump blood efficiently.

Causes of High Blood Pressure

• Smoking
• Excess weight
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Excess sodium in diet
• Excess stress
• Older age
• Family history of the disease

Can I Prevent High Blood Pressure?

In many cases, yes! Although there are some things you can’t control when it comes to your blood pressure level, there are many things that you can do to help lower your risk.

Practicing healthy lifestyle habits can help promote good health overall and lower your risk of high blood pressure. This, in turn, lowers your risk of both heart disease and stroke.

Habits to Lower Blood Pressure

• Practice relaxation techniques like meditation or yoga.
• Exercise regularly.
• Eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
• Lower your sodium intake.
• Don’t smoke.
• Limit your alcohol consumption.
• Get plenty of quality sleep.

When was the last time you had your blood pressure checked? Visit AFC Urgent Care Cheltenham today. No appointment needed!