High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

Liberty Oxygen and Medical Equipment is presenting a series on various conditions individuals may have. These articles will provide some background information for each condition and help you understand how our oxygen and medical equipment resources may be best suited for you or your senior loved one’s needs. Click to learn more about COPD, sleep apnea, Parkinson’s Disease, asthma, and seasonal affective disorder. Blood pressure is the measured force of blood pushing against the walls of the heart’s arteries. A blood pressure reading is given in two numbers – the top number is called systolic and is the pressure caused by your heart contracting and pushing the blood through the heart. The bottom number, or diastolic, is the pressure when the heart is relaxed and fills with blood. A normal blood pressure reading for adults may be 120/72, for example. Also referred to as hypertension, blood pressure is generally considered high if the top number is 130 or above and the bottom number is 80 or higher. The guideline for hypertension has recently changed and the updates are from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology. Although the exact cause of hypertension is not known, there are several possible contributing factors such as, but not limited to:

• Smoking
• Obesity
• Alcohol (more than 1-2 drinks/day)
• Stress
• Excess sodium in the diet
• Genetics and family history
• Sleep apnea

If any of the above listed contributing factors play a role in your daily living, see your healthcare professional for further testing. As with any disease or health condition, early detection is key. There are some risks you do not have control over, such as age, gender and family history, but there are lifestyle changes that any person can make to lower their risk. Treatment of high blood pressure would most likely be a multi-pronged approach that can include increased exercise, diet changes, lifestyle changes, and possibly medication, amongst other recommendations. A physician may encourage the patient to take blood pressure readings several different times throughout the day using a home monitor. Routine checks of your blood pressure will help to detect changes, even if the patient feels fine otherwise. Liberty Oxygen and Medical Equipment offers a wide selection of home monitors. As listed above, sleep apnea is one contributing factor to high blood pressure. We understand the importance of good sleep and how it can affect so much in a person’s body. Liberty Oxygen hosts walk-in CPAP clinics two times each year where we offer free mask and CPAP equipment check-ups, answer questions, provide support to our customers and more. Watch for our next CPAP clinics in April and find a clinic near you. Liberty Oxygen and Medical Equipment is the premier home medical equipment provider serving Minneapolis, St. Paul and the surrounding Twin Cities suburbs with quality equipment and outstanding customer service. We enable you to stay safe and live independently in your home by offering a comprehensive array of home medical equipment and supplemental oxygen, including CPAP masks, inhalers, and oxygen supplies. Your health and well-being is important and shouldn’t be trusted to just anyone. Let the caring professionals at Liberty Oxygen and Medical Equipment assist you with the home medical equipment and other healthcare and oxygen supplies you need. Stop in any of our seven Minneapolis and St. Paul metro locations or contact us today with questions, concerns or comments.