May is National High Blood Pressure Education Month, and with good reason. High blood pressure effects one in every three American adults, that's more than 65 million individuals! High blood pressure is often referred to as the "silent killer" because there are no real symptoms and in 90-95% of cases, the cause is unknown. Left unchecked, the first indication of a problem could be when an individual falls victim to heart attack or stroke.

What is Considered High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure, also commonly referred to as Hypertension, is diagnosed when an individual's systolic and diastolic numbers are over 140 and 90 respectively. In other words, when the blood pressure reading is 140/90 or higher. A healthy reading is considered to be under 120/80. Readings in the 120-139 over 80-89 range, is known as prehypertension.

What does Systolic and Diastolic Mean?
The systolic number (the top number) represents the pressure in the arteries created when your heart beats. The diastolic number (the bottom number) is the reading on the pressure in the arteries when the heart is resting between beats.

Who is at Higher Risk?
High blood pressure tends to be hereditary, so those who have a family history are at a greater risk. Some other high risk indicators include: inactivity, high sodium intake, being overweight, pregnancy, and high alcohol intake.

"Know Your Numbers" is a phrase used by the American Heart Association when referring to the critical numbers that are important to know when maintaining a healthy heart - this includes knowing ones blood pressure. In addition to staying away for excessive salt and alcohol, being physically active, and maintaining a healthy diet; individuals can help keep their blood pressure in check by closely monitoring their numbers at home. At Hocks Pharmacy, they have a number of different products to help your consumers do just that. The storefront below is a sampling of some of the at home monitoring devices available.

Article courtesy of Hocks Pharmacy