CAMAF Member Option Guides & Info

2 INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW Sometimes called the "silent killer" and also known as hypertension, high blood pressure is a very important medical condition indeed. It is also a condition that is often poorly understood and as a result, poorly managed. You have high blood pressure, or a borderline blood pressure reading. This special programme will give you all the key information to help you understand and manage this. The result should be a real reduction in your risk of developing a range of serious medical problems, so we hope you'll agree that it's very worthwhile. This week we'll cover an overview of the most crucial facts about high blood pressure (subsequent weeks will cover these areas in more detail. It is really important to emphasise one aspect right away" High Blood Pressure is what we call a chronic condition. This basically means that it cannot be cured as such, but rather needs life-long management and control. This is something that involves a partnership between you and your doctor(s) – without your active involvement, treatments will be less than optimal, and your health will almost certainly suffer. AN OVERVIEW Of kEY fACTS High Blood Pressure is a condition where the physical pressure within your blood vessels is raised. High Blood Pressure is caused by underlying medical or hormonal problems in some cases, but is most often what is called "essential high blood pressure" meaning that the exact cause is not known. High Blood Pressure cannot be felt and so must be measured. High Blood Pressure is measured using a machine called a sphygmomanometer. These are used by doctors and nurses but you can get home-use machines too. Because blood pressure varies from moment to moment and day to day it is really important that several measurements are taken before making a diagnosis. High Blood Pressure can often be managed with lifestyle changes including weight control, regular exercise, low-salt and low-fat eating, adequate rest and effective stress management.

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