Did you know? There are more than 100 million Americans who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure. And 11 million more don’t even know they have elevated blood pressure.

With May recognized as National High Blood Pressure Education Month, our team at AFC Urgent Care TN wants you to know what steps you can take to maintain a healthy blood pressure in order to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke in the future.

What Puts You at Risk for High Blood Pressure?

There are a number of things in life that can put you at a high risk for high blood pressure. While there are some risk factors you cannot control, there are many things you can do in order to help reduce your risk of high blood pressure.

Non-controllable risk factors for high blood pressure include age, race and family medical history. However, controllable risk factors include obesity, smoking, a sedentary lifestyle and a poor diet.

Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

• Headaches
• Shortness of breath
• Nosebleeds
• Flushing
• Dizziness
• Chest pain
• Visual changes
• Blood in the urine

What Steps Can You Take to Lower Your Blood Pressure?

In order to maintain a healthy blood pressure, you want to do what you can to get to a healthy weight, which includes following a healthy diet and exercising on a regular basis.

It is also important that you do what you can to lower your stress levels, as stress can put you at risk for high blood pressure. When you’re stressed, your body releases hormones that can increase your blood pressure.

Ways to Manage Stress

• Keep a positive attitude.
• Exercise regularly.
• Accept the things you cannot control in life.
• Follow a healthy diet.
• Practice relaxation techniques like yoga.

Feeling under the weather? Schedule an AFC TeleCare appointment online with one of our AFC Urgent Care TN locations today for a medical evaluation and treatment plan.