High blood pressure - what to ask your doctor

Definition

When your heart pumps blood into your arteries, the pressure in these arteries is called your blood pressure. Your blood pressure is reported as two numbers: systolic over diastolic blood pressure.

When your blood pressure gets too high, it puts extra stress on your heart and blood vessels. If your blood pressure stays high all the time, you will be at a higher risk for heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and other health problems.

Below are some questions you may want to ask your doctor or nurse to help you take care of your blood pressure.

Alternate Names

What to ask your doctor about high blood pressure; Hypertension - what to ask your doctor

Questions

How can I change the way I live to lower my blood pressure?

What is a heart-healthy diet? Is it okay to ever eat something that is not heart healthy? What are some ways to eat healthy when I go to a restaurant?
Do I need to limit how much salt I use? Are there other spices that I can use to make my food taste good?
Is it okay to drink any alcohol?
What can I do to stop smoking? Is it okay to be around other people who are smoking?

Should I check my blood pressure at home?

What type of device or equipment should I buy? Where can I learn how to use it?
How often do I need to check my blood pressure? Should I write it down and bring it to my next visit?
If I cannot check my own blood pressure, where else can I have it checked?
What should my blood pressure reading be? When should I call the doctor or nurse?

What is my cholesterol? Do I need to take medicines for it?

Is it okay to be sexually active? Is it safe to use sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra), or tadalafil (Cialis) if I’m a man?

What medicines am I taking to treat high blood pressure?

Do they have any side effects? What should I do if I miss a dose?
Is it ever safe to stop taking any of these medicines on my own?

How much exercise or activity can I do?

Do I need to have a stress test before I exercise?
Is it safe for me to exercise on my own?
Where should I exercise, inside or outside?
Which activities are better to start with? Are there activities or exercises that are not safe for me?
How long and how hard can I exercise? Can I keep on trying until I do not feel good?

Review Date: 2/24/2011
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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