La Jolla Senior Care News

Caregiver Awareness: World Hypertension Day

Caregivers in La Jolla CA

Caregivers in La Jolla CA As a caregiver, awareness is one of the most important tools that you have for guarding your parent’s health and ensuring that they can live the highest quality of life possible as they age in place. May 17 is World Hypertension Day. This health observance is your opportunity to increase your awareness of hypertension, the risks that it poses for your parent’s health, and the steps that you can take to help reduce the chances of negative health consequences caused by this condition.

Also known as high blood pressure, hypertension is often called a silent killer. This is because the vast majority of people who have high blood pressure experience no symptoms. Experts estimate that millions of people are currently living with hypertension but do not know it, putting them at serious risk of health complications including stroke, heart attack, eye diseases, kidney stones and kidney diseases, and death. Approximately 75 percent of those people who have high blood pressure are considered at elevated risk for these health complications because they do not properly manage their hypertension.

High blood pressure is something that can act quickly and cause devastating consequences without you even realizing that the risk is there. This is why it is critical to make checking your parent’s blood pressure a regular part of their health screenings, and managing their blood pressure a focus of your regular care routine.

Some ways that you can help to control and manage your parent’s blood pressure include:

  • Quit smoking. There are absolutely no benefits and countless risks to tobacco use. If your parent smokes, there is no reason whatsoever for them to continue. Smoking dramatically increases the risk of experiencing a wide variety of health complications, including stroke. Talk to your parent’s doctor about the most effective way to help your parent get rid of this habit and replace it with healthy lifestyle choices.
  • Reduce or eliminate drinking. Drinking alcohol regularly can also increase blood pressure and put your parent at greater risk of health complications related to hypertension. Not drinking at all is ideal, but most doctors agree that one drink per day is an acceptable limit. If your parent already has very high blood pressure and is trying to find ways to lower it, eliminate alcohol all together.
  • Improve diet. Management of most health issues comes with a recommendation to eat a healthier diet on a regular basis. This is because what you eat is the fuel that you are giving your body. This is not just about energy. Food also provides the nutrients that your body needs to function normally and protect itself. When your parent eats an unbalanced or unhealthy diet they are not giving their bodies what is necessary to keep them functioning efficiently and effectively. They may also be eating things that actually strain the body and make it work harder, one symptom of which is high blood pressure.
  • Get more active. Inactivity is a major risk factor for hypertension. Encourage your parent to find physical activities that they enjoy so that they can keep their bodies moving, control their weight, and encourage stronger cardiovascular health. This is even more beneficial if they can also find activities that stimulate their mind and relieve stress, such as dancing.

La Jolla Nurses Homecare can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, call 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in La Costa, CA, and the surrounding communities."}” data-sheets-userformat=”{"2":767,"3":[null,0],"4":[null,2,10667209],"5":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":[null,2,0]},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"6":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":[null,2,0]},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"7":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":[null,2,0]},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"8":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":[null,2,0]},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"9":2,"10":2,"12":0}”>For more information about how the caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, call 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable home care in La Jolla, CA, and the surrounding communities.

Source: http://www.whleague.org/index.php/features/world-hypertension-day

Brittnei Salerno

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