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High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) and Stroke: What You Need to Know!

What Is Hypertension?

The heart pumps blood throughout your body.
Heart rate (Also called your pulse) is the number of times your heart beats in one minute.
Blood pressure is how hard the blood pushes against the walls of your arteries.
When the pressure stays too high, it’s called high blood pressure (Hypertension is the medical term).

Why Does Hypertension Matter?

Hypertension can:

Make your heart work too hard.
Damage your blood vessels.
Increase risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney problems.

Signs and Symptoms

Most people don’t feel high blood pressure.
It is called the “silent killer”.
The only way to know: check you blood pressure numbers!
Your healthcare provider will use a blood pressure monitor.

How to Prevent Hypertension

Eat healthy- choose lots of fruit, vegetables, beans, whole grains, and lean protein (like eggs, chicken and fish).
Limit salt.
Cut back on processed and fast food.
Exercise every day.
Maintain a healthy weight.
DO NOT smoke.
Limit alcohol intake.
Manage stress.
See your doctor for checkups.

Warning Signs of Stroke

A stroke occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked or a blood vessel bursts. This prevents the brain from getting oxygen. This causes brain cells to die within minutes. It can cause problems with movement, speech, and vision. It’s very serious.

Use the letters F.A.S.T. to remember the most common signs of a stroke:

F – Face Drooping: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
A – Arm Weakness: Ask them to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S – Speech Difficulty: Ask them to say a simple sentence. Is their speech slurred or strange?
T – Time to Call 911: If you see any of these signs, call 911 right away.

F – A – S – T

Face – Arm – Speech – Time

Contact Us

Email: info@hbi-dc.org

Phone: (202) 220-8583