Read about the latest news on ECG / EKG Machines

Did you know that more than 70 million adults in the US have high blood pressure? So prevalent is this health problem in the US that it has many doctors scrambling to find an effective solution.

Blood pressure is a measurement of the force with which blood is pushing its way through blood vessels and arteries. Any time that blood pressure is up; it means that the heart has to work much harder, which could lead to a number of serious illnesses, including heart attack, congestive heart failure, stroke or aneurysm.

Doctors will normally check blood pressure at a routine check-up and order an EKG machine test for older patients or those at high risk for hypertension. The reason why high blood pressure is so concerning is because it is usually an indicator of present or future heart disease, which is the number one killer in America. It can also cause cardiovascular damage and complicate other health problems.

According to most physicians the “normal” blood pressure level is 120/80 or lower. Even a measurement that is slightly higher than this can indicate a condition called pre-hypertension, but high blood pressure is usually diagnosed when blood pressure exceeds 140/90.

Some symptoms of hypertension include headaches, dizziness, fatigue, vision problems, chest pains, irregular heartbeat and nausea. While there are a number of highly effective prescription drugs on the market to help control high blood pressure, lifestyle changes are sometimes the best medicine.

So how is high blood pressure controlled? Proper exercise, a healthy diet, weight loss, and reduced salt and alcohol intake can help a lot, but it is also important to get regular screenings. Most doctors will recommend an electrocardiogram, using a 12-lead EKG machine, as well as a stress test and dietary changes. Controlling high blood pressure can be a quite challenge but “take heart”, it can be done!