High blood pressure is one of the most over-looked health problems. Of the millions who know they have it, very few are getting adequate treatment, less than a quarter of the estimated millions who have it are getting adequate treatment. The rest may feel fine, but they're at in-creased risk for stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and other ailments.

A single measurement may not be representative of your blood pressure throughout the day. And about one in five people who visit the doctor exhibit high blood pressure simply because they're nervous.

To tell if your blood pressure is consistently high, you must take several readings — preferably over a period of days or weeks.

If you are diagnosed with hypertension, your doctor should follow up with a thorough physical exam. This exam should include an electrocardiogram, a urinalysis and blood tests.

NEW 2017 CLASSIFICATION OF BLOOD PRESSURE

• Normal below ……………...120/80mm Hg

• Elevated ............................. 120/80 to 129/89mmHg

• Stage 1 hypertension .........130/80 to 139/89mmHg

• Stage 2 hypertension ......... 140/90mmHg and above

• Hypertesio Crisis …………. 180/120Hg and above

TABLE 1. CLASSIFICATION OF BLOOD PRESSURE (BP)

TABLE 2. HYPERTENSIVE CRISES: EMERGENCIES AND URGENCIES

PREVIOUS CLASSIFICATION OF BLOOD PRESSURE

• Normal.............................120/80mm Hg and below

• Prehypertension..........120/80mm Hg to 130/89mm Hg

• Stage1hypertension...140/90mm Hg to 159/99mm Hg

• Stage 2 hypertension...160/100mm Hg above.

TO LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE.

• Cut back on alcohol. Excessive consumption of Alcohol could raise blood pressure. Have no more than one ounce a day—the amount in two beers, a glass of wine or a jigger of whiskey.

• Exercise more. Get 30 to 60 minutes everyday of moderate activity— walking, jogging, bicycling, etc. Becoming fit can lower your blood pressure by six to seven points.

• Lose weight. Overweight people who reduce their body weight by 5% to 10% often experience a significant drop in blood pressure.

• Quit smoking. Reduce sodium intake. Some people are salt-sensitive, others aren't. My advice is to stop using a saltshaker... and to avoid processed foods, which account for two-thirds of daily salt intake

• Follow the DASH diet. Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)

1. Seven or eight servings of grains, bread, cereal or pasta preferably whole-grain varieties.

2. Eight to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables

3. Two or three servings of nonfat/low-fat dairy products.

4. Two or fewer servings of meat, poultry or fish.

5. The DASH diet also calls for four or five servings per week of beans, peas, nuts or seeds.

Read labels. A bowl of indomie noodles can have more than 1,140 milligrams (mg) of sodium. That's half the 2,400-mg-per-day level recommended by health experts.

• Cut back on caffeine and nicotine. The caffeine in coffee, tea and soft drinks causes blood vessels to narrow for several hours, causing a transient rise in blood pressure. People with hypertension should limit their daily caffeine intake to two cups of coffee, four cups of tea or four cans of caffeinated soda.

• Limit your drinking. Excessive drinking—more than two drinks a day for men or one for women—is clearly a major contributor to hyper-tension. If your drinking exceeds these levels, cut back. Do so gradually, over a few weeks. Going "cold turkey" can cause a rapid and potentially dangerous rise in blood pressure.

• Lose weight. The heavier you are, the larger the network of blood vessels your body must maintain. The larger this network, the more forcefully your heart must pump. This means higher blood pressure. If you're over-weight, losing even 10 pounds is often enough to lower your blood pressure one full level on the six-part scale.

• Alleviate psychological stress. Stress causes the body to produce hormones that constrict blood vessels, thereby raising your blood pressure. Get organized... make lists of tasks... set priorities... clean out clutter... say "no" to additional responsibilities... delegate work... try meditation and other relaxation techniques.

• Get more physical activity. Walking, cycling, running and other forms of aerobic exercise boost your heart's pumping efficiency. The more efficient your heart, the wider the arteries open and the less forcefully the heart must contract. Bonus: Regular exercise helps alleviate stress and promotes weight loss — there by augmenting its pressure-lowering effect. Aim for five to seven 30 minute workout sessions weekly.

Experts recommend at least 20 minutes of running, biking, walking, etc. at least four days a week.

5 COMMON MISTAKES

• Thinking that cutting back on salt will do the trick. Only about half of all hypertensives are salt-sensitive. Their pressure drops if they cut back on salt and other sources of sodium. For the other 50%, avoiding salt makes no difference. To find out if your blood pressure is affected by salt, avoid salt altogether for four weeks and see if there's any change.

• Not exercising properly. After vigorous exercise, blood pressure stays low for hours. Getting into shape will permanently reduce your blood pressure and your risk of heart disease.

• Using an unreliable blood pressure monitor. Many monitors designed for home use are unreliable. Before using your monitor, have your doctor calibrate it and check your technique, too.

• Ignoring potassium. Potassium lowers blood pressure. Potassium-rich foods include bananas, oranges, beans, squash and sunflower seeds.

• Ignoring the effects of other drugs. Blood pressure can be raised by many prescription and over-the-counter drugs e.g. Flu medication, decongestant (found in many cold and allergy pills) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or Advil.