The High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Support Center

Every person is unique, but when you face a challenge like high blood pressure (hypertension), you are never alone.  Countless men and women, and  even some children, have faced exactly the same diagnosis and have survived and thrived. The following guide is designed to help you navigate your journey with the best information and resources that helped other survivors when they faced the same challenge. 

TSC has scoured the Web to assemble links to the very best high blood pressure resources: articles, blogs, forums, and tools that can help you make better decisions and take action to overcome the range of physical, emotional, and other challenges you're facing now.

As you’ll see, we always welcome your ideas and suggestions to make this high blood pressure guide even more helpful to survivors like you.  

JUST FOUND OUT 

Survivors Say: Best Resources for Hypertension

• MedlinePlus: High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
• American Heart Association: Hypertension
• Hypertension Education Foundation

The Big Picture

The medical term for high blood pressure is hypertension. High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the heart work too hard and contributes to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). It increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, which are the first- and third-leading causes of death among Americans.

Do you know the most common signs and symptoms of hypertension?

American Heart Association: How Do I Know if I Have High Blood Pressure? 

Your Hypertension

Since hypertension isn't something you can usually feel, it may be hard to believe that it can really hurt you - but it definitely can:

• American Heart Association: High Blood Pressure - Why Should I Care?
• National Heart Lung Blood Institute: Effect of High Blood Pressure on Your Body

What constitutes normal vs. high blood pressure? This chart shows you:

National Heart Lung Blood Institute: Categories for Blood Pressure Levels in Adults

Your World

After being diagnosed with any potentially serious condition, it's understandable to experience a flood of emotions. It's important to talk with your loved ones and reach out to support centers during the initial stages of your journey. For advice on dealing with the emotions you may be feeling right now, these resources can help:

• WebMD.com: Hypertension Support & Resources
• WebMD.com: Hypertension Support Group
  

Hypertension Myths

• "High blood pressure is something only men get."
• "I don't need to worry about hypertension until I'm middle-aged."
• "I have high blood pressure when I go to the doctor, but that's because I'm nervous. I'm sure it's fine otherwise."

American Heart Association - Common Misconceptions About High Blood Pressure

Information and Recommended Links for Survivors

• Hypertension Education Foundation: Advice for Patients
• National Heart Lung Blood Institute: Treatment of High Blood Pressure
• MedlinePlus: High Blood Pressure
• American Heart Association: Blood Pressure - What Can I Do?
• WebMD.com: What is High Blood Pressure?

Types of Treatment

Lifestyle Changes

Making changes to your lifestyle - such as eating healthfully, exercising regularly, and quitting smoking - can go a long way in lowering your blood pressure and the risks associated with hypertension:

• National Heart Lung Blood Institute: Healthy Eating
• National Heart Lung Blood Institute: Reduce Salt and Sodium in Your Diet
• National Heart Lung Blood Institute: Maintaining a Healthy Weight
• National Heart Lung Blood Institute: Quitting Smoking
• WebMD.com: Treatment for Hypertension
• American Heart Association: Home Monitoring of High Blood Pressure
  

Medication

Drugs (antihypertensives), including diuretics and beta blockers, are used to lower blood pressure:   

• American Heart Association: Taking Medication for Blood Pressure
• National Heart Blood Lung Institute: Types of Blood Pressure Medications

Possible Treatment Side Effects

All drugs come with the risk of side effects, so be sure to talk to your doctor about the medication you're taking, and share with him all the drugs you're on, including over-the-counter medicines and any supplements or herbals:American Heart Association:

Possible Side Effects of Drugs That Lower Blood Pressure  

New Therapies

Researchers are always exploring new therapies that could prove more effective than traditional approaches to managing hypertension -- keep up with the latest developments at the American Heart Association's site:

AHA: Blood Pressure News

Creating a Support Circle

• Set up your TSC survivor profile.
• Join support groups of other survivors or start your own.
• Interact and provide updates on your TSC profile or in the TSC forums.

Insurance & Money Matters

If you have pulmonary hypertension, which affects the lungs, this resource may be helpful

Pulmonary Hypertension Association: A Guide to Understanding Your Healthcare Insurance Benefits

This article may be useful if you're having trouble paying for your blood pressure drugs:

About.com: High Blood Pressure - What to Do When You Can't Afford Your Medications

Health-care Providers Who Can Help

Cardiologists are the physicians who generally treat hypertension, though once it's under control you may just see your primary care physician as you usually would.

Resources to Find Doctors

• CardioSmart.org: American College of Cardiology
• American Society of Hypertension, Inc.: Directory of Specialists in Clinical Hypertension

The Emotional Rollercoaster

Dealing with hypertension can prove to challenge, but most of the time the condition is well-controlled with a combination of medication and lifestyle changes. It's important to continue living your life as normally as possible, participating in the same daily activities you've always done.

Books Survivors Recommend

• The Dash Diet for Hypertension by Thomas J. Moore and Mark Jenkins
• High Blood Pressure for Dummies by Alan L., MD Rubin
• Reversing Hypertension: A Vital New Program to Prevent, Treat, and Reduce High Blood Pressure by Julian Whitaker

What Survivors Wish They’d Known

Communicating with Your Health-care Providers

• Bring a friend or family member with you to your doctor appointments, not only to provide support but to lend an extra ear and ask questions you may not have thought of.
• Don't be afraid to ask any questions on your mind, even if you're afraid of the answer.
• Write down any questions ahead of time and jot down the answers as your health-care provider walks you through them.
• Visit WebMD.com: Hypertension - Questions for Your Doctor for some questions you may want to ask.

Dealing with Hypertension: Information for Co-Survivors      
 

How You Can Help

• Assist your friend or family member if they ask, but find a good balance so as not to throw off their daily routine.
• Preserve your friend or family member's daily activities. It's normal to feel protective but excluding patients from activities or decisions contributes to feelings of helplessness.
• Involve your survivor with others and don't focus on their condition or treatment plan.

What to Say    

• "I will help you however you need to improve your health."
• "There are a number of great options for quitting smoking."
• "Let's plan a healthy diet together."
  

What Not to Say

• "Hypertension is just part of getting older."
• "If you're not showing any symptoms you have nothing to worry about."
• "Everyone gets stressed sometimes."

Things You Can Do for a Survivor Every Day

Offering day-to-day support is a great gift to give a family member or friend with hypertension. You can also help out by offering healthy, low-salt recipes or inviting the survivor to join you to exercise or in another relaxing activity.

How to Build a Support Network

• Set up your TSC co-survivor profile.
• Create a support group for your friend or family member.
• Interact and provide updates on your loved one's progress.

After you've gotten your blood pressure under control, you're beginning a new phase of your survivor journey - recovery. This may be a good time to to assess and share with others how you feel emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. By telling your story you can not only put into perspective your thoughts and feelings, but you may provide hope to others who are going through a similar journey themselves, whether it be with hypertension, another health problem, or a completely different crisis.

Remission / Recovery / Recurrence   

To stay well you'll want to continue with the treatment plan your doctor has given you, sticking to your medication and a healthy lifestyle, and letting your health-care providers know if you experience any changes in your health. Do you know all the risk factors for hypertension? Some you can influence and some you can't:

• Mayoclinic.com: High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) - Risk Factors
• Heart Lung Blood Institute: Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure - Prevention
  
• American Heart Association: Heart Hub - High Blood Pressure

Give Back

What helped you while you were dealing with the diagnosis, undergoing treatment and realized you had recovered? Take a look back at your journey and share with others what helped you and what you wished you would have known or done during your hypertension experience. You can create a TSC profile, reach out to other survivors, join support circles, or share your story by following the links at The Survivors Club. Check out some of the best charities for supporting hypertension research or offering support to survivors:

American Heart Association: Ways to Give

Although hypertension is often treatable, it can also lead to other threatening conditions. Left untreated, hypertension can lead to a potentially fatal heart attack or stroke. If you think you are experiencing a stroke or heart attack, seek medical help immediately or call 911:

American Heart Association: Warning Signs