Keep holiday spirits high, not blood pressure

The holidays can wreak havoc on your health with added stress, decadent desserts and cold and flu season. For the nearly 80 million American adults who have high blood pressure, these winter health hazards can sabotage efforts to keep blood pressure in a healthy range.

To keep holiday spirits high, but your blood pressure under control, the American Heart Association offers five tips:

• Avoid decongestants. Many over-the-counter cold and flu medicines contain decongestants, which increase blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure already, check the label on anything you pick up at the drug store to make sure it’s safe for you.

• Take care of your sleep apnea. Pauses in breathing while you sleep can not only make you tired the next day, but poor quality sleep can contribute to high blood pressure. Talk to your doctor about treating your sleep apnea and set yourself up for a restful night sleep by getting regular physical activity during the day, limiting consumption of alcohol and caffeine, and following a regular bedtime routine.

• Avoid stress if you can, and manage it in healthy ways. While it may not directly cause high blood pressure, chronic stress can lead to unhealthy lifestyle choices that do affect your blood pressure. For example, clear your head with a brisk walk instead of a snack binge.

• Skip the salt. Sodium increases blood pressure because it holds excess fluid in the body, placing an added burden on the heart. If your blood pressure is high, your doctor may recommend a lowsalt diet or advise you to avoid salt altogether. Most sodium in our diets is from packaged food. If you eat fresh, you’re likely to eat less sodium.

• Don’t forget your medicine. In addition to lifestyle modifications, you may need one or more type of prescription medication to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level. Keeping track of your prescribed medications can be challenging, but your heart health depends on it. Stopping, skipping, or taking them differently can increase your risk of debilitating or deadly consequences such as stroke or heart attack.

High blood pressure is sometimes called “the silent killer” because it has no symptoms, so you may not be aware that it’s damaging your arteries, heart and other organs. If your blood pressure is 120/80, you’ve entered the “borderline” stage. If it’s higher than 140/90, it’s too high and could lead to heart attack or stroke. The American Heart Association and the American Medical Association are working together on a program called Target: BP to reach doctors and clinics around the country to make sure they are also prioritizing blood pressure control. Patients can ask their doctor if they are a member of the program.