February is American Heart Month, which is a time to be more aware of heart-related illnesses and conditions, like heart disease and high blood pressure. High blood pressure damages blood vessels and the heart over time and can contribute to heart failure.
High Blood Pressure Isn’t Just Related to Age
Home Care Assistance in Glen Cove, NY: High Blood Pressure
It’s common to think that high blood pressure is something that develops in older people only. But people of any age can start to face issues with blood pressure. In fact, many older people discover that they have high blood pressure and may have actually been dealing with it for years. This is a condition that can get significantly worse over time, but it can be manageable.
Hypertension Is Called a Silent Disease for a Reason
The biggest reason that high blood pressure can go undetected for so long is that it’s called a silent disease. That means that the symptoms of high blood pressure either aren’t present at all or are symptoms that are easy to explain away as possibly something else. Headaches can be a common symptom of blood pressure issues, for instance, but they may not be something your senior experiences every time her blood pressure is higher than it should be.
There Are Links Between Blood Pressure and Dementia
It’s possible that high blood pressure is connected to an increased risk of developing dementia. Researchers are still working on determining what the link between the two conditions is, but this possibility means it’s more important than ever to do as much as possible to help your senior to manage her blood pressure. Finding solutions whether that means changing her diet with the help of elder care providers or getting more active are all important.
Managing High Blood Pressure at Home
Eating a healthy diet, moving as much as is safe for your senior to move, and talking with her doctor about other tools are all a good idea. Often, having home care assistance to take care of meal preparation and ensuring that your senior is eating healthy foods regularly is a big key to seeing results. There may be other ways that home care assistance can be helpful, too, such as reducing your senior’s stress levels simply by being there with her.
Every individual has different needs when it comes to reducing blood pressure, so it’s important for your senior to find the tools that work best for her. Her doctor can help her to find the exact solutions that are likely to work best for her.