You are trying to load the Human Atlas. Either you do not have the newest version of Adobe Flash®, or you have JavaScript disabled, both of which are required to use this system.
- Conditions & Treatments
- Find A Doctor
With access to 900+ MedStar Georgetown University Hospital physicians, our nurse counselors can schedule your appointment or referral, and provide you with insightful information about our expert physicians.
Call us today at 202-342-2400
or toll free at 866-745-2633
Monday–Friday from 8 a.m.–8 p.m.
Please click here for more information. - Centers & Departments
- Patient & Visitor Guide
- Education & Wellness
Education and Wellness
-
Health News You Can Use
- Preventing and Treating Burns … and Knowing When to Call the Experts
- Getting Enough Sleep?
- Young Athletes and Concussions — What You Need to Know
- Be Safe With Spring Cleaning
- Rheumatoid Arthritis—Not Your Grandmother’s Rheumatism
- Treating Pregnancy Emergencies
- Nutrition and Body Weight
- Seizures 101
- Pain From Kidney Stones?
-
Health Centers
-
MyGeorgetownMD - Health Newsletter
-
Health Tools and Information
-
Wellness Tools
-
Care Guides
-
Health Risk Assessments
-
Human Atlas
-
Clinical Trials
-
Community Lectures
-
Ask-A-Doc Video Series
- Ask Dr. Shawna Willey: Breast Surgery
- Ask Dr. Allen Taylor: Cardiology
- Ask Dr. Sean Collins: CyberKnife Treatment for Tumors
- Ask Dr. Walter Jean: CyberKnife Treatments for Brain Tumors
- Ask Dr. Eric Anderson: Lung Cancer Treatment with CyberKnife
- Ask Dr. Chris Kalhorn: Movement Disorders and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
- Ask Dr. Gholam Motamedi: Epilepsy and Seizures
- Ask Dr. Fernando Pagan: Movement Disorders
- Ask Dr. Faheem Sandhu: Spinal Surgery
- Ask Dr. Brian Evans: Joint Replacement Surgery
- Ask Dr. Ivica Ducic: Migraines and Headaches
- Ask Dr. Helain Landy: Pregnancy and High-Risk Pregnancy
- Ask Dr. Bruce Davidson: Head and Neck Cancer
- Ask Dr. Nadim Haddad: Pancreatic Cancer
- Ask Dr. Michael Pishvaian: Pancreatic and Gastrointestinal Cancer
- Ask Dr. Patrick G. Jackson: Pancreatic Cancer and the Latest Treatments
- Ask Dr. Waddah Al-Refaie: Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST)
- Ask Dr. Waddah Al-Refaie: Soft Tissue Sarcomas
- Ask Dr. Waddah Al-Refaie: Stomach Cancers
- Ask Dr. Matthew Cooper: Kidney Transplantation
- Ask Dr. Thomas Fishbein: Transplantation
- Ask Dr. Keith Kowalczyk: Prostate and Kidney Cancer
-
Classes, Events and Support Groups
-
MedStar Georgetown Pediatrics Newsletters
-
Drug Notes
-
Drug Interaction
-
Request More Information
High blood pressure - what to ask your doctor
Definition
When your heart pumps blood into your arteries, the pressure of the blood against the artery walls is called your blood pressure. Your blood pressure is given as two numbers: systolic over diastolic blood pressure. Your systolic blood pressure is the highest blood pressure during the course of your heart beat cycle. Your diastolic blood pressure is the lowest pressure.
When your blood pressure gets too high, it puts extra stress on your heart and blood vessels. If your blood pressure stays high all the time, you will be at a higher risk for heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and other health problems.
|
Below are some questions you may want to ask your doctor or nurse to help you take care of your blood pressure.
Alternate Names
What to ask your doctor about high blood pressure; Hypertension - what to ask your doctor
Questions
How can I change the way I live to lower my blood pressure?
- What is a heart-healthy diet? Is it okay to ever eat something that is not heart healthy? What are some ways to eat healthy when I go to a restaurant?
- Do I need to limit how much salt I use? Are there other spices that I can use to make my food taste good?
- Is it okay to drink alcohol? How much is okay?
- What can I do to stop smoking? Is it okay to be around other people who are smoking?
Should I check my blood pressure at home?
- What type of equipment should I buy? Where can I learn how to use it?
- How often do I need to check my blood pressure? Should I write it down and bring it to my next visit?
- If I cannot check my own blood pressure, where else can I have it checked?
- What should my blood pressure reading be?
- When should I call my doctor or nurse?
What is my cholesterol? Do I need to take medicines for it?
Is it okay to be sexually active? Is it safe to use sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra), or tadalafil (Cialis) for erection problems?
What medicines am I taking to treat high blood pressure?
- Do they have any side effects? What should I do if I miss a dose?
- Is it ever safe to stop taking any of these medicines on my own?
How much activity can I do?
- Do I need to have a stress test before I exercise?
- Is it safe for me to exercise on my own?
- Should I exercise inside or outside?
- Which activities should I start with? Are there activities or exercises that are not safe for me?
- How long and how hard can I exercise?
- What are the warning signs that I should stop exercising?
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by A.D.A.M. Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc., Editorial Team: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Bethanne Black, Stephanie Slon, and Nissi Wang.
