Blood Pressure Clinic

Community Health Services provides free blood pressure screenings each Wednesday from 9 – 10 am in the Spencer Hospital lobby. Please allow enough time to rest a few minutes prior to screening. 

High blood pressure is a controllable risk factor for heart attack and stroke.  High blood pressure adds to the workload of your heart.  If left untreated, over time your heart, kidneys, eyes, and brain may all be affected.

Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of your arteries.  Your heart creates this force as it pumps blood to all parts of your body. The only way to know what your blood pressure numbers are is to have it measured. 

The American Heart Association recommends that your blood pressure be at or below 120/80.  “Systolic” is the top number or your heart at work.  “Diastolic” is the bottom number or your heart at rest.  The following chart outlines the recommendations from the American Heart Association for blood pressure management: 

Systolic		Diastolic	Your Group	What to do*
<120	&	<80	Normal	Maintain a healthy lifestyle
120-139	or	80-90	Pre-hypertension	Adopt a healthy lifestyle
140-159	or	90-99	Stage 1 Hypertension	Adopt a healthy lifestyle; take medication
160+	or	100+	Stage 2 Hypertension	Adopt a healthy lifestyle; take more than one medication

Tips to Control Blood Pressure

• Continue to monitor
• Take medications as directed and notify your physician if problems occur or if you’re not feeling well
• Do not stop medicines or adjust dosages on your own
• Check with a pharmacist before taking any over-the-counter medicines
• Decrease the amount of salt in your diet
• Stop smoking
• Exercise regularly under the approval and guidance of your physician
• Start a weight loss program if advised to do so