Educate Your Body: Know & Learn Your Blood Pressure

Do you know your average blood pressure reading? Do you know a normal blood pressure should be? High blood pressure, also called hypertension affects 1 in 3 adults worldwide.  It affects more people than any disease in the world. Untreated hypertension leads to unhealthy feelings and symptoms.  It causes heart disease, strokes, kidney failure, blindness, poor circulation, and more. 

A normal reading is 120/80.  For more accurate measures of your blood pressure and what affects it, you should do home blood pressure monitoring. Buy a blood pressure monitor for home use. Wrist and arm monitors are available in many stores on and off line. Record your blood pressure readings daily starting with morning, midday, and night. Make a note of your activity and how you are feeling. You may notice that extreme anxiety makes it go up. The correlation to your pressure will help you manage the things that make it go up. Share your results with your doctor so medication and lifestyle changes can be made if necessary.

You may find that while your blood pressure is high in the doctor's office, it may be normal in everyday activity. Remember, the doctor's result is a one time reading every one to four or more months. With normal home results, and high results at your doctor visits you may have "white coat" hypertension. There is much controversy over whether this should be treated. Check with your primary care doctor and cardiologist.

If your blood pressure is above 120/80, you want to start a low salt, low fat diet. One of the best is the DASH diet. Integrating healthy food, exercise, weight control, and stress reduction in your treatment plan improves the way you feel.  It also controls blood pressure. For higher blood pressure readings, medication may be necessary. Be sure to take your home blood pressure results in to your doctor. This will help in deciding on the best treatment for you. Best health!

White Coat Hypertension: Is It Really High Blood Pressure?  http://bit.ly/1cGaeMj

Your Health Plan: Self Care Good Health Daily

Start your day out in good health.  Make self improvement and healthcare maintenance your first priority.  When you do this, you will find that good health is worth it.  Each person has a different level of good health, but should do their best to stay as healthy as they can be.  When you take care of yourself with proper nutrition, rest, and other good health habits, it is less likely illness will occur.

Poor health costs more than feeling poorly.  The extreme high money cost can add to that.  In addition, limits on certain coverages like three pints of blood, and $50,000 lifetime maximum on some health services especially for those with chronic diseases and pre-existing conditions, are likely to slow progress of getting better if illness occurs while you wait a year or save more money.  It is important to focus on preventive medical services as well as positive healthy lifestyle for early disease detection and diagnosis can lead to prompt treatment.  This is where self care health pays for good health and more financial stability.

Your health is your responsibility.  Be dedicated to good health.  Make healthy self care a daily habit.  Best health!

Health Budget & Savings Habit Healthy

As a new year and decade approach, take the time to review again your health bank account.  This starts with your medical condition and diagnoses.  Is everything stable?  Are you in good health?  When you look at your personal health, you can assess present condition and what the cost of your health care has been this year.  it is important to do this to see how much you spent on prevention (routine tests and doctor visit checkups, insurance, etc.) and actual treatment (home health, medication, hospitalization, holistic treatments, glasses, dental, etc,).  

Healthcare costs and coverage change as healthcare itself changes.  The biggest change for the next decade could be healthier people spending less for costly medical treatments; however, it will be patients paying more for medical services, while insurance companies pay less.  This can be quite a challenge especially for those on a limited income.  

It is as important to do a health expense checkup as it is to get a physical checkup every year.  Gather together all information for healthcare expenses in 2019.  Itemize and add up the total.  You may need at least this amount probably for 2020.  Set up a savings account at your bank,  Deposit regular to this account monthly.  Use it only for health costs.  If you have enough cash on hand equal to or more than previous year, start with that amount and try to double it by year's end.  Money you save on health can also be included. 

There is a cost for good health, but you can make it less of your cost by adhering to healthy living. Recent research has shown that non genetic factors may contribute more to disease than genes.  This means maintaining healthy habits while keeping unhealthy habits away.  Over time this in itself will help keep you healthy without overspending.  Prevention costs less than treatment, keeps you healthier and happier.  Best health!

Be Thankful! Appreciate Good Health

Thanks giving is giving thanks every day.  This in itself a great way to appreciate your health.  Keep your personal banks filled with thanks.  Do good for your health all the time.  Be thankful and 
show it in your health.  Best health!

Doctor Availability Less Available?

As a potential primary care physician shortage may be approaching, it has become more difficult to get timely appointments.  If you have insurance, they must be in network to avoid extra cost beyond your insurance coverage.  Many physicians also have limited visiting hours unlike days of old when they made themselves more available to patients.  

Be aware of reasons doctors may be selective about their patient choices.  This may include:

• too many patients per doctor
• cash only
• limited to certain insurance or Medicare, Medicaid only
• gender preference
• age limits like over fifty
• too many chronic conditions

You must seek out doctors you feel are best for you.  Even if it means seeing several in the same specialty before you get the right one.  Doctor shopping is becoming more popular as the healthcare landscape keeps changing.  The Internet makes it easier to do, but the telephone can make it more personable.  Talking to someone can give you more information to add to your research.  Word of mouth is still a good way to find doctors.  Seek out the best doctors and you will find great available healthcare personalized for you. Best health!