Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation HealthLine. August / September Know Your Numbers

Transcription

1 Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation HealthLine August / September 2018 Know Your Numbers

2 2 President/CEO Message Camai, It is our policy to establish quality goals and priorities to provide quality health care throughout our organization. A multidisciplinary team approach is necessary to assure we are focused on improving patient experience and that we are achieving quality clinical outcomes. On a regular basis, usually monthly, reports are generated to provide consistent and regular reporting of performance related measures to determine if procedures or processes need to be reevaluated or should remain status quo since good outcomes are showing. We have two quality improvement teams, the Amazing Patient Experience Team and the Quality Clinical Outcomes Team whose membership represents clinical and support departments; all working collaboratively to identify problems, and solutions for improvement this is an ongoing process. Healthy Heart Tips Your Numbers: Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80. Take medications every day as prescribed for treating hypertension. Hypertension is a diagnosis when a patient s blood pressure is consistently elevated over 140/90. Keep blood pressure lower than 140/90 with goal to continue to lower blood pressure until back to a normal range; less than 120/80. Monitor blood pressure at home and regularly report readings to your health care provider. Move! Get regular physical activity every day. Eat healthy meals with smaller portion sizes. Reduce salt. Don t smoke. Manage stress. Say no to alcohol. Lose weight. Just 10 pounds makes a big difference. Since the Quality Outcomes Team Wildly Important Goal for 2018, is to increase the number of hypertensive patients with controlled hypertension from 44% to 60% by September 30, 2018, this newsletter is devoted to information about blood pressure and hypertension (high blood pressure). If you have questions about the information presented in this newsletter, don t hesitate to call the Outpatient Department to set up an appointment to discuss further with your physician. You should have your blood pressure checked and know your numbers! Thank you for taking the time to learn about this important health topic. Best regards, Robert J. Clark President/Chief Executive Officer Resources Learn more about Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program efforts in Alaska: Cardiovascular National Resources Online: Million Hearts: millionhearts.hhs.gov/ data-reports/reports.html American Heart Association Official Site: CDC:

3 Blood Pressure in the U.S. 3 Do You Know Your Numbers? We want all of our patients/consumers, to have a healthy blood pressure. Did you know that one out of every three adults have high blood pressure? Do you know your blood pressure? What is blood pressure? It is the force exerted by the blood as it pushes against the walls of the arteries. High blood pressure puts stress on the blood vessels. When blood pressure is elevated, the heart must work harder to pump blood, which in turn also causes damage to the arteries, the brain, eyes, lungs, kidneys, and circulation.

4 4 Problem With Too Much Pressure Blood Pressure is the pressure exerted on artery walls by circulating blood. The problem with too much pressure is that healthy arteries are made of flexible muscle that stretches like elastic when blood pumps. Over time, if the blood pressure is often too high, artery walls stretch beyond healthy limits. Like air in a tire or water in a hose, blood fills your arteries to a point. Just as too much air pressure can damage a tire, or too much water pushing through a garden hose can damage the hose, high blood pressure can hurt your arteries and lead to life-threatening conditions like heart disease and stroke. The effects of stretched arteries include: Weakened blood vessels: more prone to ruptures (hemorrhagic strokes and aneurysms) Vascular scarring: tiny tears in blood vessels that can lead to scar tissue. Scar tissue is like a net that catches cholesterol or blood cells resulting in hard arteries or blood clots. Plaque buildup: can cause blood flow to become limited or cut off completely or a piece of plaque can break off and block narrow arteries resulting in heart attack or stroke.

5 A Silent Killer What You Don t Know Can Hurt You 5 Heart disease is the world s leading cause of death with more than 17 million worldwide deaths each year. Many people affected didn t even know they had high blood pressure because they had no symptoms. High blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. Most people can live for years not knowing that they have high blood pressure, which is also known as hypertension, a life-threatening disorder often known as the silent killer. Many people do not have any symptoms, but for those who do have high blood pressure some symptoms may include dizziness, shortness of breath, headaches, difficulty breathing or sleeping, blurred vision or nosebleeds. High blood pressure may be caused by obesity, stress, an unhealthy diet, dehydration, living a sedentary lifestyle and a family history of high blood pressure. Smoking and drinking alcohol can also result in high blood pressure. Your Numbers How to read a blood pressure cuff. Many people don t know what normal blood pressure is. Your blood pressure will vary somewhat throughout the day, but when elevated over time it can cause serious complications. Systolic: The top number, called the systolic blood pressure, measures the pressure when the heart beats or contracts and pushes blood through your body s system. Diastolic: The bottom number, called the diastolic blood pressure, measures the pressure between heart beats when the heart rests and refills with blood. Blood Pressure and Hypertension Goal is less than Reads as 140 over 90 (Courtesy of American Heart Association) What Can I do? Is It Time For Me to Make Some Changes? To control high blood pressure, a combination of lifestyle changes often accompanied by medication are generally prescribed. Lifestyle changes include reducing the amount of salt you eat, getting 30 minutes of exercise every day and adopting a healthy balanced diet. Just losing 5-10 pounds can help reduce your blood pressure. Diet changes and recommendations include eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, nuts and fish. Avoid red meat, saturated fats and sweets and reduce salt intake. Other helpful ways to reduce blood pressure can include adding fish oil, oatmeal, flax seed meal and other natural foods to your diet that are known to help control blood pressure. Talk with your doctor about medication options. Several medication options for controlling your blood pressure have little to no side effects.

6 6 Everyday Activities Count! 30 Active Minutes Everyday Throw on some music and liven up the housework Play with your kids their way Find the time by adding up the amount of all your physical activities. Make sure they add up to 30 minutes Do light and moderate activities longer than heavy, fast or intense activities (walk for 30 minutes or run for 15 minutes) Physical activity doesn t need to be hard, but must be regular to achieve health benefits After you get into a regular routine pick up the pace Select activities you enjoy and that fit into your daily lives Adding physical activity to your life is easier than you think. You ll get more out of life with physical activity. Everybody needs it. It doesn t matter what you do, but it does matter how long or intense the activity is Statistical information gathered as of June 2018, noted only 48% of our patients with high blood pressure have their blood pressure under control (a blood pressure less than 140/90). Our Quality Clinical Outcomes Team goals are for all patients/ consumers to know their blood pressure numbers, and for those customers who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure to take efforts every day to have their blood pressure under control (less than 140/90). Don t wait until it s too late to know your blood pressure numbers. Make an appointment today to get your blood pressure checked. A routine blood pressure test may save your life. (Credits: webmd.com, wavenewspapers.com)

7 Some Tips to Help You Start The best activity program is the one you stay with! Be creative in finding activities that you enjoy. Make short-term realistic goals Identify the type of activities you enjoy Develop an action plan Check with your doctor before you begin Schedule your activity into your daily routine mark it on your calendar Recruit a friend or family member Find an activity partner, friend, neighbor, coworker -- or even an exercise video You can have more fun if you have someone to be active with Get the family involved exercise benefits every age group Develop an incentive and reward program for yourself When you achieve your goals reward yourself Talk about your goals to your family and friends Keep an activity log or diary for positive feedback Identify other incentives that will help you get going Make it fun! Choose activities you most enjoy and vary them depending on the weather or season Even household chores and yard work can count as activities Make a game of it Exercise to music Be flexible Try variety Join a group Prevent slips and relapses If you get bored, change your activity Write down reasons why your last exercise session didn t work. Figure out strategies to prevent slips in the future Start again with your new plan Remember the benefits of physical activity Improve your fitness level Increase your strength Manage weight Improve your heart, diabetes or lungs Be more independent Lower your blood pressure Live longer Feel good boost your energy Manage or reduce stress Improve posture and balance Enjoy life more and improve your well-being 7

8 Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation 6000 Kanakanak Rd. P.O. Box 130 Dillingham, AK Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 69 Anchorage, AK Do you need to access BBAHC services in Dillingham and need a ride? Patient Transport BBAHC now has a patient transport service. We can pick you up from your home or airport and drop you off when you re finished, free of charge. For Service Call Hours of Operation Monday Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Some additional important information: This ride service is for non-emergency transport Minors (under the age of 18) must be accompanied by an adult We can accommodate infant/child car seats We are not wheelchair accessible Driver will wait no more than 5 minutes at any location No smoking allowed in the vehicle We reserve the right to refuse transport for: A customer under the influence or possessing alcohol or illegal drugs A customer who behaves in an abusive manner or does not cooperate with driver instructions Safety concerns