Make control your goal

February is American Heart Month and PHI Pharmacy is committed to help make blood Pressure control your goal. Uncontrolled high blood pressure is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke. People with high blood pressure are four times more likely to die from a stroke and three times more likely to die from heart disease, compared to those with normal blood pressure.

Having high blood pressure often shows no signs or symptoms, which is why having your blood pressure checked regularly is important. It’s easy to get your blood pressure checked. You can get screened at your doctor’s office, at home using a home blood pressure monitor or at both of our friendly PHI Pharmacy locations. Pharmacists are always there to answer any questions you may have about how to interpret your blood pressure results, teach you how to get more accurate results and the next step in taking control of your blood pressure. While there are many factors that can affect your blood pressure, here are just a few positive things you can do.

Healthy eating

You don’t need to be a chef to create heart-healthy meals your family will love. Healthy eating starts with ingredients. Learning what to look for at the grocery store can go a long way toward creating nutritious, well balanced creations.

Physical activity

Walking is the simplest positive change you can make to improve your heart health. The American Heart Association recommends that adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week. Even short 10-minute activity sessions can be added up over the week to reach this goal.

Stress management

Positive self-talk is one way to deal with stress. Self-talk can be positive (“I can do this” or “Things will work out”) or it can be negative (“I’ll never get well” or “Nobody likes me”). Negative self-talk increases stress. Positive self-talk helps you calm down and control stress. With practice, you can learn to turn negative thoughts into positive ones.

Quit smoking

Smoking, as well as chewing tobacco/betel nut, can increase your blood pressure and also put you at risk for other diseases like cancer. There are many available resources to help you quit smoking.

PHI Pharmacy is honored to serve the CNMI for nearly 20 years and is a proud advocate of the Health and Wellness concerning the people of Saipan. (Joshua Wise Pharm.D.)