LHSFNA

Considering the strenuous nature of many construction tasks, it can be hard to believe that Laborers are more likely to die from conditions related to high blood pressure – heart attack, stroke and heart failure – than from an injury suffered on the job. But the fact of the matter is high blood pressure is common and deadly. It’s also silent. You can be feeling just fine and actually be in very poor health. This is why the LHSFNA launched a series in Lifelines that focused on high blood pressure.

“Over the last 12 months, we examined ways to reduce high blood pressure risk with changes in lifestyle,” says LIUNA General Secretary-Treasurer and LHSFNA Labor Co-Chairman Armand E. Sabitoni. “We also looked at steps people with high blood pressure can take to prevent it from becoming life threatening. High blood pressure needs to be treated and controlled for life, but it does not have to take over your life.”

Lifestyle changes include:

Reducing the amount of salt, sodium, sugar and fat in your diet
Managing your stress
Maintaining a healthy weight
Limiting consumption of alcohol and caffeine
Quitting smoking and the use of other tobacco products
Getting more sleep
Getting more exercise
Protecting against noise
Having your blood pressure regularly checked by a medical professional

If you have high blood pressure, essential lifestyle changes include:

Having your blood pressure regularly checked by a medical professional
Monitoring your blood pressure at home
Following your blood pressure treatment, including modifying your diet and taking your medication as prescribed

This concludes our series on high blood pressure. We hope you enjoyed it and learned some useful information. Links to all of the articles from this series are posted below.

[Janet Lubman Rathner]

LHSFNA Shines Light on Heart Disease and Prevention

Feeling Fine Doesn’t Always Mean You Are

Shake Salt and Sodium Out of Your Diet

Manage Your Stress

Too Much Alcohol Can Lead to High Blood Pressure

Quitting Tobacco Can Help Lower High Blood Pressure

Lack of Sleep Can Lead to High Blood Pressure

Lower High Blood Pressure with a Little Exercise

Caffeine Can Make Your Blood Pressure Climb

Noise: Harmful to Hearing, Harmful to Blood Pressure

Be Aware of What You Eat