General Lifestyle Tips To Prevent High Blood Pressure
In addition to the home remedies mentioned above, there are a few general tips you need to follow to ensure that these remedies have the desired effect on your body. These include:
Losing Weight: Obesity is directly linked with high blood pressure. So the more weight you add on, there will be more at risk of high blood pressure for you.
Hence, make it a point to reduce your weight by at least 5 kg. This will automatically bring your blood pressure levels down to normal.
Exercising Regularly: If you have never exercised till now, then its high time you started working out on a regular basis. It is highly recommended that you dedicate at least 30 minutes every day for exercise as this would have an immediate effect on your blood pressure levels.
Even exercise for a week can bring down your blood pressure to normal levels. So make it a point to include physical activity in your regular routine.
Eating a Healthy Diet: Individuals who suffer from high blood pressure are usually asked to follow the DASH diet. This dedicated high blood pressure diet would involve eating more vegetables, fruits and whole grains while cutting down on dairy and fat products.
The idea behind the DASH diet is to cut down the portions of all foods that can cause the blood pressure levels to spike up, and include more foods that would normalize the same.
Reducing Sodium Intake: If you have high blood pressure, then one of the first steps you need implement is to cut down your sodium intake.
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What Did The Research Involve
The trial involved 32 people between the ages of 40 and 65 years old who had high blood pressure that had not responded to at least three previous blood pressure medications . None of the participants had coronary heart disease and none of these people performed regular physical activity.
They were randomly divided into two groups of 16 people. One group performed hour-long exercise sessions in a swimming pool heated to 32ºC three times a week for 12 weeks.
The exercise sessions consisted of walking and callisthenic exercises . The other group maintained their normal routine.
Both groups were instructed not to perform any additional leisure time activity and participants continued taking their normal blood pressure medications during the trial.
Before and after the trial, the researchers measured the participants’ blood pressure over a 24-hour period during which participants performed normal daily activities.
Participants wore a blood pressure cuff that measured their blood pressure every 15 minutes during the day and every 20 minutes during the night.
Measuring blood pressure in this way avoids the “white coat” effect the effect that being at the doctor’s can have on blood pressure because many people are nervous about visiting a doctor.
How To Lower Blood Pressure
There are lots of things you can do to lower your blood pressure.
If your doctor has given you blood pressure medication, take it as prescribed. However, you’ll also need to follow a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Even if you haven’t been diagnosed with hypertension, following these tips will be good for your blood pressure and good for your heart.
Quit smoking
Stopping smoking is a great thing you can do for your blood pressure and your heart health.
Ask your doctor or nurse for help.
Phone Quitline 0800 778 778, or visit quit.org.nz for information and support.
Eat more heart-healthy foods and less salt
What you put into your body can make a big difference to your blood pressure.
Eat a wide variety of heart-healthy foods like:
- whole grains
Read more about the benefits of exercise.
Manage stress
Researchers are still trying to understand the exact link between stress and long-term high blood pressure. However being stressed contributes to other risk factors like poor diet and drinking more alcohol.
You can’t always remove the sources of stress in your life. But here are some things you can do to manage them.
- Enjoy exercise every day, like taking a walk.
- Take a break for yourself.
- Get 7-8 hours plus sleep each night.
- Talk about how you are feeling.
- Try relaxation music or breathing exercises.
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Lifestyle Changes: The Most Effective Medication
Ive lost count of how many people have been able to successfully wean themselves off of their blood pressure medicationsand more importantly, get their blood pressure totally under controlwith these natural remedies for high blood pressure.
Some are simpler than others, but theyre all equally important.
Put an end to bad habits. Quit smoking, and drink only occasionally and in moderation. And be sure youre getting plenty of sleep at least seven to eight hours a night.
Drink water. Water thins the blood, helping it flow more freely. Aim for a half-ounce of water for every pound you weigh. So if you weigh 160 pounds, you would drink 80 ounces of water, or 10 eight-ounce glasses per day.
Adjust your diet. Focus on whole, fresh foods, including lean meats and poultry, organic fruits and vegetables, unsalted nuts and seeds, legumes, whole grains, some low-fat dairy , and healthy fats like avocado and olive and sesame oils. Some specific foods that positively influence blood pressure include celery, garlic, raw cacao, almonds, cayenne pepper, and eggs. Avoid as often as possible high-sodium foods, fast food, sugar, processed food, and trans fats.
Take blood pressure-supportive supplements. These nutrients work much the same way as prescription blood pressure drugs, but without the harsh side effects. Below are some of the best options for safe, natural alternatives.
About High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is usually defined as having a sustained blood pressure of 140/90mmHg or above.
The line between normal and raised blood pressure is not fixed and depends on your individual circumstances. However, most doctors agree that the ideal blood pressure for a physically healthy person is around 120/80mmHg.
A normal blood pressure reading is classed as less than 130/80mmHg.
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Try Meditation Or Yoga
Mindfulness and meditation, including transcendental meditation, have long been used and studied as methods to reduce stress. A 2012 study notes that one university program in Massachusetts has had more than 19,000 people participate in a meditation and mindfulness program to reduce stress .
Yoga, which commonly involves breathing control, posture, and meditation techniques, can also be effective in reducing stress and blood pressure.
A 2013 review on yoga and blood pressure found an average blood pressure decrease of 3.62 mm Hg diastolic and 4.17 mm Hg systolic when compared to those who didnt exercise. Studies of yoga practices that included breath control, postures, and meditation were nearly twice as effective as yoga practices that didnt include all three of these elements .
Try Meditation Or Deep Breathing
While these two behaviors could also fall under stress reduction techniques, meditation and deep breathing deserve specific mention.
Both meditation and deep breathing may activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This system is engaged when the body relaxes, slowing the heart rate, and lowering blood pressure.
Theres quite a bit of research in this area, with studies showing that different styles of meditation appear to have benefits for lowering blood pressure .
Deep breathing techniques can also be quite effective.
In one study, participants were asked to either take six deep breaths over the course of 30 seconds or simply sit still for 30 seconds. Those who took breaths lowered their blood pressure more than those who just sat .
Try guided meditation or deep breathing. Heres a video to get you started.
Bottom line: Both meditation and deep breathing can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps slow your heart rate and lower blood pressure.
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Drinks That Lower Your Blood Pressure
If you struggle with hypertension, odds are youve looked high and low for a quick and easy way to reduce your blood pressure.
The truth is that theres no single solution, but making simple changes can yield powerful results. Something as easy as expanding and evolving your beverage intake can help to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.
While lower blood pressure may not be just a sip away, simple changes to what you sip every day can lead to some big heart health benefits.
Here are a few options to get you started.
Natural Ways With Potential
If you do an Internet search, youll find dozens of other natural ways to lower blood pressure. They may be effective, but the evidence is limited or questionable.
Take stress reduction, for example. In 2017, the American Heart Association issued a scientific statement on the role of meditation in cardiovascular riskreduction. The AHA determined the concept was plausible, but the studies included too few subjects and used different endpoints, which made drawing conclusions impossible.
Some studies showed significant benefit, and others showed none. There simply wasnt enough data to say that meditation consistently lowers blood pressure, says Dr. Laffin. More likely, anything that relaxes you decreases blood pressure temporarily, but isnt a solution for people with sustained hypertension.
The same issue applies to various foods, spices, herbs and vitamins. You will probably find a study or two on each that says it lowers blood pressure, but these have never been robustly studied, he says.
If you are serious about using natural ways to lower blood pressure, choose one or more methods that have stood the test of time.
This article originally appeared in Cleveland Clinic Heart Advisor.
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High Blood Pressure Is Curable
Do you know that High Blood Pressure can cause Erectile Dysfunction if left untreated?
Even worse, the medication used to treat it can also impair sexual function and cause Erectile Dysfunction.
For some men these dangerous drugs damage the lining of blood vessels and causes arteries to harden and narrow , limiting blood flow. The decreased blood flow makes it difficult to achieve and maintain erections often referred to as erectile dysfunction.
For women it can reduce blood flow to the vagina. This leads to a decrease in sexual desire or arousal, vaginal dryness, or difficulty achieving orgasm If you are not already suffering sexual dysfunction, the next time you visit hospital try and discuss with other hypertensive patients that have been on blood pressure lowing drugs for up to a year and above. By the time you talk with 5 people am sure 3 of them will confirm they have sexual dysfunction. In the course of my research, I stumbled on the result of a research from a University in America.
A study by researchers at the Department of Physiology, Georgia Health Sciences University, in Augusta, Georgia found that approximately 30 percent of men with hypertension complain of erectile dysfunction.
And here is a quote from a leading authority in the field of High Blood pressure management
According to current statistics:
Please Dont Become Another Statistic Of These Epidemics. Take responsibility for your own life today!
What Then Is The Solution You May Ask
Drugs Vs Lifestyle Change
First, keep in mind that drugs have limited success. Most studies on diuretics and other blood pressure-lowering drugs suggest they lower the risk of cardiovascular events among those with blood pressure between 140/90 and 159/99 by 15 to 20%.3 The problem is, with this range of blood pressure, the risk of cardiovascular-related deaths has increased by 300 to 400% compared to people with normal blood pressure.
So, while treating hypertension with drugs is generally better than no treatment, it is far from a cure, asserts Dr. Fruge.
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What Actual Customers Are Saying
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What Is Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is a combination of systolic and diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure represents blood force, or pressure, while the heart is beating and diastolic pressure stands for blood pressure when the heart is at rest.
Systolic pressure is always the first or top measurement in a blood pressure reading. In a reading of 130/80, 130 represents systolic pressure and 80 represents diastolic pressure. In prehypertension, systolic numbers range from 120129 and diastolic numbers are less than 80.
Blood pressure ranges include:
- Normal: Less than 120/80 mm Hg
- Prehypertension: Systolic between 120129 and diastolic less than 80
- Stage 1 high blood pressure: Systolic between 130139 or diastolic between 8089
- Stage 2 high blood pressure: Systolic at least 140 or diastolic at least 90 mm Hg
Numbers for stage 1 hypertension vary from 130139 for systolic values and/or 8089 in diastolic numbers. With stage 2 hypertension, systolic readings are 140 or higher and/or diastolic readings measure 90 or higher. Although both numbers are significant, after about age 50, the systolic number is most important. Only 10 percent of high blood pressure cases are due to secondary or identifiable causes such as medications, or conditions and diseases of other organs.
Results of high blood pressure include:
- Arterial damage
- Heavy-metal poisoning
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Water: The Unexpected Blood Pressure Drug
- Date:
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Summary:
- Patients who suffer from autonomic nervous system failure can turn to a new treatment for their blood pressure abnormalities: a large glass of water. Investigators at Vanderbilt’s Autonomic Dysfunction Center report in the February 8th issue of the journal Circulation that water has a powerful blood pressure raising effect in these patients.
Patients who suffer from autonomic nervous system failure can turn to a new treatment for their blood pressure abnormalities: a large glass of water. Investigators at Vanderbilt’s Autonomic Dysfunction Center report in the February 8th issue of the journal Circulation that water has a powerful blood pressure raising effect in these patients.
Water also raises blood pressure in older normal subjects, but not in young normal subjects. The studies suggest that water is an important unrecognized factor in clinical studies of blood pressure medications.
“Water is not just a neutral substance, and it cannot be considered a ‘placebo’ with regards to blood pressure,” said Dr. John R. Shannon, instructor of Medicine and Pharmacology. “As physicians, we may ask our hypertensive patients if they just drank a cup of coffee or smoked a cigarette when we measure their blood pressure, but we would never think to ask if they had anything to drink in the last hour. Perhaps we should. It might make the difference in whether or not we adjust their medications.”
Story Source:
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Banana To Treat High Blood Pressure
Banana is also counted among the best foods that lower blood pressure. You can eat regularly to control it as it is the best known home remedies for high blood pressure. Bananas are good source of potassium, which lessens the effect of sodium promote the smooth flow of blood. So, try to eat two bananas daily.
Eat Some Dark Chocolate
Yes, chocolate lovers: Dark chocolate has been shown to lower blood pressure.
But the dark chocolate should be 60 to 70 percent cacao. A review of studies on dark chocolate has found that eating one to two squares of dark chocolate per day may help lower the risk of heart disease by lowering blood pressure and inflammation. The benefits are thought to come from the flavonoids present in chocolate with more cocoa solids. The flavonoids help dilate, or widen, your blood vessels .
A 2010 study of 14,310 people found that individuals without hypertension who ate more dark chocolate had lower blood pressure overall than those who ate less dark chocolate (
28 ).
For some people, getting a good nights sleep isnt easy. There are many ways to help you get restful sleep. Try setting a regular sleep schedule, spend time relaxing at night, exercise during the day, avoid daytime naps, and make your bedroom comfortable .
The national Sleep Heart Health Study found that regularly sleeping less than 7 hours a night and more than 9 hours a night was associated with an increased prevalence of hypertension. Regularly sleeping less than 5 hours a night was linked to a significant risk of hypertension long term .
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