When The Problem Is Autonomic Dysfunction
In labile hypertension, blood pressure tends to spike upwards. Blood pressure that swings in both directions may be a sign of a different problem called autonomic dysfunction.
People with this problem have difficulty regulating involuntary functions such as heart rate, breathing and body temperature, in addition to blood pressure. We usually send these patients to cardiology for testing, says Dr. Lioudis.
What Do Blood Pressure Numbers Mean
Your blood pressure reading consists of two numbers, such as 120/80. One number is your systolic blood pressure and the other is your diastolic pressure.
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Systolic blood pressure: The first number . This is the pressure when the heart pumps blood out to the rest of the body.
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Diastolic blood pressure: The second number . This is the pressure when blood returns to the heart.
Both pressures are measured in millimeters of mercury . This is because blood pressure used to be measured using a device filled with a column of mercury. Now, blood pressure can be checked using an automated machine at home or in your providers office. Blood pressure can still be checked by hand, too, with a stethoscope, inflatable cuff, and manual gauge.
Five More Surprising Causes Of Blood Pressure Problems
You probably know that your blood pressure can be high if you’re overweight… suffer from blood sugar imbalances… or have kidney problems. But here are five more little-known causes of uncontrollable blood pressure:
When it comes to maintaining healthy blood pressureyou can see why the odds are stacked against you. Fortunately, you can take control of your blood pressure and keep it in the normal rangewithout dangerous drugs
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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 .
Reduce Your Sodium Intake
Itâs a prime offender in raising blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends that people with hypertension keep it under 1,500 milligrams a day. Check your food labels to see how much youâre getting. If you cut back gradually, youâre less likely to notice the difference.
One way to cut back is to prepare your food at home. Seventy-five percent of your sodium intake comes from eating out and packaged foods. Use more spices for flavor instead of salt. Eating more potassium helps move sodium out of your body. A small effort can bring blood pressure down as much as two to eight points.
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Blood Pressure Out Of Controlstarting To Worry About Your Blood Pressuregot A History Of Blood Pressure Problems In Your Family
I don’t have to tell you that unhealthy blood pressure can be a serious problem. This “silent killer” can lead to serious heart and brain problems… blood sugar imbalances… out of control cholesterol… and kidney problemsjust to name a few!
So knowing you have unhealthy blood pressureor that you’re at risk of developing high blood pressureis a GOOD thing! Why? Because you can take action NOW to keep it in the normal range and maintain your precious health.
Relax Your Arteries For Healthy Blood Pressure
For optimal blood pressureyou need balanced levels of a gaseous molecule called Nitric Oxide
NO is naturally produced in your body from arginine and oxygen. Simply put, NO signals the surrounding blood vessels to relax.
When your blood vessels are relaxed, they can open up and allow blood to easily pass through. This widening process is called vaso dilation. And it’s important because vaso dilation naturally INCREASES your blood flow and DECREASES your blood pressure.
NO can also help keep your blood platelets from sticking together and becoming thick like ketchup. Studies show that low levels of NO have been linked to blood pressure problems, as well as more serious heart problems.
The good news is: Mother Nature’s pharmacy contains a remarkable nutrient that has a profound effect on your body’s NO production. It’s called Grapeseed Extract.
Numerous studies show the benefits of grapeseed extract when it comes to promoting healthy blood pressure. For example…
In a study presented at the FASEB 2007 conference, researchers tried to determine the effect of grapeseed extract on 22 patients with early signs of potential blood pressure problems. They selected this group because more than 69 million American adults fall into this categoryputting them at a higher risk for serious heart problems.
Another similar study was conducted, but this time it included people with metabolic problemswhich increase your risk of developing cardiovascular and blood sugar health scares.
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Blood Pressure Lying Down Vs Sitting
Many wonder why positioning makes such a difference in blood pressure readings. Lets take lying down vs. sitting as an example. Our heart is a pump, and it takes less work to pump blood to our brain when we are lying down. This is because our head is about the same level as our heart. However, when we are up, our head is a lot higher than our heart. This means the heart has to pump much harder to get blood to our brain, so as a result, blood pressure is higher.
In most cases, blood pressure is taken while a person is sitting down with the arm dropping onto a table. While sometimes the middle point of the upper arm might, in fact, be parallel and in line with the position of the heart, the rest of the arm is not, so it should not be surprising that the measurement taking while laying down might be a little lower, since there is less gravity to counter.
Try Cutting Back On The Salt
Reducing your sodium intake can play an important role in lowering your systolic blood pressure. The average American consumes more than 3,500 milligrams of sodium daily, which is well above the American Heart Association‘s recommendation of less than 2,300 milligrams per day.
“I think we all know that adding salt to your food is bad for your blood pressure,” Dr. Berger says. “But what we don’t always know is that when you eat food from a can or a box, it is filled with sodium.”
Dr. Berger recommends following a reduced-sodium diet called DASH , developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, which also emphasizes a reduction in trans fats and refined sugar, as well as a sufficient intake of magnesium, potassium and calcium.
Because everyone responds differently to dietary changes, it may take some fine-tuning to find the right diet for your specific heart health.
“Everyone’s sodium responsiveness is a bit different,” says Howard Weintraub, MD, the clinical director of the Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, at NYU Langone Health in New York City. “So if you’re going to take the time to modify your nutrition, you shouldn’t only reduce how much salt you use, but also make it more healthy in general.”
In other words, Dr. Weintraub says, leaving the salt off but continuing to eat French fries probably isn’t going to help.
Read more:10 Effortless Ways to Finally Cut Down on Salt
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How To Bring High Blood Pressure Down Immediately Without Remedies
Learn how to bring high blood pressure down immediately in an emergency. Apply one of these tricks and it will get back to normal fast.
Blood pressure may vary from time to time and without notice. Both extremes are extremely dangerous and can even end a life. If you have a person around you with this type of problem, do you know how to bring high blood pressure down immediately in an emergency?
If you are the one who suffer from pressure do you know how to act to control the situation? In this article we will answer both questions.
Obviously, if you have a blood pressure crisis, you should seek professional care as soon as possible. However, until that attention comes, you can do several things to control the situation. However, before telling you what you can do in these situations, lets talk about your symptoms.
Consider Taking Vitamins And Supplements
Research shows that a few vitamins and minerals may be helpful in lowering blood pressure. But talk to your doctor before taking any. Make sure they know everything you take.
- Vitamin C: This has antioxidants that protect the linings of your blood vessels. Orange juice is a good source, as are fruits like kiwi and strawberries, and vegetables like broccoli, kale, tomatoes, and sweet red peppers. Adults should get 400 mg per day.
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Potassium: This helps your body get rid of sodium through your pee. Men should aim for 3,400 mg a day, and women around 2,600. Itâs found in fruits like bananas and prunes and vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes, and artichoke.
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Vitamin D: This helps make the enzyme renin, which is linked to blood pressure health. You can get vitamin D from fatty fish, like salmon or mackerel, or milk. You also can absorb vitamin D from sunlight or take it in a supplement.
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How Often Should I Monitor My Blood Pressure
High blood pressure doesnt always cause symptoms, so its important to get your blood pressure checked. Recent guidelines recommend that all adults age 40 and older check their blood pressure at least once per year. Younger adults can check it every three to five years, or every year if they are at higher risk.
If you already have high blood pressure, you will need to check your blood pressure more frequently especially when you are starting or adjusting medications. Once your blood pressure stabilizes with treatment, you usually wont need to check it as often. Regular monitoring is still important, though, because your blood pressure can change over time, even when youre taking medications.
Eat More Potassium And Less Sodium
Increasing your potassium intake and cutting back on salt can also lower your blood pressure .
Potassium is a double winner: It lessens the effects of salt in your system, and also eases tension in your blood vessels. However, diets rich in potassium may be harmful to individuals with kidney disease, so talk to your doctor before increasing your potassium intake.
Its easy to eat more potassium so many foods are naturally high in potassium. Here are a few:
17 ). Popular high-salt items include deli meats, canned soup, pizza, chips, and other processed snacks.
Foods labeled low-fat are usually high in salt and sugar to compensate for the loss of fat. Fat is what gives food taste and makes you feel full.
Cutting down on or even better, cutting out processed food will help you eat less salt, less sugar, and fewer refined carbohydrates. All of this can result in lower blood pressure.
Make it a practice to check labels. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration , a sodium listing of 5 percent or less on a food label is considered low, while 20 percent or more is considered high (
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Whatto Do If You Have Resistant Hypertension
Dr. Thomas says that for most people. your blood pressure shouldnt behigher than 130/80 mmHg, according to the new hypertension guidelines. Resistant hypertension is blood pressure abovethe goal despite being on at least three different blood pressure medicationsat optimal doses.
Each of those threemedications should be from different classes, with one being a water pill, Dr.Thomas says.
He says studies indicate thatabout 12% of patients meet those criteria.
If you have high bloodpressure that isnt responding to medication, your doctor may refer you to ahypertension specialist recognized by the American Society of Hypertension, Dr.Thomas says, as these cases often require in-depth testing and highly tailoredtreatment.
Once you have a specialist,he or she will investigate and create a personalized treatment plan forattacking stubborn hypertension.
Everyone is different, and every treatment decision is an individual one, he says.
Packs More Antioxidant Punch Than Red Wine
The high fiber content and the ability to dissolve the “bad cholesterol” make blueberries an ideal nutrient to reduce your risk of cardiovascular problems. Take a look…
In a study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, researchers found that 4 ounces of white wine contained .47 millimole per liter of free radical absorbing antioxidants… red wine provided 2.04 mmol/L… but a wine made from high bush blueberries delivered a whopping 2.42 mmol/L of these protective compounds!
This is one reason why I searched diligently to find a top notch, potent form of blueberry extract to give a punch which delivers a powerful antioxidant concentration of anthocyans and polyphenols to protect you from damaging effects of free-radical damage and safeguard your circulatory system. In fact, 1 gram of wild blueberry extract contains a whopping 6,500 Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity units! That’s MEGA antioxidant protection
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Causes And Risk Factors
You may be at an increased risk for high blood pressure if you smoke, areoverweight, eat a diet thats low on produce and fiber and/or high in fatand salt, drink alcohol to excess, live with chronic stress or dont getmuch physical activity. Some causes of hypertension cannot becontrolledincluding your genes and your race . Aging also plays a role. Even if you do not have hypertensionby age 55 to 65, your lifetime risk for developing it is a whopping 90percent.
But doctors no longer consider hypertension inevitable or untreatable withage, saysSamuel Durso, M.D.,director of the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at JohnsHopkins.
In one Johns Hopkins study of 975 older women and men with hypertension,healthy lifestyle steps helped 40 percent stop taking blood pressuremedications. Other research has shown that lifestyle changes can lower therisk for hypertension in African-Americans and others at an increasedgenetic risk.
How To Follow The Exercises Successfully
After many tests, Christian Goodman found that to successfully lower blood pressure people had to be able to follow the exercises easily via audio instructions.
It is possible to follow the exercises anywhere.
You can get these easy exercises as an audio file, this way you can follow it at any time on your pc, tablet, or phone.
Just plug in, press play, and follow along.
Theres nothing to learn or master when it comes to the exercises, you can listen to detailed instruction about everything you need to do, this is why it guarantees that almost everyone can benefit from them.
You can experience amazing results minutes from now!
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Heres What People Are Saying About The Blood Pressure Exercises:
Physical activity not only helps control high blood pressure , it also helps you manage your weight, strengthen your heart, and lower your stress level. A healthy weight, a strong heart, and general emotional health are all good for your blood pressure.
Since implementing the methods in the program which I received 2 months ago, I quit taking Statins and combined the herbal remedies with a lifestyle change to find my cholesterol levels have dropped from extremely high readings to reading in the low threes. The levels of good cholesterol have improved, and the bad has dropped significantly. I have been following these new blood pressure exercises for three weeks and Im amazed to say that my b.p. dropped from 180 over 84 to 107 over 69 all within one week. Many thanks, and I do not hesitate to recommend these exercises to others.
Annet Williams
I just wanted to let you know that I did just one of the 3 exercises for a few days and went from 155/95 to 118/79. The exercise Im doing is the relaxing step-by-step, at first it seems too easy but after doing it I can truly say that there is something to it. My mind is at ease and I dont get stressed as easily as I used to. That was one of the main reasons my blood pressure was always high. In the next couple of days, I will be doing the emotion release exercise .
Jay Bennett
Eat Garlic Or Take Garlic Extract Supplements
Fresh garlic or garlic extract are both widely used to lower blood pressure .
According to one clinical study, a time-release garlic extract preparation may have a greater effect on blood pressure than regular garlic powder tablets .
One 2012 review noted a study of 87 people with high blood pressure that found a diastolic reduction of 6 mm Hg and a systolic reduction of 12 mm Hg in those who consumed garlic, compared to people without any treatment (
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Easy Things You Can Do To Lower Your Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is dangerous. It can lead to many health problems, including heart attack, stroke, heart failure, angina, coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, kidney disease, vision loss, sexual dysfunction and more.
Fortunately, high blood pressure can often be prevented or controlled.
Here are some easy things you can do to lower your blood pressure or help prevent high blood pressure in the first place.
Set small, easily attainable goals, and when you reach them, set bigger ones. Step by step, you will take control of your health and your blood pressure.