Why Does Hypertension Matter
If you are in this 130/80 range, reducing your blood pressure can help protect you from heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, eye disease, and even cognitive decline. The goal of the new guidelines is to encourage you to treat your high blood pressure seriously and to take action to bring it down, primarily using lifestyle interventions. “It is well documented that lifestyle changes can lower blood pressure as much as pills can, and sometimes even more,” says Dr. Fisher.
Making those changes can be challenging. More than one woman has woken up in the morning committed to healthy eating only to be derailed by a plate of cookies on a table in the office or a dinner out with friends.
Tips For Making Healthy Lifestyle Changes
If you suffer with high blood pressure, its easy to feel intimidated by the changes you need to make in order to improve your health. While some people may only need to work on one or two areas to reduce their blood pressuregetting more exercise or quitting smoking, for examplemost of us find that we need to improve our habits in at least 3 or 4 areas. But even if you smoke, drink heavily, are overweight, stressed out, sedentary, and eat nothing but junk and processed food, that doesnt mean you have to tackle everything all at once. Making lots of different lifestyle changes at the same time can be overwhelming. And when we feel overwhelmed, its easy to opt for doing nothing rather than doing something.
Start gradually and make one or two changes to begin with. Once those changes have become habit, you can tackle one or two more, and so on. For example, you may decide to start by giving up smokingand adopting some relaxation techniques to help with the stress of quittingthen move on to losing weight or improving your diet.
Lose the all or nothing thinking. Doing something, no matter how small, is always better than doing nothing. If youre eating healthy food during the week, for example, then resorting to takeouts at the weekends, your blood pressure and overall health will still be in better shape than if you were eating takeout every day.
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What Can I Eat To Lower My Blood Pressure
Theres actually a specific diet designed for heart health called the DASH Diet. It stands for dietary approaches to stop hypertension and was developed by the National Institutes of Health. Following the DASH Diet can lower blood pressure just as effectively as taking a pill, Dr. Osborne says. It highlights foods that are high in magnesium, potassium, and calcium, while limiting salt and sodium intake. Heres some of what youll eat on the diet.
- Fruit
- Kefir
- Dark chocolate in moderation
Some of the biggest things to eliminate are excess sodium , processed foods, sugar, condiments , bread, and cheese.
Apple cider vinegar has long been touted as a remedy for high blood pressure, but Dr. Osborne notes that no comprehensive clinical trial has been able to determine how effective it actually is. That being said, hes not against patients trying itif you find that taking apple cider vinegar every day keeps your blood pressure low, then keep doing it. Same for alcohol and caffeinated drinks, as long as youre having them in moderation.
People that drink modestly, so one to two drinks, may actually see a modest effect on cardiovascular events and may see modestly lower blood pressure, Dr. Osborne explains. However, if you drink anything more than that, it clearly elevates blood pressure.
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Whey Protein For High Blood Pressure
Whey protein is good for helping to manage elevated blood pressure levels.
One double-blind study found that taking 59 g of whey protein a day helped to lower blood pressure naturally over an 8-week period. Researchers also noted improvements in levels of cholesterol.
You can learn more about why taking whey protein can be good for your heart and blood pressure.
Tomatoes And Tomato Products
Tomatoes and tomato products are rich in many nutrients, including potassium and the carotenoid pigment lycopene.
Lycopene has been significantly associated with beneficial effects on heart health, and eating foods high in this nutrient, such as tomato products, may help reduce heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure .
A review of 21 studies concluded that consuming tomato and tomato products improves blood pressure and may help reduce your risk of heart disease and heart-disease-related death 30010-2/fulltext” rel=”nofollow”> 26).
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What Is Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is the force applied by the blood to the inner walls of the arteries. It shows minor fluctuations throughout the daydeclining while relaxing and momentarily increasing while being excited or under stress. An increase in the resting blood pressure can scar, stiffen, or harden the arteries.
Where Can I Learn More
The National Alliance for Hispanic Health offers free, reliable information on a wide range of health issues in Spanish and English. The health promotion advisors can help Hispanic clients find affordable health care services in their community. Need confidential health information? Call the Su Familia Helpline at 1-866-783-2645 today.
From CDC
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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.
When To Seek Professional Treatment
You should see your doctor regularly for health screenings as part of a good preventive care program. If you are doing this, your healthcare provider can see trends developing with your blood pressure and other health factors and give you advice on how to head off serious problems.
If you don’t regularly see a doctor and have a onetime high blood pressure reading, you should schedule an appointment with a healthcare provider for follow-upespecially if you are experiencing symptoms like chest pain or dizziness.
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How To Read Your Blood Pressure
Blood pressure readings have two numbers: a systolic pressure and a diastolic pressure, given in units of milligrams of mercury .
The higher number is the systolic blood pressure, which is the pressure generated by the heart pumping blood through the arteries. The lower number is the diastolic blood pressure, which is the pressure in the arteries while the heart is relaxing.
A normal blood pressure is less than 120 systolic over less than 80 diastolic. A systolic blood pressure in the 120s is considered elevated, even with a normal diastolic reading.
Hypertension is diagnosed with systolic reading 130 or higher, or a diastolic reading 80 or higher.
| Blood Pressure Categories | |
|---|---|
| > /=130 | > /=90 |
Both systolic and diastolic measurements are important when considering your heart’s health. A high systolic reading is the most common form of high blood pressure, especially in older people, due to arteries stiffening over time.
Consider Cutting Back On Caffeine
Caffeine raises your blood pressure, but the effect is temporary.
In a 2017 study, the systolic blood pressure of 18 participants was elevated for 2 hours after they drank 32 ounces of either a caffeinated drink or an energy drink. Blood pressure then dropped more quickly for the participants who drank a caffeinated drink .
Some people may be more sensitive to caffeine than others. If youre caffeine-sensitive, you may want to cut back on your coffee consumption, or try .
Research on caffeine, including its health benefits, is in the news a lot. The choice of whether to cut back depends on many individual factors.
One older study indicated that caffeines effect on raising blood pressure is greater if your blood pressure is already high. This same study, however, called for more research on the subject .
If your blood pressure is very high or doesnt decrease after making these lifestyle changes, your doctor may recommend prescription drugs.
They work and will improve your long-term outcome, especially if you have other risk factors (
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How Long Will It Take To Lower Blood Pressure
With a strict diet and lifestyle changes, high BP can be lowered in 2-3 weeks.
However, there are categories in high blood pressure. So, first watch out for these categories:
Elevated Blood Pressure
The reading shows around 120-129/80. It is called pre-hypertension.
Stage I Hypertension
The reading varies from 130-139/90.
Stage II Hypertension
The readings vary from 140/90 or higher.
Hypertensive Crisis
What Are The Signs And Symptoms
As mentioned, those who have high blood pressure often do not feel signs and symptoms. If you ignore your blood pressure because you feel that you will have signs and symptoms that will alert you to the fact that it requires treatment, you are taking a dangerous chance with your life.
A number of symptoms have been indirectly related to very high blood pressure. These include headaches and nose bleeds, dizziness for example. Although these may relate to severe and chronic blood pressure issues, these symptoms can be caused by other medical problems. If you suffer some or any of these symptoms you should be evaluated by your family doctor.
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Eat Healthy High Protein Foods
A long-term study concluded in 2014 found that people who ate more protein had a lower risk of high blood pressure. For those who ate an average of 100 grams of protein per day, there was a 40 percent lower risk of having high blood pressure than those on a low protein diet .
Those who also added regular fiber into their diet saw up to a 60 percent reduction of risk.
However, a high protein diet may not be for everyone. Those with kidney disease may need to use caution. Its best to talk with your doctor.
Its fairly easy to consume 100 grams of protein daily on most types of diets.
A 3.5-ounce serving of salmon can have as much as 22 grams of protein, while a 3.5-ounce serving of chicken breast might contain 30 grams of protein.
With regard to vegetarian options, a half-cup serving of most types of beans contains 7 to 10 grams of protein. Two tablespoons of peanut butter would provide 8 grams .
These supplements are readily available and have demonstrated promise for lowering blood pressure:
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid
Adding omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids or fish oil to your diet can have many benefits.
A meta-analysis of fish oil and blood pressure found a mean blood pressure reduction in those with high blood pressure of 4.5 mm Hg systolic and 3.0 mm Hg diastolic .
Whey protein
This protein complex derived from milk may have several health benefits in addition to possibly lowering blood pressure .
Magnesium
Citrulline
Get A Grip: A Simple Exercise To Lower Blood Pressure
Before you get excited, this trick isnt designed to replace regular exercise and a healthy diet. Rather, it complements those things. Consult your GP before adding this to your exercise regime:
- Take one of these relics from the 70s. Its an isometric handgrip device and theyre available via internet and health retailers
- Squeeze and hold it repeatedly
- Do literally nothing else.
To be fair, its a little more complex than that. But the general idea is that you can do this exercise with minimal effort in front of the TV or while sitting with friends and family.
The device was developed in the 1970s to help US fighter pilots temporarily boost their blood pressure to avoid passing out at high G-forces. But using it over sustained periods actually dropped the pressure levels of the fighter pilots with high blood pressure.
This kind of intervention has been shown to reduce systolic blood pressure by 8-10mmHg over eight weeks. Enough to start taking you from elevated to normal levels quickly and efficiently.
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What Other Strategies Can I Use To Lower My Blood Pressure
In addition to taking aspirin each evening, there are many simple lifestyle changes you can make to start getting your blood pressure under control. Because blood pressure is impacted so much by lifestyle, your numbers are largely in your hands. Patients who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure or who believe they are experiencing symptoms of high blood pressure should consider incorporating some of these simple changes into your daily routine to lower risk factors and side effects:
How To Lower Blood Pressure Quickly
First and most importantly, if you think youre having a complication of high blood pressure such as a stroke, a heart attack, or something else, seek immediate medical attention. Dont try to solve problems like these on your ownyou need comprehensive care.
Otherwise, when you feel your blood pressure may be too high and you want to lower it quickly, Dr. Osborne suggests calming down. Stop what youre doing and sit. Take some deep breaths. If you find that doesnt help, then call your doctor. If its a continual problem, try exercising and altering your diet it can take a few weeks or up to a month to see the effects of that in your blood pressure, so keep plugging away for the best results.
Keep in mind that in some cases, blood pressure medication may be necessary if you cant lower high blood pressure through diet and lifestyle changes. Those drugs will be the quickest path to lower blood pressure levelsoften taking only minutes to even your blood pressure out. Finding the right medication might be the only way to control high blood pressure in some cases, like resistant hypertension. A rule of thumb is to start blood pressure medications and make lifestyle changes. As blood pressure improves with lifestyle modifications, medications can be weaned off.
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Foods That Lower Blood Pressure
A healthy and balanced diet is a great way to prevent and manage high blood pressure especially in its early stages. For chronic high blood pressure, diet is shown to be especially effective when used with medication prescribed by your doctor. Foods that help you lower your blood pressure include:
Fish
Research shows that omega-3fats have a noticeable impact on heart health by reducing inflammation and lowering blood pressure. Fatty fish are rich in omega-3 fats, making them an essential food for managing blood pressure.
Seeds, nuts, and legumes
Some seeds, such as pumpkin seeds, may provide benefits for managing hypertension. Pumpkin seeds are rich in amino acids, potassium, and magnesium, all of which can contribute to lowering blood pressure.
Studies show that healthful and nutritious nuts, such as pistachios, are helpful for managing high blood pressure and supporting heart health. Nuts, which are high in potassium, are especially effective in helping to lower high blood pressure.
Along with nutrient-rich beans and legumes, seeds and nuts are excellent foods to incorporate into your diet, either through snacks or other means.
Whole grain carbohydrates
Research shows that, when managing hypertension, it is best to eat carbohydrate-rich foods made from whole grains rather than refined white flour. Therefore, when choosing carbohydrates such as breads and pastas, look for whole-grain or multigrain options to help lower your blood pressure.
Fruits and vegetables
Olive Oil Helps Manage Hypertension In Men
Olive oil is one of the best foods to take to help lower blood pressure naturally and improve your cardio health.
One study found that people who regularly consumed olive oil in their diet had a lower risk of hypertension. Interestingly, scientists noted that olive oil helped treat hypertension in men, not in women. However, this may be because women, in general, suffer from high blood pressure less than men.
Other studies have shown that consuming olive oil daily can help treat high blood pressure in elderly people. Researchers also noted that olive oil consumption helped lower high cholesterol at the same time.
Learn more about the benefits to your heart from consuming olive oil every day.
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