What Can Lower Your Blood Pressure

Do Regular Physical Activity

Regular aerobic exercise reduces blood pressure. The reductions are greater for people who start with higher blood pressure. Even relatively small increases in physical activity have been shown to lower blood pressure.

• People aged 18-64 years should do a total of 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate-intensity activity or 1.25 to 2.5 hours of vigorous activity every week. You can achieve this in shorter periods of activity. Moderate-intensity activity includes brisk walking, golf, swimming and mowing the lawn. Vigorous activity includes jogging, aerobics, soccer, netball or fast cycling.
• People aged 18-64 years should also do muscle strengthening exercises at least 2 days per week, such as squats, lunges, pull-ups, push-ups, lifting weights, carrying things or digging. When doing resistance exercises, its important to breathe normally and not hold your breath since this raises blood pressure.
• People aged 65 and older should aim for some physical activity every week preferably 30 minutes of moderate intensity on most days. Any activity is better than none, and you can gradually build up to the target total.

If you experience any chest pain, palpitations or unexpected breathlessness during exercise, stop the activity and seek medical advice.

Take Help From Family And Friends

It is advised to seek help from family, friends, and neighbors in case of uneasiness.

Visiting a crowded function increases the risk of hypertension by almost 52%.

Wondering how to quickly lower blood pressure in minutes?

One way is to be careful about your surroundings. If visiting someplace which might trigger anxiety, go with a family member.

That way, even if you feel mild discomfort, youll have someone by your side. It is good to have a known face around the time of crisis.

Remember hypertension is a product of irregular lifestyle and stress. If you have a close friend around, you might feel less anxious already.

Try Meditation Or Yoga

Mindfulness and meditation, including transcendental meditation, have long been used and studied as methods 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 with 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 .

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Medicines For High Blood Pressure

Several types of medicine can be used to help control high blood pressure.

Many people need to take a combination of different medicines.

• if you’re under 55 years of age you’ll usually be offered an ACE inhibitor or an angiotensin-2 receptor blocker
• if you’re aged 55 or older, or you’re any age and of African or Caribbean origin you’ll usually be offered a calcium channel blocker

You may need to take blood pressure medicine for the rest of your life. But your doctor might be able to reduce or stop your treatment if your blood pressure stays under control for several years.

It’s really important to take your medicine as directed. If you miss doses, it will not work as well.

The medicine will not necessarily make you feel any different, but this does not mean it’s not working.

Medicines used to treat high blood pressure can have side effects, but most people do not get any.

If you do get side effects, do not stop taking your medicine. Talk to your doctor, who may advise changing your medicine.

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 eases tension in your blood vessels. However, diets rich in potassium may be harmful to people with kidney disease, so talk with 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:

• low fat dairy foods, such as milk and yogurt

• chips
• 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 nutrition labels. According to the 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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High Blood Pressure Treatment

The best way to lower blood pressure begins with changes you can make to your lifestyle to help lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease. Additionally, your doctor may prescribe medicine to lower your blood pressure. These are called antihypertensive medicines.

The goal of treatment is to reduce your blood pressure to normal levels. Your doctor may prescribe medicine thats easy to take and has few, if any, side effects. This treatment is highly successful. If your blood pressure can only be controlled with medicine, youll need to take the medicine for the rest of your life. It is common to need more than one medicine to help control your blood pressure. Dont stop taking the medicine without talking with your doctor. Otherwise, you may increase your risk of having a stroke or heart attack.

Nix Your Nicotine Addiction

Each cigarette you smoke temporarily raises blood pressure for several minutes after you finish. If youre a heavy smoker, your blood pressure can stay elevated for extended periods of time.

People with high blood pressure who smoke are at greater risk for developing dangerously high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.

Even secondhand smoke can put you at increased risk for high blood pressure and heart disease.

Aside from providing numerous other health benefits, quitting smoking can help your blood pressure return to normal. Visit our smoking cessation center to take steps to quit today.

Drinking a glass of red wine with your dinner is perfectly fine. It might even offer heart-health benefits when done in moderation.

But drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can lead to lots of health issues, including high blood pressure.

Excessive drinking can also reduce the effectiveness of certain blood pressure medications.

What does drinking in moderation mean? The AHA recommends that men limit their consumption to two alcoholic drinks per day. Women should limit their intake to one alcoholic drink per day.

One drink equals:

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How To Monitor Your Blood Pressure

You can monitor your own blood pressure at home using a home blood pressure monitor. The American Heart Association recommends using an automatic, cuff-style bicep monitor. Make sure you buy a monitor that has been validated and with a cuff that fits properly around your upper arm. Then follow these simple steps:

• Dont exercise, eat, drink caffeinated beverages, or smoke within 30 minutes of measuring your blood pressure.
• Sit still with your back straight and your feet flat on the floor. Follow your monitors instructions or ask your doctor how to use it correctly.
• Make sure you check your blood pressure at the same time each day.
• Check your blood pressure two or three times each time you sit down to measure it. Wait one minute in between each reading. Be sure to track your measurements, either writing them down in a journal or using an online tracker.

You may be wondering how to lower blood pressure. Below are my top natural ways to lower blood pressure, and by the way, it should happen fast! Some plans can take months to see results. With my tips, some of which revolve around anti-inflammatory foods, you can see results in just one day.

Can High Blood Pressure Be Prevented Or Avoided

If your high blood pressure is caused by lifestyle factors, you can take steps to reduce your risk:

• Lose weight.
• Reduce your alcohol consumption.
• Learn relaxation methods.

If your high blood pressure is caused by disease or the medicine you take, talk to your doctor. He or she may be able to prescribe a different medicine. Additionally, treating any underlying disease can help reduce your high blood pressure.

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How Can I Lower My Blood Pressure

High blood pressure can be treated through lifestyle changes and medicines. Everyone with high blood pressure, regardless of whether theyre on medication, should follow the lifestyle recommendations . Some people will find lifestyle improvements mean they dont need blood pressure medicines or they can take a lower dosage.

These are the Australian recommendations for lifestyle changes to lower blood pressure. If you are an older Australian or have a chronic condition , your doctor will tell you which lifestyle changes are suitable for you.

What Are Symptoms Of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is often called the silent killer because many people who have it dont have any symptoms. The only one way to know for sure if you have high blood pressure is to have a health professional measure it.

In rare cases, severe high blood pressure can cause or be accompanied by symptoms including:

• Blood spots in the eyes
• More common in people who also have diabetes
• Facial flushing

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Eat Garlic Or Take Garlic Extract Supplements

Fresh garlic or garlic extract are both widely used to lower blood pressure.

A meta-analysis found that for people with high blood pressure, garlic supplements reduced their systolic blood pressure by up to about 5 mm Hg and reduced their diastolic blood pressure as much as 2.5 mm Hg .

According to a 2009 clinical study, a time-release garlic extract preparation may have a greater effect on blood pressure than regular garlic powder tablets .

Who Is At Risk For High Blood Pressure

Anyone can develop high blood pressure, but there are certain factors that can increase your risk:

• Age – Blood pressure tends to rise with age
• Race/Ethnicity – High blood pressure is more common in African American adults
• Weight – People who are overweight or have obesity are more likely to develop high blood pressure
• Sex – Before age 55, men are more likely than women to develop high blood pressure. After age 55, women are more likely than men to develop it.
• Lifestyle – Certain lifestyle habits can raise your risk for high blood pressure, such as eating too much sodium or not enough potassium, lack of exercise, drinking too much alcohol, and smoking.
• Family history – A family history of high blood pressure raises the risk of developing high blood pressure

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Chronic Effects: Marijuana And Blood Pressure

Smoking marijuana carries many of the same cardiovascular health hazards as smoking tobacco. A new study, published in the American Journal of Health Behaviour, analyzed data from the 2005-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.

In total, 10,709 American adults were included in the retrospective study. Researchers defined marijuana use as never , past , and current . After adjusting for covariables such as alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use heavy users were reportedly twice as likely to have high blood pressure than never users. However, no significant differences in blood pressure existed between other categories. These results suggest that heavy marijuana use may contribute to the development of hypertension, while occasional use is unlikely to impact blood pressure in the long term.

Avoid Heavy Alcohol Drinking

Drinking too much alcohol has been associated with high blood pressure. Heavy drinking also contributes to stroke. The CDC recommends that men drink two or fewer drinks per day. Women are recommended to drink one or fewer alcoholic beverages per day.

Alcoholism is a disease that is difficult to treat on your own. If you find it difficult to control your drinking, many people have successfully limited or quit drinking through counseling and drug treatment. You can reach the national substance abuse hotline anytime at: 1-800-662-HELP .

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Comparison Of Sodium In Foods

Meats, poultry, fish, and shellfish

Food: Milligrams sodium

Fresh meat, 3 oz. cooked: Less than 90 mg

Shellfish, 3 oz: 100 to 325 mg

Tuna, canned, 3 oz: 300 mg

Lean ham, 3 oz.: 1,025 mg

Dairy products

*Whole milk, 1 cup: 120 mg

Skim or 1% milk, 1 cup: 125 mg

*Buttermilk , 1 cup: 260 mg

*Swiss cheese, 1 oz: 75 mg

*Cheddar cheese, 1 oz : 175 mg

Low-fat cheese, 1 oz.: 150 mg

*Cottage cheese , 1/2 cup: 455 mg

Vegetables

Food: Milligrams sodium

Fresh or frozen vegetables, and no-salt-added canned , 1/2 cup: Less than 70 mg

Vegetables canned or frozen , 1/2 cup: 55-470 mg

Tomato juice, canned, 3/4 cup: 660 mg

Breads, cereals, rice and pasta

Food: Milligrams sodium

Bread, 1 slice: 110-175 mg

English muffin : 130 mg

Ready-to-eat, shredded wheat, 3/4 cup: Less than 5 mg

Cooked cereal , 1/2 cup: Less than 5 mg

Instant cooked cereal, 1 packet: 180 mg

Canned soups, 1 cup: 600-1,300 mg

Convenience foods

Food: Milligrams sodium

Canned and frozen main dishes, 8 oz: 500-1,570 mg

*These can also be high in saturated fat, unless low-fat or reduced fat options are purchased.

*High in saturated fat.

Quit Smoking And Limit Your Alcohol Intake

Not smoking has been shown to reduce blood pressure and the risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. The benefits of quitting smoking start immediately.

Drinking more than 1 standard drink per day for women, and 2 for men, increases the risk of developing high blood pressure. You can read more about how alcohol affects your health here.

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The Best Teas To Reduce Blood Pressure

If you suffer from high blood pressure there are plenty of things you can do to reverse the condition. Certain lifestyle changes can make all the difference to your health. Eating a better, more nutritious diet, getting plenty of exercise, quitting smoking and reducing smoking can all help bring your blood pressure back under control. Stress is a major risk factor so working on relieving your stress levels naturally can also have a positive impact.

As well as these lifestyle changes, certain herbs and teas can also help you get your blood pressure down to normal levels. Studies show that certain herbal remedies and teas can have a very positive impact on blood pressure without the side effects experienced from blood pressure medications. This article will look at the most effective teas to treat hypertension and prevent your condition from recurring.

Cut Back On Sugar And Refined Carbohydrates

Many studies show that restricting sugar and refined carbohydrates can help you lose weight and lower your blood pressure.

Sugar, especially fructose, may increase your blood pressure more than salt, according to one 2014 review. In trials lasting at least 8 weeks, sugar increased blood pressure by 5.6 mm Hg diastolic and 6.9 mm Hg systolic .

A 2020 study that compared various popular diets found that for people who with more weight or obesity, low carb and low fat diets lowered their diastolic blood pressure by an average of about 5 mm Hg and their systolic blood pressure 3 mm Hg after 6 months .

Another benefit of a low carb, low sugar diet is that you feel fuller longer, because youre consuming more protein and fat.

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The Best Teas To Lower Your Blood Pressure

We have already published an article on natural methods of reducing your blood pressure. This article will look specifically at teas that can help bring your blood pressure under control while benefiting your health in plenty of other ways at the same time. Teas like green tea and oolong have become more and more popular over recent years as we learn more about their many health benefits but there are also some lesser known teas in our list that we think you will enjoy.

Drink The Right Amount Of Water

When it comes to drinking water, the most common suggestion is eight 8-oz. glasses per day. However, as a more personal approach, divide your body weight by two, and aim to drink that amount in ounces daily.

For instance, a 200-pound person should consume about 100 ounces of water daily. Drinking a glass of water before taking a bath can also help flush toxins from the body and reduce blood pressure.

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Lentils And Other Pulses

Lentils are a staple of many diets around the world, as they are an excellent source of vegetarian protein and fiber.

In 2014, researchers who studied the effects of a diet rich in pulses on rats reported of blood pressure and cholesterol. A total of 30 percent of the rats diet comprised pulses, including beans, peas, lentils, and chickpeas.

Lentils are very versatile. Many people use them as a vegetarian alternative to minced beef or to add bulk to salads, stews, and soups. A range of lentils is available for purchase online.

Lower Your Levels Without Medication

While many people use medications to lower their blood pressure, lifestyle changes are usually recommended, too. Eating a healthy diet, maintaining your weight, and getting regular exercise are good ways to prevent high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, but they can help treat these problems, too. While lifestyle changes alone can’t cure high blood pressure, they can improve how well your medications work and help you avoid additional complications.

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