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 (
How Much Exercise Do You Need To Do
Its recommended that you get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week. But that 150 minutes can be broken up into more manageable chunks throughout the week.
You can start your exercise in 10-minute increments if youre just getting started back into an exercise routine, recommends Gray.
And consistency is key. It may take one to three months before you notice any difference in your blood pressure.
You also want to make sure youre working out hard enough. For moderate-intensity exercise, you want to aim for about 50% of your max heart rate. Another simple way to figure out if you need to push yourself a little more is the talk test.
If youre on a treadmill or walking, youd only be able to get out a few words, says Gray. You definitely wouldnt be able to sing or easily have a full conversation.
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.
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Which Medicines Are Prescribed For High Blood Pressure
Some people will find that lifestyle changes alone wont be enough to control their blood pressure and so they’ll need to take medicines. Often, 2 types of medicines that work in different ways will be needed sometimes more than 2 are necessary.
Blood pressure medicines are typically taken every day. Many people will need to take them for the rest of their lives. The most commonly used blood pressure medicines are ACE inhibitors, angiotensin-receptor blockers, beta blockers, diuretics and calcium channel blockers.
Your doctor will choose the most appropriate medicine for you based on your blood pressure measurements, your overall risk of heart and blood vessel disease, and any other medical conditions you have or medicines that you take. Your doctor may set a target blood pressure.
Your doctor will probably start you on a low dosage of one medicine and review your progress a few weeks later. If you experience any side effects, tell your doctor straight away.
Eat More Foods High In Magnesium
A small study in the International Journal of Hypertension found magnesium supplementation can reduce blood pressure in small amountsNguyen H, Odelola OA, Rangaswami J, Amanullah A. A Review of Nutritional Factors in Hypertension Management. International Journal of Hypertension. 2013 698940. . Talk to your doctor before taking magnesium supplements, especially if you have kidney disease. You can also safely incorporate high-magnesium foods into your diet. Dr. Desai recommends foods like leafy green vegetables and unsalted almonds.
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Home Blood Pressure Monitoring
Your doctor may recommend you take measurements yourself while at home. This may help them understand how your blood pressure changes throughout the day or how its responding to treatment.
Some pharmacies offer blood pressure checks too.
Benefits Of Aerobic Exercise
One of the best types of exercise for your heart regardless of your sex, age, or weight is aerobic exercise. Aerobic activity affects your heart, lungs, and blood flow in the following ways:
- You breathe faster and more deeply, maximizing the amount of oxygen in your blood.
- Your heart beats faster, increasing blood flow to your muscles and back to your lungs.
- Your capillaries widen to deliver more oxygen to your muscles.
How does this help your heart? For one thing, it strengthens your heart and causes adaptations in your muscles. When your heart is stronger and your muscles are more fit, your heart doesnt need to beat as fast at rest. It also pumps blood more efficiently, improving blood flow throughout your entire body.
Aerobic exercise can also help you lose and maintain weight, as well as reduce your blood pressure. It can help keep your arteries clear by reducing levels of bad cholesterol , or low-density lipoprotein, in your blood. It also helps elevate levels of good cholesterol, or high-density lipoprotein. This can lead to less plaque buildup in your arteries.
In total, the effect of regular moderate exercise on your overall cardiovascular risk can be dramatic.
AHA encourages men to get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week. You can break this activity into five 30-minute sessions. Or you can exercise more frequently in shorter sessions of 10 to 15 minutes.
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Fighting Back Against The Silent Killer
High blood pressure is a symptomless silent killer that quietly damages blood vessels and leads to serious health problems.
While there is no cure, using medications as prescribed and making lifestyle changes can enhance your quality of life and reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and more.
Limit Your Alcohol Intake
Regularly drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure over time.
Staying within the recommended levels is the best way to reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure:
- men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week
- spread your drinking over 3 days or more if you drink as much as 14 units a week
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Manage Stress To Help Control High Blood Pressure
If stress is the cause of your hypertension, knowing how to control stress can help to lower blood pressure fast.
Most doctors agree that chronic stress is a precursor for hypertension. Pressures at work, in the family, or in dealing with distressing situations can cause blood pressure to rise and become a chronic condition.
Researchers have identified some scientifically-proven ways to lower blood pressure without medication.
The results of a 2016 review on the effect of music in lowering hypertension found that regularly listening to music helped to lower systolic blood pressure.
Other studies have shown that managing occupational stress can help to lower blood pressure in men and women and lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Learn more about the many ways that stress affects your body and what you can do to cope with stress better.
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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How To Lower Blood Pressure In Minutes
Disclaimer: Results are not guaranteed*** and may vary from person to person***.
High blood pressure can hit at any time, and the results can be devastating. When an acute jump occurs, knowing how to lower blood pressure in minutes can be the difference between life and death.
This is especially true if youre one of the 75 million American adults suffering from hypertension , or one of the other 75 million with prehypertension. When a boost hits, its good to know how to make blood pressure go down quickly.
Your blood pressure rises and falls throughout the day, and this is completely normal. Stress, anxiety, exercise, and activity can all lead to increases, while relaxation, getting ready for bed, and sleep can all bring it back down.
But not all high blood pressure is safe, and the longer it stays at a high rate, the more health risks you assume. Risks include acute responses like sweating, fainting or shortness of breath, and more severe issues like heart disease and heart attack can arise. So when stress hits, knowing how to lower blood pressure quickly can be a great health benefit.
Treating For Multiple Conditions
The type of blood pressure medication your doctor prescribes may depend on what other health problems you have. For example, if you have coronary artery disease and high blood pressure, your doctor may prescribe a beta-blocker. If you have had a myocardial infarction due to CAD, a beta-blocker can lower your blood pressure and decrease your overall risk of death.
If you have diabetes, your doctor may choose an ACE inhibitor or an ARB. Thats because these drugs can help protect the kidneys from diabetic damage by lowering the blood pressure in your kidneys.
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Calcium Helps Lower Blood Pressure Naturally
Eating foods that contain calcium can help to manage elevated blood pressure issues and prevent cardiovascular heart disease.
The journal Blood Pressure reported that calcium is an important mineral that regulates blood pressure. Not getting enough calcium in your diet can result in hypertension and increase artery pressure.
The American Heart Association published the results of a study showing that consuming yogurt daily can help to naturally reduce the risk of high blood pressure in women. The researchers suggested that raw yogurt should be added to the list of foods to eat for high blood pressure.
Foods that can help bring down blood pressure because they are high in calcium include sardines, cheese, milk, yogurt, and tofu.
If you canât take dairy products or you stick to a vegan diet, find out about other great non-dairy sources of calcium you can enjoy.
Blood Pressure Tips For Lowering
Have you had your blood pressure checked recently?
High blood pressure is common in New Zealand, with 1 in 5 Kiwis affected by it. Untreated, it can lead to serious health problems such as heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.As blood moves around your body, it pushes against the artery walls. The strength of the pushing is your blood pressure. If the pressure is too high, it puts too much strain on your arteries and heart and can lead to serious health problems.There arent always obvious signs your blood pressure is high, so the best way to find out is to have it regularly checked by your GP, nurse or pharmacist. High blood pressure can be managed with healthy lifestyle changes and/or medication.Here are our top tips to help lower your blood pressure:
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How To Lower Blood Pressure Quickly And Naturally
When someone has high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, it means their blood is pumping with too much force against the artery walls. The condition can eventually lead to heart disease, stroke, or other cardiac conditions. High blood pressure is extremely common in the United States. More than 103 million people in the country have itand many dont even know theirs is too high, because it can be asymptomatic, says John Osborne, MD, director of cardiology at LowT Center/HerKare and a volunteer for the American Heart Association .
The reason many people dont know? There are often few or no symptoms associated with high blood pressure, says Sondra DePalma, a cardiac physician assistant at PinnacleHealth CardioVascular Institute with UPMC Pinnacle in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, which is why it is called the silent killer.
If youre wondering how to lower blood pressure, luckily, there are natural ways to do so with the proper diet and healthy lifestyle changes.
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.
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Moringa Oleifera For High Blood Pressure
One of the foods to help lower blood pressure and keep it at safe levels is Moringa oleifera seeds.
The American Journal of Hypertension reported in 2016 that consuming Moringa oleifera seed powder helped control high blood pressure in hypertensive rats. Scientists noted that this study helps confirm the traditional use of Moringa oleifera seed for high blood pressure.
You can also take Moringa oleifera leaf supplements as a natural remedy for hypertensive conditions.
Find out more uses for Moringa oleifera in treating a number of chronic health conditions.
Tips For Using Diet To Control Blood Pressure
Fiddling with diet to control cholesterol makes perfect sense. After all, some of the cholesterol that ends up in arteries starts out in food. Changing your diet to control blood pressure doesn’t seem quite so straightforward. Yet food can have a direct and sometimes dramatic effect on blood pressure.
Salt certainly plays a role. But there is far more to a blood pressurefriendly diet than minimizing salt intake. Fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, beans, nuts, whole-grain carbohydrates, and unsaturated fats also have healthful effects on blood pressure.
There isn’t a single “magic” food in this list. Instead, it’s the foundation for an all-around healthful eating strategy that is good for blood pressure and so much more. Rigorous trials show that eating strategies such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet, DASH variants like the OmniHeart diet, and Mediterranean-type diets lower blood pressure in people with hypertension and those headed in that direction. They also help prevent some of the feared consequences of high blood pressure.
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What To Avoid To Reduce High Blood Pressure Naturally
In order to bring down blood pressure quickly using natural remedies, it is good to avoid things that cause hypertension.
To help cure high blood pressure without medication, you should also do the following:
- Reduce Sodium. Scientists say that reducing salt intake to less than 5 g per day could have a significant effect in reducing mean blood pressure and preventing heart disease.
- Quit smoking. It is common knowledge that smoking is detrimental to your health. Research shows that smoking pushes up blood pressure and results in narrowed arteries. Smoking also aggravates already-existing hypertension conditions.
- Drink less alcohol. The over-consumption of alcohol can be a cause of chronic hypertension.
- Cut back on caffeine. If you have dangerously high blood pressure of over 140/90 mmHg, then it may be wise to reduce your intake of caffeinated drinks. Researchers say that coffee can cause a spike in blood pressure of 8/5 mmHg.
- Cut out refined sugar and simple carbohydrates. Sugar, pastries, and cakes donât just pile on the pounds but also cause hypertension. Researchers have found that cutting back on unhealthy foods can help to quickly reduce hypertension naturally.
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Olive Leaf Extract Supplements To Lower Blood Pressure Naturally
Taking olive leaf extract supplements could be effective in helping to bring down high blood pressure naturally.
One study found that taking olive leaf extracts help men lower their blood pressure over a 6-week period.
Some studies show that olive leaf supplements can be as effective as hypertension medication. For example, taking 500 mg olive leaf extract daily could help lower blood pressure by around 11/5 mmHg.
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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.