Lowering Your Blood Pressure

If you’ve been for a checkup and the doctor has told you that you have high blood pressure, or even borderline high blood pressure, then you may be wondering what you can do to change that. Average blood pressure is 120/80 and high blood pressure is classified as 140/90. If you are between these two numbers, you are considered pre-hypertensive.  It is then necessary for you to take steps to control your blood pressure.

High blood pressure increases your risk for heart disease and stroke, but it can also cause other problems such as heart failure, kidney disease and potentially blindness. High blood pressure puts extra strain on your heart and blood vessels, which can lead to many health issues.

Lifestyle plays a very important role in treating high blood pressure. If you can successfully control your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle, then it is possible to avoid or reduce the need for medication.

The following are some lifestyle changes that you can make to help lower and maintain your blood pressure:

1. Lose weight

Blood pressure is often correlated to being overweight or obese. Losing just 10 pounds can actually help reduce your blood pressure. It has been found that waist measurement is also correlated to a higher risk of high blood pressure. Men are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 40 inches and women are at risk if their waist measurement exceeds 35 inches. Losing a few pounds or a few inches can help reduce the risk of high blood pressure.

2. Regular exercise

Regular physical activity of at least 30-60 minutes per day can lower your blood pressure significantly. Talk to your doctor about developing an exercise program that is safe for you. Moderate activity of even 10 minute increments can help. Try to space out your exercise over the entire week though instead of just cramming all your physical activity in during the weekends.

3. Eat healthy

By eating a healthy diet that is fresh and balanced, blood pressure can be significantly reduced. This eating plan is also known as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. Using strategies such as using a food diary, boosting potassium, shopping smart and cutting yourself breaks, can really help towards healthy choices.

4. Pass on the salt

Even a small reduction of sodium in your diet can reduce blood pressure by 2 to 8 mm Hg. Some quick tips to reduce sodium include tracking the salt in your diet, reading food labels, eating fewer processed foods, stopping the addition of salt into your food and slowly easing into the diet change to make it sustainable.

5. Limit your alcohol intake

In small amounts, alcohol can be potentially beneficial to your blood pressure. However, that protective effect is lost if you over-consume alcohol, which is considered anything more than 1 per day for females and more than 2 per day for females. It is not advised that you start drinking as a way to lower your blood pressure. It’s advised that you track your drinking patterns, consider tapering off your drinking amounts and avoid binge drinking because this can cause a spike in blood pressure.

6. Put out the cigarette

Avoiding tobacco products and even second hand smoke can help reduce blood pressure. Smoking can potentially raise your blood pressure up to 10mm Hg after a cigarette. Inhaling smoke can not only put you at risk for cancer and respiratory diseases, but is also a huge risk factor for high blood pressure and heart disease.

7. Reduce the caffeine intake

Drinking caffeinated drinks can cause a spike in blood pressure. It is unclear whether the effect is temporary or long-term, but if you are sensitive to caffeine and it affects your blood pressure, it is advised to cut down your intake.

8. Minimize the stress in your life

Stress or anxiety can cause an increase in blood pressure and long term exposure to stress has a negative impact on your health. Although it may not be possible to eliminate all stress from your life, you are in control of your coping mechanisms. High stress isn’t necessarily negative all the time as long as you are dealing with it appropriately. Consider taking breaks for meditation, deep breathing exercises, yoga, self-help or even counseling to help deal with life’s pressures.

It is advised that you monitor your blood pressure and make regular doctor’s appointments to make sure that your blood pressure is under control. Healthy living has a huge impact on blood pressure and taking care of yourself is the first step.

Resources

www.mayoclinic.org