In medical terms, high blood pressure is known as hypertension and it is a condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is higher than the normal. Hypertension is a long term medical condition and is associated with major risk factors for coronary artery disease, chronic kidney disease, stroke, heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, etc. Common symptoms that people experience under high blood pressure include a headache, fainting episodes, altered vision, sensation of dizziness, etc.There are many medications that are available to treat the problem of hypertension but there are many natural ways that can increase the efficiency of medicines and helps you control the blood pressure.
1. Physical Exercise
If you want a stronger heart, all you need to do is 30 minutes of physical activity. More exercising can improve your systolic blood pressure rate to such extent that you won’t even have to take the medications. But that doesn’t mean that you just have to exercise for a few months and then stop it when the blood pressure is lowered. The regular exercise is what keeps your blood pressure rate under control. It takes about 2-3 months of exercising to lower your systolic and diastolic rate.
Some effective exercises-
- Aerobic Exercises: Aerobic exercises like walking, running, swimming, cycling, rowing, boxing, etc are a great medium to control the high blood pressure and are studies to minimize systole by 3 to 5 mm Hg and diastole by 2 to 3 mm Hg. Walking is good for all type of blood pressures. Even climbing the stairs is a powerful exercise. According to The Department of Health and Human Services, regular exercising for about 30 minutes could keep your blood pressure rate normal.
- Stretching: It improves the flexibility in the body and makes each and every muscle of it to move effectively. It also prevents all kinds of injury. Stretching keeps all the arteries pliable due to which there is smooth circulation of blood which effectively helps in reducing the blood pressure. It increases mobility.
- Strength Training: It involves weight training and also helps to build strong muscles which are helpful in burning more calories that helps in making the body fit. Regular weight training can help to keep both your systolic and diastolic blood pressure down and make the bones strong. Strength training includes weight lifting, push-pull training, muscular isolation training, etc. One thing to keep in mind is that the strength training could cause a spike in the blood pressure rate but for the long term, it manages the systolic and diastolic rate.
Also Read: This Is How High Blood Pressure Can Affect You
2. Limit the intake of sodium
Cardiovascular disease has become a leading risk factor of death in the world and an uncontrolled blood pressure majorly contributes to the development of the cardiovascular disease. It has been proved that high dietary salt is one of the important cause of high blood pressure. Salt increases the sodium level in the bloodstream and reduces the ability of the kidney to remove water. Hence an extra fluid and strain on the blood vessel leading to higher blood pressure. Also, if you are taking medications for high blood pressure then cutting down the intake of salt is important as high intake of salt can decrease the efficiency of blood pressure medicines. 80 to 85% of the daily intake of salt is from processed food.
3. Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol
Many researchers say that excessive consumption of alcohol increases the risk of developing hypertension and if one is already suffering from hypertension then alcohol can worsen the condition. Also, reducing alcohol and improving hypertension can highly affect the quality of life as controlled blood pressure can reduce the risk of other health issues as well. The relationship between alcohol and blood pressure has been described in many surveys. The fluctuation in the blood pressure can be seen just by a single drink and when it is consumed in a heavy amount it drastically affects the blood pressure and the overall health.
4. Reduce stress
Psychological factors such as stress play a critical role in increased blood pressure. Directly or indirectly stress makes a person lead an unhealthy lifestyle. Stress is a condition in which a person deals with mentally and emotionally strain and this affects the doings of a person. It can lead to no physical activity, an increased diet. In stress, the person might increase its consumption of alcohol or increased smoking and all these factors affects the blood pressure. Also, under stress, the body produces many hormones that make the heart beat faster and narrows the blood vessels. This further leads to increased blood pressure. Reducing stress also helps in improving the conditions of many other health problems as well. Try to understand the cause of the stress and work on solving the issues.
5. Limit the consumption of caffeine
Yes, caffeine too can be the cause of the development of hypertension. Many studies say that caffeine can block the hormone that functions to keep the arteries widened and also it increases the production of adrenaline through adrenal glands. This increases the blood pressure. Also, it has been researched that people who consume more caffeinated beverages have high blood pressure as compared to those who limit their caffeine intake.
If you know anyone who is suffering from hypertension then share it with them as well. Also, share your opinions in the comment section below. Stay Safe, Stay Healthy!!
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