Do You Know How to Lower Blood Pressure?

Did you know that high blood pressure is one of the leading causes of death in the world? What’s worse is that you may have it without even knowing it! This is why it so important for everybody to know how to lower blood pressure and keep their heart healthy.

High blood pressure (or hypertension) is caused when the blood flows through your arteries at a higher rate, and it’s a very serious medical condition to have. Generally, if your blood pressure is more than 120/80, then you have hypertension. If you have been diagnosed of having high blood pressure or want to become healthier, this article will give you some surefire tips to lower blood pressure.

One of the best ways to lower blood pressure is to go through a lifestyle change. If you persist on continuing with the same kind of way of life that you had prior to contracting high blood pressure, then there’s only so much that medications can do for you. Changing a few things in your lifestyle can actually be enough for you to control your blood pressure.

Some of the options include:

Losing weight

Losing a few pounds is actually one of the most effective natural ways to lower blood pressure. Studies have shown that blood pressure also increases when you put on weight. The same holds true the other way around: the more weight you lose, the lower your blood pressure will be. Coordinate with your doctor to come up with a target weight that you can set for yourself. Losing 10 pounds can actually do wonders on your blood pressure.

You will also need to check your waistline as well. Like weight, the bigger the size of your waist, the higher your blood pressure will be. Men are at risk of contracting high blood pressure if their waistline is wider than 40 inches (36 inches for Asian men), while for women, its 35 inches (32 inches for Asian women).

Proper diet

Proper diet is also needed to be followed. There are actually diet plans that have been already developed for those who have or are at risk of having high blood pressure. This meal plan involves a diet that lessens the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol that you take in. Patients are also advised to reduce the amount of sodium in their food, because the substance has known to greatly affect blood pressure. Lessen the amount of salt that you take in to help you lower your blood pressure. The diet plan also recommends whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products as good additions to your diet.

Regular exercise

Regular exercise will not only increase your chances of losing weight, which is one of the effective ways to lower your blood pressure, increased physical activity can also lower your risk of contracting hypertension. Again, you can consult with your doctor to get help in coming up with an exercise program that’s tailored to meet your needs.

Stop smoking

Nicotine actually raises your blood pressure. If you cut back on the cigarettes, you stand to succeed in lowering your blood pressure.

Lessening the amount of caffeine and alcohol intake

While alcohol can be good for the body in small amounts, too much can actually do damage your system. The recommended amount is one drink daily for women and two for men. It’s important to note that those who don’t drink don’t need to pick up the habit, because they can experience the benefits of alcohol from other sources, especially since alcohol can bring harm to them. Caffeine, on the other hand, can spike your blood pressure, so it’s better to cut back instead of drinking several cups per day.

Stress reduction

Stress has also been found to increase blood pressure. Learn to effectively manage your stress by finding ways to help you cope with these or cut the stressors out of your life permanently.