Natural Ways: How To Control High Blood Pressure?

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When you have blood pressure, it means that your blood is pushing against the walls of your blood vessels as your heart pumps blood. If a question pop ups in your mind that how to control high blood pressure? Blood pressure can be controlled with lifestyle changes and medication to lower blood pressure.

If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure or hypertension, you might be worried about taking medication to lower your numbers. The good news is that a healthy lifestyle plays an important role in treating your high blood pressure. If you successfully control your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle, you might avoid, delay or reduce the need for medication.

Steps: How Control High Blood Pressure:

The following are simple steps you can take to help keep yourself from developing high blood pressure:

Eat A Healthy Diet:

Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, which are rich sources of potassium and fiber.

Enjoy Potassium-Rich Foods:

Eating foods high in potassium, such as bananas, cantaloupe, grapefruit, honeydew melon, orange juice, orange sections, potatoes without their skin, raisins, spinach, tomatoes, tomato juice, and acorn squash, may help lower blood pressure.

Avoid Excess Sodium In Your Diet:

Sodium is a major cause of blood pressure. It makes blood fluid and can damage blood vessels and valves in your heart. So if blood pressure is high, doctors may ask you to limit sodium in your diet. This may mean avoiding salt or using low-sodium soy sauce if needed.

You should limit sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day for everyone except African Americans with high blood pressure, who should limit it to 1,500 mg per day. For example, eat fresh fruits and vegetables instead of canned food; choose broth-based soups over higher-sodium, canned soups; and remove the salt shaker from your dining table.

Eat Less Meat:

Red meat — including beef, lamb, and pork — is rich in saturated fats. It also contains some heme iron, which can increase blood pressure.

Choose lean meats to limit your intake of saturated fat. Avoid processed meats like bacon or hot dogs because they contain large amounts of sodium. Instead, choose leaner cuts of meats like flank steak, top sirloin, or tenderloin.

Keep blood pressure under control with healthy sleep habits: Getting enough quality sleep is important to your blood pressure.

Limit Caffeine Intake:

Caffeine can increase blood pressure in some people. Try limiting how much you drink each day to below 200 milligrams (mg). Many sodas and coffee drinks have more than 200 mg of caffeine. Limit caffeinated beverages to 1 cup a day. Avoid decaffeinated versions of these drinks as they contain small amounts of caffeine too.

Stay Active:

Get regular physical activity to help lower blood pressure and strengthen your heart. Regular exercise — even something as simple as going for a brisk walk — can go a long way toward helping you maintain healthy blood pressure. Exercise also reduces stress, which is a known blood pressure-raising factor.

Quit Smoking:

Tobacco is a powerful stimulant to your blood circulation system. It causes blood vessels to constrict and blood pressure to rise. Smoking makes it harder for your heart and blood vessels to pump blood and increases the risk of blood clots that can cause a stroke or heart attack. Stop smoking if you haven’t already done so.

See More: IMPACT OF SMOKING ON ORAL HEALTH

Avoid Taking Over-The-Counter Medications:

For people with high blood pressure, doctors often recommend limiting how often they take aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) because these drugs affect blood clotting and can make your blood pressure go up. Even small doses of aspirin can affect blood pressure if you already have high blood pressure. It’s a good idea for people with high blood pressure to avoid taking these painkillers — even occasionally — or asks your doctor if it is okay to take them.

Take Blood Pressure Medication As Directed:

Your doctor may prescribe blood pressure medication if your blood pressure cannot be controlled by diet and exercise alone.

Never miss a regular appointment: You must regularly visit the doctor to check blood pressure, and other conditions, such as diabetes or kidney problems, can be monitored.

Avoid Counter MedicationIf blood pressure is still too high, your doctor may recommend other treatment options like weight loss, alcohol abstinence, a low sodium diet, medication for blood pressure control.

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Article Summary (How To Control High Blood Pressure?):

If you want to know how to control blood pressure, blood pressure should be monitored regularly. Blood pressure can be controlled with medications and lifestyle changes (exercise). Other treatments are available if blood pressure cannot be controlled by lifestyle modifications alone.

Some Key Points Of The Article In Bullet-Points:

The importance of monitoring blood pressure regularly. By monitoring blood pressure regularly, doctors can spot trends that might indicate underlying issues or dangerous behaviors that need to be addressed immediately.
It’s possible to control blood pressures through lifestyle changes.
If blood pressures are not controlled through lifestyle changes, doctors may prescribe blood pressure medication.
It’s important to regularly monitor blood pressure because blood pressure can be affected by weight loss, alcohol abstinence, low sodium diet, and blood pressure medications. Regular monitoring of blood pressure allows medical professionals to address any issues that might arise quickly.

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