According to the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, they estimate, 1 in 3 adults in the US has high blood pressure. If you suddenly discover that you have hypertension, you may be wondering what to do. These two bodies have provided new guidelines for high blood pressure. These guidelines have reduced the definition of high blood pressure from 140/90 millimeters per mercury to 130/80 millimeters per mercury (mm Hg). Everyone needs to take blood pressure seriously and reduce it to protect themselves against a stroke, eye disease, kidney disease, heart attack, and even cognitive decline. Talk to Dr. Susan Solf in Hasbrouck Heights whenever you suspect that you could be having high blood pressure. Regular checkups are also crucial as they can detect the condition before it gets worse.
Here are ways to manage and prevent high blood pressure at home:
Lose weight
By and large, weight loss proves to be the most effective way you can reduce elevated levels of blood pressure. And it does not require you to lose a lot of weight to make a difference. Losing 10 pounds in weight can help lower your blood pressure.
As you begin to exercise and remain active, you find that the heart and breathing rates increase. In turn, over time your heart becomes stronger and can pump with less effort. This way, there is less pressure put on the arteries and your blood pressure goes down. Consider simple exercises like using the stairs, doing house chores, walking rather than driving, having a bike ride, gardening, and playing sports.
Read labels
Most Americans eat much dietary sodium than is recommended, up to three times the desired amounts. This translates to 1,500 mg of sodium amount you take daily rather than the recommended 500 mg. Such amounts of sodium are linked to high blood pressure. Reaching the 1,500 mg daily sodium cap is as easy as eating a sandwich for breakfast. So you can see why you could be overeating dietary sodium.
Common foods where you would find sodium are soups, cold cuts, bread and rolls, pizza, sandwiches, and poultry or cured meats. So, ensure you read the labels to see how much dietary sodium is contained in a particular food, and you can do the math.
Relieve stress
Your blood will constrict when you have stress hormones being released and it can temporarily increase your blood pressure. Chronic stress can predispose you to habits that negatively impact your cardiovascular health.
You may end up overeating, misusing drugs, having poor sleep, and abusing alcohol, all these may increase the risk of having heart disease. For these reasons, you want to ensure you prioritize reducing stress if you are going to lower your blood pressure.
The above tips can help you live a healthy life and lower your blood pressure. Talk to your University Reproductive Associates doctor to find out more ways you can manage and prevent hypertension. Hypertension is a silent killer since it does not present with symptoms and aggravates the risk of heart disease and stroke.