High blood pressure enhances the workload of the heart and kidneys, thereby escalating the risk of heart failure, stroke, heart attack, and kidney disease. High blood pressure is one of the most significant risk factors of stroke. High blood pressure can be fatal to you. Taking medications can bring down the number, but you should instead focus on the natural remedy.
Lifestyle plays a significant role in the treatment of your high blood pressure. Try to control your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle so that you can avoid, delay or reduce the need for medication. It's all in your hands. The more disciplined your routine and eating habits are the better your health. Make some lifestyle alterations and work with your health care team to control your high blood pressure.
Here's a list of lifestyle changes you can make to lower your blood pressure and keep it down-
Lose extra pounds and watch your waistline
Gaining unwanted pounds is one of the main reasons for increased blood pressure. Being overweight also causes breathing disorder while sleeping, which further raises your blood pressure.
Losing weight and being fit is one of the most effective lifestyle changes for controlling blood pressure. Even if you lose a few pounds, it will make a big difference and help you manage your blood pressure. Usually, you can reduce about 1 mm Hg of blood pressure by losing about 2.2 pounds of weight.
Exercise regularly
Exercising on a regular basis helps you in several ways. For example- it is advised to workout for at least 30 minutes most days of the week. By doing so, you can reduce your blood pressure by about 5 to 8 mm Hg. Being consistent is the key to achieve a controlled blood pressure. If you stop exercising, you can see your blood pressure rising again. Exercise can even reduce the chances of developing hypertension if you have high blood pressure.
Eat a healthy diet
Eating healthy leads to a happy body! You should incorporate a healthy and balanced diet in your daily routine. Eating meals rich in necessary nutrients can lower your blood pressure by up to 11 mm Hg. Eat fruits, whole grains, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. Adapt an eating plan called the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet.
Reduce sodium in your diet
Reducing your sodium intake can improve your heart health and decrease blood pressure by about 5 to 6 mm Hg if you have high blood pressure.
Quit smoking
Smoking cigarettes increase your blood pressure. With each cigarette, you increase your blood pressure with several minutes. Hence, quitting smoking along with a healthy diet and routine can help you keep your blood pressure in check.
Cut back on caffeine
Drinking coffee can elevate the blood pressure up to 10 mm Hg in people who infrequently consume it. However, people who drink coffee regularly may experience slight or no effect on their blood pressure.
Reduce your stress
Chronic stress may add on to high blood pressure. Situational stress can even contribute to high blood pressure if you respond to stress by consuming unhealthy food, drinking alcohol or smoking.
If you have high blood pressure, then you should regularly keep a tab on your blood pressure numbers. Make lifestyle changes and consult a doctor in case nothing is working and get the proper medication. You should not ignore the consequences of high blood pressure as it can result in a fatality. You should also buy a health insurance policy to get yourself ready for the future. A health insurance policy is your best bet in case of a medical emergency.
