How to naturally lower high blood pressure
High blood pressure is also called hypertension. Around the world, a large number of individuals are affected by this chronic condition. Hypertension can also cause hazardous circumstances like kidney sicknesses and cardiovascular failures. In some severe cases, hypertension also becomes a contributing factor of death. Therefore it is important to start management and treatment of hypertension as early as possible. Let us explore how you can naturally lower high blood pressure.
Diagnosis
The first step to controlling high blood pressure is diagnosing the condition. Only by knowing that you have the condition and the severity of the condition, can you actively manage it. Visiting your doctor is the most direct and accurate way to diagnose hypertension. However, frequent visitations may increase medical costs, and hypertension may also develop during your annual screenings. Therefore, self-monitoring would be a good practice to detect hypertension in-between these visits.
Below are some steps for easy and quick self-monitoring of blood pressure:
– A digital automatic blood pressure monitor is commonly used to measure blood pressure. It comprises an expanded pressure sleeve which is typically folded over the upper arm of the patient and is connected to a monitor.
– Using ForaCare’s blood pressure monitors, you will be able to discern your blood pressure with the press of one button
– Normal blood pressure readings should be below 120/80
– A raised degree of blood pressure is categorized between 120 to 129/80
– Pre-hypertension, which is normally called stage 1 hypertension, is categorized between 130-139/80-89
– Stage 2 hypertension is anything above 140/90.
Read about the Dos & Don’ts when measuring blood pressure here
Causes of Hypertension
Hypertension can be attributed to many several underlying issues. This condition is not limited to older people, and can occur in youthful people as well. It is highly connected with lifestyle choices, but can also arise from factors outside of one’s control.
Common contributors of hypertension include:
– A diet high in salt or cholesterol
– A sedentary lifestyle
– Prolonged stress
– Other chronic conditions such as diabetes and kidney diseases
– Hereditary risk – especially if both parents have the condition
Ways to Naturally Lower Hypertension
Whilst some contributors are outside of our control, there are many methods to naturally regulate the factors that are within our control. We will explore these methods below.
Lose Weight
It may seem intuitive, but losing weight is definitely the most direct method to naturally control hypertension. Obesity is the mother of disease. Obesity puts more strain on the kidneys. These are the organs that filter our blood and remove harmful substances from it. If your blood is not properly filtered, then the resulting extra volume of blood will in turn increase blood pressure. Additionally, obesity also increases risks of diabetes.
Therefore, weight loss is the first “go-to” method when trying to regulate hypertension and achieve a healthier body.
Work-out routinely
One important way to losing weight and reducing high blood pressure is exercise on a daily basis. Exercise not only makes you fit but also helps your body to maintain a normal level of blood. This helps to prevent hypertension as through exercise your body is relaxed and set in position.
Most aerobic exercises such as cycling, jogging, walking, and swimming are beneficial to controlling hypertension.
Reduce Salt Intake
As shared, your kidney is a filter. For the kidney to filter water, a balance of sodium is required. A high salt diet alters this balance, and reduces the kidney’s ability to filter water, thus resulting in higher blood pressure. Additionally, high salt diets result in increased urinary proteins, which are also contributing factors to kidney and cardiovascular disease. Incidentally, fast food for the most part contains a great deal of sodium.
By keeping a conscious mind on your salt intake, you can help your kidney to regain balance. Home-cooked food is the most effective way to reduce salt intake as you are in control!
Increase Potassium Intake
Potassium works opposite of sodium. While sodium makes the kidney clutch onto water thus increasing blood pressure, potassium on the other hand assists the kidney with discharging urine. This helps to bring down blood pressure and it makes the individual more sound and fit. However, only a very small percentage of adults get sufficient potassium in their daily diets.
Therefore it is very important to make a conscious effort to increase potassium intake. Examples of potassium-rich food varieties include:
– Fish
– Bananas
– Lentils
– Beans
– Yams
– Tomatoes
– Dried apricots
Take on the DASH Diet
The DASH diet is a dietary approach specifically designed to manage hypertension. It contains foods that will fulfill your body’s nutritional requirements with emphasis on a balanced intake of minerals. This contributes a lot to making your body more healthy and fit. The DASH diet mainly consists of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, poultry, beans and nuts. These foods contain a significant amount of important minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium.
Alternatively, you can also explore a veggie lover diet. In this eating regimen, you will just eat vegetables and natural products. Majority of vegetables are low in sodium and high in potassium and magnesium!
Meditate
Firstly, it is important to know that stress itself is not a direct cause of hypertension. Stress causes our bodies to release stress hormones known as cortisol. Cortisol in turn temporarily increases blood pressure by causing the heart to beat faster and blood vessels to narrow. However, as we pursue our goals and hustle to achieve our objectives, we often forget to or forget how to de-stress. The accumulated stress results in repeated blood pressure elevations. Over time, this then contributes to hypertension.
Meditation is a great way to de-stress. Meditation has been proven to relax the mind and body, helping to reduce the accumulated stress.
Conclusion
In this article, we explored quite a few methods to naturally manage hypertension. Still, it is recommended that you talk with your primary care physician to optimize your self-care routine arrangement. This also gives your healthcare provider the chance to prescribe medication to support management in the off chance that your condition is more acute.
It is therefore important to continue self-monitoring your blood pressure progress during this journey.
ForaCare’s hypertension solutions are clinically-validated for accurate self-monitoring, and are packed with features that assist in the detection of cardiovascular diseases such as heart arrhythmia.
References
– High Blood Pressure Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). CDC, 30 Nov. 2016, www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/faqs.htm.
– Effects of High Blood Pressure. CDC, 7 July 2014, www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/effects.htm.
– Nedelman, Michael. “Should You Take Statins? Guidelines Offer Different Answers.” Health: Living Well, CNN, 1 Jan. 2018, www.cnn.com/2017/04/18/health/statins-guidelines-conflict-study/index.html.
– Hall, Michael E et al. “Obesity, Hypertension, and Chronic Kidney Disease.” International Journal of Nephrology and Renovascular Disease 7 (2014): 75–88. PMC. Web. 13 June 2017.
– Eckel, Robert H., et al. “2013 AHA/ACC guideline on lifestyle management to reduce cardiovascular risk.” Circulation (2013): 01-cir.
– Gregor, Dr. Michael. “98% Of American Diets Potassium-Deficient.” NutritionFacts.Org, 23 May 2013, nutritionfacts.org/2013/05/23/98-of-american-diets-potassium-deficient/.
– Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention.” CDC, 18 Jan. 2018, www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_sodium.htm.
– Diaz, Keith M., and Daichi Shimbo. “Physical activity and the prevention of hypertension.” Current hypertension reports 15.6 (2013): 659-668.
– Schneider, Robert H., et al. “A randomized controlled trial of stress reduction in African Americans treated for hypertension for over one year.” American Journal of Hypertension 18.1 (2005): 88-98.
– Anderson, James W., Chunxu Liu, and Richard J. Kryscio. “Blood pressure response to transcendental meditation: a meta-analysis.” American journal of hypertension 21.3 (2008): 310-316.