NATURAL WAYS OF CONTROLLING AND REDUCING HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Hypertension is a term used to describe a level of blood pressure that, taking all other cardiovascular risk factors into account, would benefit the individual if reduced. Measurements above 140/90mmHg are considered higher than 'normal'. Blood pressure tends to rise naturally with age.
While medications are available to treat this condition, Healthcare professionals routinely recommend natural ways to control high blood pressure, which may reduce or even eliminate the need for drugs.
Control Risk Factors
Heredity, age and ethnicity play a role in the development of hypertension. However, lifestyle also has a significant effect on blood pressure, and changing certain behaviours can be as effective as medication. Smoking is the most consequential controllable risk factor by far. The National Institutes of Health states that smoking damages the walls of blood vessels and accelerates hardening of the arteries, which in turn affects blood pressure and increases the risk of heart disease.
Exercise
Increase activity level, at least 30 minutes of vigorous exercise per day on most days of the week. Reduce weight to within 15% of ideal body mass index. Losing weight often result in a corresponding drop in high blood pressure.
Reduce stress
Regular exercise has been shown to help reduce the effects of stress as has medication and progressive body relaxation.
Change Your Diet
Nutrition has a powerful effect on physical function. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute introduced the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) in 1994. This eating plan recommends consumption of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, limited fats and low-fat dairy and meat which help to bring down cholesterol levels. It also limits sodium, while emphasising the need for calcium, magnesium and potassium as a natural way to control blood pressure. Research has shown that patients who follow the DASH diet see a reduction in blood pressure, sometimes within a few weeks.
A high fat increases the incidence of hypertension therefore saturated fat such as palm oil, coconut oil, butter, margarine even oil from meat amongst others should be avoided.
Vegetable oil,corn oil, soya bean oil e.t.c which have high linoleic acid which help lower cholesterol level in the blood are recommended.
Supplements
Hawthorne, garlic, ginger, fish oil, and folic acid supplements have all been linked, through various studies, to lowered blood pressure
consumption of Minerals
Sodium
Reduce sodium consumption simply by eating a wild variety of food in their natural state. Highly salted and processed food should be restricted in diet. Chloride, the other component of salt is also linked to high blood pressure.
Potassium
Six or more servings of potassium-rich fruits and vegetables each day can lower your blood pressure. Examples include bananas, cantaloupe, spinach, raisins,beans,carrot,pumpkin,sweet potatoes, tomatoes, oranges and avocado pear amongst others.
Calcium
Skim milk, low-fat yogurt and leafy green vegetables contain calcium that can help to lower high blood pressure.
Magnesium
This also help to reduce blood pressure e.g nuts, pear etc.
Moreover, excessive consumption of alcohol and smoking of cigarettes should be cut down or avoided as this can cause high blood pressure.
In conclusion, High blood pressure increases your risk of having a heart attack or a stroke in the future. But there are at least two other factors that can increase our risk of these health problems: smoking and having a high cholesterol level. They do not raise our blood pressure, but they do damage our arteries and, combined with high blood pressure, will increase our risk of health problems even more.
The good news is that both these risk factors can be fixed through changing our lifestyles.
Giving up smoking and cutting out saturated fats (animal fats such as butter and cheese) from your diet may not be easy, but they will have a very positive effect on your future health. In fact, making these changes may dramatically reduce your risk of developing heart disease or a stroke in later life.
Recommendation
Adults, 30 and older should have their blood pressure checked annually. If there is a family history of high blood pressure or associated risk factors (such as obesity, diabetes, smoking, thyroid disease or kidney disease), more frequent screenings may be recommended.
Your healthcare provider will tell you how many times and how you should take your blood pressure. Carefully follow your healthcare providers instructions.
You can check it any time of the day, but try to do it the same time every day, and in the same arm. Blood pressures do tend to be higher in the morning, partly because of the little burst of adrenaline we need to get ourselves going at the start of the day. Just be sure to check it after you have been sitting quietly for about five minutes. You shouldn't take any medications just before the measurement, especially ones like decongestants that can cause a temporary spike in blood pressure. Caffeine or alcoholic beverages can also throw off a reading.
High blood pressure can be controlled and all risk factors can be prevented by mentoring, adhering to the natural ways of controlling it and also taking strictly all prescribed medication.
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