High blood pressure is a silent killer, which often shows no severe symptoms but leads to major heart issues and stroke. Blood pressure is the power of blood flowing in the arteries from the heart. A normal level of blood pressure in human begins is less than 120/80 mm Hg. The blood flows more quickly through the arteries when your blood pressure is high. It increases the pressure and destroys the blood vessels by putting increased pressure on tissues in the arteries. There are a lot of people all around the world who are suffering from the problem of high blood pressure. Humans ageing more than 40 are vulnerable to high blood pressure. Your blood pressure can increase over time due to unhealthy lifestyle, style and eating habit. The greater the blood pressure, the higher the risk of a stroke or a heart attack. The good news is that dietary changes will help bring it down if you have high blood pressure. You don’t have to wait for high blood pressure to change your healthy lifestyle. There are certain tips that you can follow to keep your blood pressure managed. Here in this blog, we are going to share these tips.
Major causes of high blood pressure
Primary and secondary are two types of high blood pressure in human beings. Primary hypertension or high blood pressure is the most common type of blood pressure. It takes many years to develop in the human body and occurs due to your lifestyle, environment and body changes. Secondary hypertension is due to some kind of health problem and medicine. Secondary hypertension can be caused due to kidney problems, sleep apnea, thyroid or adrenal gland problems and some medicines. The exact causes of high blood pressure are not clear, but there are several things that contribute to high blood pressure, including –
- Alcohol, tobacco, drug and smoking
- Being overweight
- Too much salt, fat, and/or cholesterol in the diet
- Lack of physical activity
- Old age
- High consumption of oily and fried food
- Lack of physical activity
- Stress, tension and depression
- Lupus
- Scleroderma
- Underactive or overactive thyroid
- Genetics
- Chronic kidney disease
- Adrenal and thyroid disorders
- Type 2 diabetes
- Sleep apnea
- Race
- Tobacco use
In women, the cause of high blood pressure can be –
- Pregnancy
- Menopause
- Use of birth control pills
- Hormonal disorder
Life with high blood pressure
Your life is controlled by your high blood pressure. We recommend you to keep a track of your weight, make healthy food choices, workout, learn how to deal with tension, avoid smoking and reduce the intake of alcohol if you have hypertension/high blood pressure. To regulate your blood pressure, you’d need to consume medicine throughout your life. The life of a person living with hypertension or high blood pressure is not easy. You’d need to avoid fried, oily food and consult your physician on a regular basis. Perhaps the doctor would like you to visit daily to the hospital. Additionally, your blood pressure can be monitored at home and you can keep a track of your blood pressure statistics. There are devices to monitor your blood pressure which you can find in some drugstores and online shopping sites. Maybe you want the doctor multiple times a day to test the blood pressure. To avoid this, use a blood pressure monitoring device and comfortable keep a track of your blood pressure statistics.
What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?
high blood pressure symptoms can vary from person to person. In women, the symptoms are different and in men, the symptoms are completely different. Most people do not experience any symptom of high blood pressure, which is why “hypertension or high blood pressure” is called “Silent Killer.” Once the blood pressure reaches 180/120 mm Hg, it becomes a matter of concern. At this stage, a person may experience –
- Severe Headache
- Nausea
- Uncontrollable Dizziness
- Nose bleeding
- Blurred or double vision
- Heart palpitations
- Increase heart rate
- Discomfort in the entire body
- Breathlessness
Anybody who experiences these symptoms should consult the doctor and get blood pressure checked.
Symptoms of high blood pressure in women
Symptoms of high blood pressure can be different in women. A lot of women face the problem of high blood pressure during pregnancy, which is extremely dangerous. If you experience headache, vision changes, abdominal pain, nausea and heart palpitations during pregnancy, you should not wait for longer and consult the doctor as early as possible. If your blood pressure gets high, take proper medication and stay careful as it can be very dangerous for you as well as for your child.
Symptoms of high blood pressure in teenagers
Teenagers can sometimes experience the problem of high blood pressure due to increased tension of career, personal life problems and parental pressure. The major cause of high blood pressure in teenagers these days is obesity. Obesity has become an underlying medical condition for high blood pressure. The symptoms of high blood pressure in teenagers are the same as for other age groups.
Symptoms of high blood pressure in children
High blood pressure mostly attacks people above 30, but due to an unhealthy lifestyle and lack of activity, it is becoming a major problem in children also. High blood pressure in children can also be the sign of a tumour, heart problems, kidney problems, thyroid problems, etc. The symptoms of high blood pressure in children can be the failure to thrive, seizures, irritability, lethargy and respiratory distress.
High blood pressure range – Understand High Blood Pressure Readings
- Normal blood pressure – Blood pressure less than 120/80 mm Hg is considered normal in human begins. If you are following a healthy diet and doing regular exercise, then stick with these heart-healthy habits and keep your blood pressure in control forever.
- Elevated blood pressure – When blood pressure readings range from 120-129 systolic and less than 80 mm Hg diastolic, then elevated blood pressure is observed. High blood pressure is likely to develop if no action is done to regulate elevated blood pressure.
- Hypertension Stage 1 – Hypertension Stage 1 is when blood pressure range from systolic 130-139 systolic or 80-89 mm Hg diastolic consistently. Doctors will probably prescribe lifestyle changes at this stage of high blood pressure and may consider adding blood pressure meds based on your risk of cardiac arrest or stroke.
- Hypertension Stage 2 – Hypertension Stage 2 is when blood pressure is regularly at or above 140/90 mm Hg. Doctors are advised to prescribe a combination of the medication and lifestyle changes at this stage of the high blood pressure. This is a severe condition which needs to be treated on time otherwise it will cause a stroke or heart attack.
- Hypertensive crisis – When your blood pressure measurements exceed 180/120 mm Hg suddenly, it is due to Hypertensive crisis. Contact your doctor urgently if your blood pressure is high. A hypertensive crisis could happen to anybody and needs urgent medical attention. If there are signs such as shortness of breath, chest pain, back pain, trouble speaking, numbness/faintness or change in vision then your blood pressure may be above 180/120 mm hg and you need urgent medical attention.
If your blood pressure is less than 90/60 mm hg, then you may have the problem of low blood pressure which also needs urgent medication treatment.
Tips on how to lower blood pressure naturally
1. Physical exercise
Keeping your body physically active is extremely important to lead a healthy life. If you have the problem of high blood pressure, then you need to engage in physical activity for at least 90 minutes a day. If you want to involve in a rigorous exercise session, then involve for only 75 minutes. Exercise at least 5 days a week to keep your heart healthy. Walking, jogging, running cycling, or swimming are the best exercises you can do to manage your blood pressure.
2. Lose weight
Obesity is one of the major causes of hypertension in humans. If you’ll follow a healthy diet and keep yourself involved in physical activity, then you can stay lean and healthy. Increasing weight brings a lot of diseases in your body. You can lose weight faster by following the expert guidelines in our blog weight losing tips. Losing weight is essential to keep your high blood pressure in control. Being active in the gym and following rigorous workout session is essential to lose weight and stay away from the problem of high blood pressure.
3. Reduce stress
We all have been going through some issues in our lives. Some issues in our personal and professional life lead to stress and tension. Stress is the major culprit of hypertension in adults as well as teenagers. Avoid stress or the things that are causing stress to control your blood pressure. Yoga, meditation and warm baths may help you to control your blood pressure. Spend time with your family and friends to stay happy. Avoid situations that are making you stressed. Think positive to feel positive and stress-free.
4. Avoid tobacco & alcohol
To cope with stress, you need to avoid consuming alcohol, tobacco, recreational drugs and junk food as they are the major causes of hypertension. Consuming alcohol moderately and quitting smoking is essential for people who are suffering from high blood pressure. Smoking leads to severe heart conditions and if you want to avoid them, you need to quit smoking at any cost. Tobacco and smoking cause a lot of health issues including hypertension.
5. Reduce salt intake
9 g and 12 g per day is the average salt intake of humans and if you exceed this, you are increasing your risk of getting hypertension/high blood pressure. Lower your salt intake to keep your blood pressure in control. Avoid consuming raw salt in your food. Make sure to eat cooked salt in your food. People who add raw salt in their food are vulnerable to high blood pressure. Only eat 9 g to 12 g salt in a day to keep your blood pressure managed.
6. Follow a healthy diet
Eating a balanced diet is essential to keep your heart healthy. Foods rich in protein, vitamins and minerals are essential to keep your heart healthy. Foods to lower blood pressure – berries, bananas, beets, dark chocolate, kiwi, watermelon, oats, leafy green vegetables, skim milk, garlic, lentils, yoghurt, pomegranates, cinnamon, fermented foods, oatmeal, fish, cinnamon, dried fruits, etc. You need to avoid oily and fried food, salt, caffeine, sugar, refined carbohydrates and alcohol.
7. Take medical help
To bring your blood pressure at a normal rate, you need proper medical treatment. First, you need to get the problem of high blood pressure diagnosed and then get the treatment from the right doctor. Management of blood pressure usually starts with lifestyle changes that can help reduce heart disease risk. The doctor will prescribe you medications for lowering blood pressure. These are antihypertensive drugs for the management of high blood pressure. If only drugs will regulate the blood pressure, you will need to use the medicines throughout your lifespan. More than one drug is usually needed to help regulate blood pressure. Don’t stop drug use without talking to your doctor. Medications without the prescription of doctor will increase your chance of a stroke or a heart attack.
These are the best high blood pressure remedies that you can follow. These are the best things you can do to manage your blood pressure and keep your heart healthy. We’ve also brought some Yoga Asanas that can help you lower your high blood pressure.
The best yoga for high blood pressure
While healthy eating habits help keep the blood pressure balanced, the role the mind plays cannot be ignored. So, how can you bring the two into line? The answer is Yoga. You can manage blood pressure problems by consistently exercising basic postures of Yoga. Yoga Asanas involve conscious and profound breathing while your body movement is synchronized. They can naturally help control blood pressure mainly through stress relief. Yoga Asanas can soothe your nerves and reduce heart rate abnormally. Following is the list of the best Yoga Asanas that can help you combat high blood pressure problem.
- Vajrasana (Diamond Pose)
- Paschimottanasana (Forward Bend Pose)
- Shavasana (Corpse Pose)
- Sukhasana (Easy Pose)
- Ardha Matsyendrasana (Sitting Half Spinal Twist)
- Badhakonasana (Butterfly Pose)
- Janusirsasana (One-legged Forward Bend)
- Virasana (hero pose)
- Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
- Ardha Halasana (Half Plow Pose)
- Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend Pose)
- Halasana (Plow Pose)
It’s best to join a Yoga Center to learn Yoga Asanas in the best way. Getting professional help for Yoga is important to increase its effect on your body. To control high blood pressure, monitor the health and avoid smoking and drinking habits. Take a step forward and follow a healthy diet. A quick path to comprehensive treatment will be sought for the complications of your blood pressure. Consult a specialist to keep your blood pressure in control.