High blood pressure is one of the serious health issues that threaten people in our society. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), high blood pressure is estimated to cause 7.5 million deaths worldwide. The main problem with people is that they will not realize the issues of blood pressure earlier and when they finally realize, it is way too late. High blood pressure if detected earlier, can be lowered using required treatments. So it is recommended to check your blood pressure consistently or at least every two years. High blood pressure can lead to severe problems such as heart attack, stroke and kidney diseases. To escape from these situations or diseases, you should aware of your health and also, must know how to keep your heart healthy.
What is High Blood Pressure?
Before going to high blood pressure, first, let’s see what is blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against the sides of your blood vessels. Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury(mm hg). Now, high blood pressure is the condition in which the pressure in your arteries is way higher than it should be. High blood pressure is also called “hypertension”. If your blood pressure readings show 140 over 90 or more, then you have high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a serious health issue as it can lead to dangerous problems like heart attacks and strokes. In most cases, high blood pressure will not have any signs and symptoms for years but it is very dangerous as it can still damage your blood vessels and heart. And we just neglect the situation and avoid meeting a heart specialist for treatment. In a few cases, people with high blood pressure show symptoms like headaches, shortness of breath, and bleeding from the nose but this will only occur if high blood pressure has reached a severe stage. So, it is better to detect high blood pressure earlier and hence get the necessary treatments. High blood pressure is a common health issue as it affects the majority of people. Hence, high blood pressure should be detected early and should get the required treatments from a doctor.
Types of High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is of two types- Primary Hypertension and Secondary Hypertension.
- Primary Hypertension: Primary Hypertension is also called essential hypertension. This is the most common type of high blood pressure. There is no known cause for primary hypertension. Most probably, it occurs as a result of your lifestyle, environment, and how your body changes and develops according to age.
- Secondary Hypertension: Secondary Hypertension occurs as a result of health issues like kidney problems, thyroid or adrenal gland problems, sleep apnea, etc.
Causes of High Blood Pressure
The causes for high blood pressure are not perfectly known, but still, the following factors have an impact on it
- Lack of physical activity
- Too much alcohol consumption
- Smoking
- Overweight
- Family history of high blood pressure
- Chronic kidney disease
- Sleep Apnea
- Stress
- Too much salt in your diet
Methods to Lower Blood Pressure:
High blood pressure can be controlled and lowered using several methods. Let us see some of the important methods to reduce blood pressure,
Regular Exercise:
If your body lacks physical activity, then you are at risk of high blood pressure. So you should implement exercise as a routine in your life. Running, walking, jogging, cycling, playing football, basketball, and tennis, swimming, dancing, yoga, household activities, etc. are all part of a good and healthy exercise. So you should implement some of these and do it regularly. Regular exercise can make your heart stronger and hence the heart can pump more blood with less effort. As a result, the force on arteries decreases and hence lowers your blood pressure.
Reduce your weight:
A 2016 study shows that the majority of people who reduced or lose their weight lowered their blood pressure. Reducing weight not only lowers your blood pressure but also helps to control other health issues.
Stop Smoking:
Tobacco smoke contains many toxic elements in it that can cause variations in your blood pressure ultimately leading to high blood pressure. So the better option is to quit smoking. We all know that smoking causes many health issues so that if you stop smoking, it can have a positive result in your health.
Have more potassium-rich food and reduce salt and sugar-rich food:
Potassium plays a crucial role in reducing blood pressure. Potassium lowers the effect of sodium(Sodium contributes to high blood pressure) and helps to remove sodium through your urine. So it is good to have more foods rich with potassium. Apples, apricots, bananas, broccoli, carrots, beans, dates, grapes, orange, potatoes, mangoes, spinach, tomatoes, tuna, fat-free yoghurt, etc. are some foods rich in potassium. Also, don’t forget to reduce foods with salt and sugar as both these elements can lead to high blood pressure. Overconsumption of sugar can cause obesity and weight gain and hence leading to high blood pressure. On the other hand, salt also leads to high blood pressure. Salt leads to the storage of an extra amount of water in your kidney and this additional stored water raises your blood pressure and also puts a strain on your heart, kidney, and brain.
Reduce Excess Stress:
In this busy life, stress is not a new matter. You can have stress as a result of many problems and tensions that occur in your everyday life. Your body produces many hormones when you are in stress and these hormones cause your heart to beat faster and narrows your blood vessels eventually leading to high blood pressure. So controlling stress is a must. Avoid doing your activities in a rush manner, taking slow and deep breaths, exercise, having good sleep, etc. can reduce stress.
Reduce Alcohol Use:
Drinking too much alcohol can lead to high blood pressure. Remember alcohol contains calories that may lead to weight gain and in turn cause high blood pressure. Hence, alcohol use should be reduced.
Have a Good Sleep:
Good and healthy sleep is a crucial part of a healthy life. Experts recommend that you should sleep for at least 8 hours a night. People who sleep for 6 hours or less each night are vulnerable to high blood pressure. Good sleep helps your blood to regulate stress hormones and also plays a vital role in keeping your nervous system healthy. Yes, sleep disorder is a serious threat to health and even destroy all your day. Hence it is a fact that good sleep is a must for a healthy life.
Have Healthy Protein Foods:
Good and healthy protein foods will help you to minimize the risk of high blood pressure. This is because proteins reduce your blood pressure by minimizing the insulin levels in your body. Remember, high insulin levels increase sodium retention that leads to high blood pressure. Hence having healthy protein foods will help you a lot. Fish like salmon or tuna, eggs, beans, cheese, leafy greens, blueberries, yoghurt, garlic and herbs, olive oil, pomegranate, etc. are some of the major foods rich with healthy proteins. And remember You are what you eat.
Conclusion
High blood pressure is a silent killer. In most of the cases, it will develop slowly and people will not realize it early and it will be worse afterwards. Almost every people will have blood pressure issues as its real reason is not perfectly known and if you have any other health issue, the situation of the blood pressure will be too serious. So, the only way to control high blood pressure is to perform the remedies mentioned above and also don’t forget to check your blood pressure consistently. It is also good to meet a doctor so that you can get essential treatments too. Once more remember don’t take high blood pressure lightly and if you do so, it can even cost your life.