More than 1 in every 5 young adults in India has high blood pressure or hypertension. Even many peoples don’t know that they have high blood pressure. That’s why it’s another name is a silent killer. There are usually no warning signs or symptoms in this high blood pressure. This can be dangerous because it can lead to life-threatening conditions like a heart attack or stroke. The good thing is you can treat or prevent high blood pressure. Your lifestyle plays an important role in treating high blood pressure.
Early diagnosis and healthy lifestyle changes can keep your high blood pressure from damaging your health. If you successfully control your blood pressure with your healthy lifestyle you can also reduce the need for medication. High blood pressure can damage the walls of the arteries, causing coronary artery disease and stroke. It can also damage the heart muscle that leads to heart failure. While there is no permanent cure for high blood pressure, using medication and doing exercise or yoga, and some changes in lifestyle can enhance the quality of your life and reduce the risk of heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, and more.
How to diagnosed High blood pressure?
As we have mentioned that high blood pressure has no signs or symptoms, so the only way to find out if you have it is to get regular blood pressure checks from your clinic or hospital. They will use a gauge, an electronic sensor, or a stethoscope, and a blood pressure cuff. They will take two or more readings at separate appointments before making a diagnosis.
| Category of Blood Pressure | Systolic BP
(upper number) |
Diastolic BP
(lower number) |
|
| Normal | Less than 120 | and | Less than 80 |
| High Blood Pressure (no other heart risk factors) | 140 or higher | or | 90 or higher |
| High Blood Pressure (with other heart risk factors, according to some providers) | 130 or higher | or | 80 or higher |
| Dangerously high blood pressure – seek medical care right away | 180 or higher | and | 120 or higher |
Anyone can face the problem of high blood pressure, but there are some certain factors that increase the risk of High blood pressure.
Factors that increase your risk of blood pressure
Weight– There are more chances for the persons who are Overweight there is more chance to increase the risk of high blood pressure.
Age– Blood pressure tends to rise with age.
Sex– Age before 55, men are more likely than women to develop high blood pressure. After the age of 55 women start facing high blood pressure problems.
Family history– If your family has a history of high blood pressure it will raise the risk of developing high blood pressure.
Lifestyle– Your certain lifestyle habits can raise the risk of high blood pressure, like eating too much salt, not doing exercise, drinking too much alcohol and smoking, stress, and many other reasons.
Other Health Problems of High Blood Pressure
If your blood pressure is too high, it not only puts extra strain on the blood vessels but also on the heart and other organs such as:
- heart disease
- strokes
- kidney disease
- peripheral arterial disease
- heart attacks and heart failure
- aortic aneurysms
- vascular dementia
Ways to prevent high blood pressure without medication
Healthy Diet
Eating a healthy diet can reduce the risk of High blood pressure. Add the diet in your regular food that is rich in whole in grains, vegetable, fruits, lower in fat, food that contain proteins, low-fat dairy products, and low cholesterol can help in lower your blood pressure if you have high blood pressure. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet plan is an example of an eating plan that can help you to lower your blood pressure. It’s not easy to change your eating habits but eating a healthy diet can help your body that is directly related to your blood pressure.
Try to follow this for your good health-
For a week start writing down what you eat, it will help in monitoring what are you eating and in which quantity, when, and why. Start boosting potassium it lesion the effects of sodium on blood pressure. Consult your doctor about the potassium level that’s best for you. And be a smart shopper. Read food labels when you shop and stick to your healthy eating plan.
Start Doing Exercise
Daily 30 minutes’ regular exercise can lower your blood pressure by 5 to 8 mm Hg if you have high blood pressure. It is important to maintain this exercise because if you skip your blood pressure can rise again. Exercise can help you in reducing weight and keep your blood pressure normal. Some aerobic exercises you can try to lower your blood pressure including walking, cycling, jogging, brisk walking, dancing, and swimming. This exercise makes your heart beats harder and you use more oxygen than usual. Important note- Consult your doctor before starting your exercise and make your exercise program with the consultant your doctor for better result.
Healthy Weight
Another reason for high blood pressure is overweight. It increases the risk of high blood pressure. Being overweight causes disrupted breathing when you sleep, which further reason to raises your blood pressure. By maintaining a healthy weight, you can control high blood pressure and reduce the risk of other health problems. Wright loss is one of the most effective lifestyle changes for controlling blood pressure.
Drinking Habit
Try to limit your alcohol habit because drinking alcohol too much can raise your blood pressure by several points. Alcohol adds extra calories, which causes weight gain. Women should only have one and men have no more than two drinks per day. Alcohol reduces the effectiveness of blood pressure medications.
Quit Smoking
Daily each cigarette you smoke raises your blood pressure for many minutes when you finish. Cigarette smoking puts you at a higher risk of a heart attack. Quit smoking helps your blood pressure return normal. It reduces the risk of heart disease and also improves your overall health. People who don’t smoke live longer than people who smoke. Many males smoke to avoid stress but it cannot reduce the stress. By quit smoking, you can save yourself and your family. If you smoke consult your doctor for help in finding the best way for you to quit.
Reduce Stress
One of the main factors of high blood pressure is stress. It affects your health when you react to stress by start eating unhealthy food, smoking, and drinking alcohol. It increases the risk of high blood pressure for you. Take some time to think about what’s the reason for stress, such as relationships, family, friends, work, or finances. Once you know the reason, consider how you can solve the problem or reduce stress. And if you can’t eliminate your stress you can cope up with them in a healthier way.
- Change your expectation
- Focus on issues you can control and make plans to solve them
- Try to communicate with others about your problem
- Try to avoid triggers when you can
- Make time for yourself and relax and do the activities you enjoy
- Expressing gratitude to others
- Learn how to relax and how to manage emotions
Here I discussed the best ways to prevent high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, it’s important to prevent it from getting worse. You need to get regular medical care and follow the prescribed treatment. If you find you need support, you can consult our top specialist doctor. Our doctor will guide you on how to lose weight, and our dietician will make a diet chart and you can consult our top Psychiatrists doctor regarding your mental health.