What To Do To Lower Your Blood Pressure

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Normal blood pressure is around 120/80 mmHg or slightly lower. If someone’s blood pressure is above this number, it can be said that they experience increasing blood pressure. If the blood pressure increases more than 130/80 mmHg, this condition is called high blood pressure or also known as hypertension. Someone needs to lower it if their blood pressure exceeds 130/80 mmHg. There are several ways to lower blood pressure, including living a healthier lifestyle, going on certain diets, and medicines. So, how do I lower my blood pressure actually? Here are some ways.

1. Losing Weight

Overweight can make the heart work harder and cause hypertension or high blood pressure. This is why losing weight is one of the effective ways to control and lower blood pressure. So, if you are overweight or suffering from obesity, you are highly suggested to lose weight until you reach your ideal weight. Consult your doctor to know what diet that is suitable for you according to your current health condition.

2. Healthy Dietary Habit

Consuming healthy food, such as fruits, vegetables, whole seeds, and low-fat milk products can help to lower blood pressure. Moreover, reducing the intake of cholesterols and saturated fat can help as well. Do not forget to consume foods that contain potassium, such as bananas, potatoes, grapes, oranges, spinach, and carrots. Potassium is one of the nutrients that are helpful in lowering blood pressure. The recommended intake of potassium is around 4500 mg to 4700 mg per day.

3. Limiting Salt Consumption

The next way to lower blood pressure is limiting salt consumption. Salt contains a lot of sodium, whether it is salt in food, snacks, canned foods, or soft drinks. If there is an excessive amount of sodium in the body, this condition can increase blood pressure. This is why people with high blood pressure or hypertension are suggested to limit their consumption of food that contains salt or go for a low-salt diet. You have to know that adults are suggested to consume sodium only 1500 mg to 2000 mg per day.

4. Limiting Consumption of Refined Carbs

Limiting the consumption of refined carbohydrates, such as rice, bread, and pasta is proven to be able to lower blood pressure. It is even more effective compared to going on a low-fat diet. As the replacement, you can increase your consumption of food that contains a lot of proteins, such as beef, fish, eggs, chicken breasts, cheese, and nuts.

5. Regular Exercises

It cannot be denied that working out is really helpful in maintaining our health. Those who want to lower blood pressure are recommended to workout for 30 minutes to 60 minutes, 3 times to 5 times a week. Regular and consistent exercises are able to lower blood pressure by 5 mmHg to 8 mmHg. Some exercises that are useful for lowering blood pressure are jogging, cycling, swimming, walking, and gymnastics.

6. Reducing Stress

Believe it or not, stress is one of the causing factors of high blood pressure. Frequent stress or long-term stress can increase the blood pressure in the body. So, it is important to manage and control your stress if you want to lower your blood pressure. You can manage your stress by doing relaxation, Yoga, meditation, or just simply doing your hobby or favorite activities.

Read also : Fasting A Day Helps In Many Ways

7. Stop Smoking and Consuming Alcohol

Smoking and consuming alcohol are 2 bad habits that are one of the most common causes of high blood pressure. People who smoke are said to be at a higher risk of suffering from hypertension complications, such as a heart attack and stroke. So, for those of you who want to lower blood pressure, it is highly recommended to stop smoking and consuming alcohol.

8. Consuming Medicines

In order to lower high blood pressure, sometimes particular medicines for it are required. Especially, if the ways mentioned above do not help to make any progression after 6 months. However, it will be better if you see your doctor first to discuss whether you need such medicines or not. If you do, the doctor will prescribe it. The doctor will adjust the types and dose of the hypertension medicines according to your age, your body’s response to medicines, and your history of disease.

Some kinds of antihypertensive medicines that can be taken for lowering blood pressure are:

1. ACE-inhibitors, such as ramipril, lisinopril, and captopril.
2. ARBs or Angiotensin-2 receptor blockers, such as olmesartan, valsartan, losartan, irbesartan, and candesartan.
3. Diuretics, such as furosemide and hydrochlorothiazide.
4. Calcium channel blockers, such as verapamil, diltiazem, nifedipine, felodipine, and amlodipine.
5. Beta-blockers, such as metoprolol, bisoprolol, atenolol, and propranolol.
   
   

9. Regularly Checking Your Blood Pressure

Last but not least, you need to regularly check your blood pressure in order to make sure it is at the normal level. Regularly checking your blood pressure can also help you to figure out whether the healthy lifestyle you live brings effects to your health condition or not. So, you can evaluate and fix if there is something wrong. You can also discuss with your doctor about a healthy lifestyle that is suitable for you.

Those are the ways that you can try to lower blood pressure. The pressure can be caused by some factors. Such as, obesity, rarely working out, certain diseases like diabetes, sleep apnea, and thyroid disorders. Genetics also play a role in high blood pressure. People who have family members with hypertension are usually at the risk of getting the same disease. The highlight to lower blood pressure is living a healthier lifestyle.

By changing your lifestyle into the healthier one, managing or even lowering your blood pressure is possible. If your high blood pressure is caused by other diseases, it will be better if you consult the doctor first. So, you will be able to know the right medication or treatment to take care of your blood pressure. By living a healthy lifestyle, you can also avoid the complications of high blood pressure. Do not forget to always regularly check yourself up to the doctor to monitor your overall health condition.

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