Health Desk- What to do if you have high blood pressure? Can it be controlled by making lifestyle changes? Know here the ways to reduce blood pressure immediately.
Nowadays it has become normal to have high blood pressure. If seen, every other person can have the problem of high blood pressure. In such a situation, the question is what to do in case of high blood pressure? As soon as someone comes to know that he has a problem of high blood pressure, then the first thing that comes to his mind is how to reduce blood pressure. So in this special article of ours, we will not only tell you how to reduce blood pressure, but also what to do if blood pressure is high? Will also provide its information.
What is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is the force exerted by the blood on the walls of your arteries. This is determined by the amount of blood pumped by your heart and the resistance in your arteries.
Your blood pressure reading consists of 2 numbers, systolic and diastolic. Usually the systolic number comes before or above the diastolic number. For example, 120/80 which means 120 systolic and 80 diastolic.
Now the question is what to do if the blood pressure is high? Let us tell you that by regularly monitoring your blood pressure sitting at home, you can detect any changes in blood pressure in the early stages. You can get it checked at home or by going to the doctor’s clinic. Then according to your blood pressure reading, you can control it by making changes in your lifestyle and consulting your doctor?
Let us tell you that medicines are a part of the treatment plan, but studies have proved that improving lifestyle can control blood pressure along with other treatments. Keep reading to understand the lifestyle changes that will help you lower your blood pressure.
Why is it important to control high blood pressure?
When your blood pressure is consistently above the normal range, it is considered as high blood pressure or hypertension. It is a silent condition, which usually does not show any symptoms until the blood pressure becomes very high. However, this condition can be easily detected by regular checkups.
It is important to detect and control high blood pressure in the early stages. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can damage the walls of your blood vessels, leading to complications such as heart failure, heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and vision problems. These complications can be prevented by early detection and control.
How to lower blood pressure with lifestyle changes?
If you want to know how to control BP, then small lifestyle changes can make a big difference. You can control your blood pressure by making some lifestyle changes. Some of the changes are as follows.
1. Be active (exercise, yoga, etc.)-
Avoid a sedentary lifestyle and increase your activity. Try to incorporate 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise into your daily routine. Regular physical activity can help prevent and control high blood pressure. Apart from exercise, you can also include hobbies like yoga, aerobics or dancing in your daily routine.
* How many steps per day should you take according to your age? Know 10 benefits of walking
2. Keep a healthy weight-
Being overweight can increase the risk of high blood pressure. If you are overweight, even a small change in your weight can help lower your blood pressure. That’s why it is better to try to keep your weight balanced.
3. Reduce salt intake-
Consuming more salt can increase your blood pressure. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the intake of salt to reduce your blood pressure. Choose low sodium options when purchasing food items. You can include more fruits and vegetables in your diet and avoid eating fried and processed foods.
Let me tell you, the amount of sodium is usually high in fried and processed food. Following a low sodium or low blood pressure diet can help you control your blood pressure effectively.
4. Eat a balanced diet-
Eating a balanced diet plays an important role in your overall health. To control high blood pressure, you can choose a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low or no sugar, saturated fat and refined carbohydrates. Keeping a food diary will help you monitor your diet and manage your eating habits.
5. Consume potassium in excess-
Potassium helps in normalizing the sodium levels in the body and thus it can also help in controlling your blood pressure. Potassium is found in foods such as green leafy vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes, oranges, fruits such as avocados and bananas, dairy products such as milk and yogurt, nuts, seeds and fish such as tuna. That’s why you should include them in your diet regularly.
Remember, the more potassium-rich foods a blood pressure patient consumes, the more sodium will be removed from the body through urine and it will help in controlling high blood pressure.
6. Do not consume alcohol-
Drinking more alcohol on a regular basis can increase your blood pressure significantly. People with high blood pressure are advised to stop drinking alcohol. Let us tell you that along with blood pressure, alcohol can also increase the risk of many other health problems.
7. Avoid stress-
Chronic stress can increase blood pressure. In such a situation, to keep yourself stress free, focus on those activities which you feel comfortable doing. Try to control stress by adopting relaxation techniques like yoga or meditation. Also, sit, talk, go out and spend some time with your friends and family.
8. Quit smoking-
Smoking temporarily increases your blood pressure, which returns to normal over time. But continuous smoking can increase the risk of getting high blood pressure by damaging the walls of blood vessels. Quitting smoking will not only help you control your blood pressure, but will also be beneficial for your overall health.
9. Check blood pressure regularly-
Checking blood pressure regularly will help you in controlling it. It is very important to have regular consultations with your doctor. It would be better if you can keep a blood pressure machine in your home to monitor blood pressure. Along with this, follow the instructions given by your doctor.
10. Take medicines at the right time-
If you are already being treated for high blood pressure, keep taking the medicines prescribed by your doctor regularly. Keep in mind that you take your medicines at the right time and do not forget at all.
Easy ways to reduce blood pressure immediately-
If you are wondering how to reduce high blood pressure immediately, then let us make it clear that blood pressure cannot be controlled immediately. However, some precautions can definitely be taken during high blood pressure. Some of the precautions are as follows.
1. Any kind of activity like – don’t climb stairs, don’t walk.
2. Immediately lie down on the bed.
3.Relax yourself.
4. Do not take any kind of stress and try to calm the mind.
5. Keep checking your blood pressure every now and then and keep in touch with your doctor and keep giving information about your health.
6. If the blood pressure does not decrease, immediately go to the doctor along with any of your family members or friends.
7. Then do further treatment according to the advice of the doctor.
Hope you now know what to do if you have high blood pressure? You can control your increased blood pressure by making appropriate changes in your lifestyle and by adopting the simple measures given above. So now if someone asks how to reduce high blood pressure, then definitely tell about the measures mentioned here and share this article so that someone’s problem can be removed. Thank you.
