As we age, we begin to get a lot of diseases and complications in our body. High blood pressure or hypertension is one of the most common problems for any middle aged person nowadays. You can notice that every 1 out of 4 adults aged between 20 to 44 suffer from high blood pressure.
High blood pressure may not show symptoms and so can be dangerous if not kept under control. You can have high blood pressure for years and still not realize that you have it. This is why it is also called ‘silent disease’ since many patients cannot detect it even when the case gets extreme. It can further lead to risks of heart attack, dementia, weak kidney, aneurysm, heart failure, impaired vision and many other medical problems if left untreated or failed to maintain.
You can keep yourself updated about the do’s and don’ts of high blood pressure and maintain your lifestyle to keep your blood pressure levels under control. If you have any underlying medical issues that lead to high blood pressure, you can utilize the remedies that we have listed to maintain your fitness and health.
What is High Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is the pressure of your blood pushing against the walls of arteries that carry blood from heart to different parts of the body. Blood pressure reading has two numbers, the top number measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. The bottom number measures the pressure in the arteries between the beats. Blood pressure less than 120/80 mm Hg can be considered as normal.
High blood pressure or hypertension, as it can be called, is when your blood pressure is higher than the normal numbers.
Blood pressure in our body rises and falls throughout the day. But if it is consistently high and the figure is more than it should be, it can be called high blood pressure. The higher your blood pressure level is, the more prone you become to heart diseases, heart attacks and strokes. Hence, it is essential to have a regular check up to maintain your blood pressure levels.
There are basically two types of high blood pressure, either of which your doctor will diagnose you as. Primary or essential high blood pressure is the most common of the two. It is caused by unhealthy life habits and aging. Secondary hypertension is basically caused by medical problems like kidney or hormonal problems or even the medications that you are intaking. Here, the blood pressure rises even more than primary high blood pressure.
Causes of High Blood Pressure
It is important to know the root for the issue. If you know what is the reason behind the problem, you can prepare and take precautions beforehand to avoid it. Therefore, if you are aware of the symptoms and reasons, you can take the necessary measures for your better health.
High blood pressure can develop over time and need not be hereditary even though it is the most common reason. It may be a result of an unhealthy lifestyle like lack of enough physical activity in the routine, unhealthy eating habits, drinking too much alcohol or smoking. It may also stem from already prevailing diseases like diabetes and obesity.
High blood pressure can possibly occur during pregnancies too. However,the count for high blood pressure among kids and teens has decreased. Though age does pose a factor for high blood pressure, you can start taking precautions from an early age. There are many home remedies for high blood pressure that can be adapted without any side effects.
Symptoms for High Blood Pressure
Usually high blood pressure does not have any symptoms and many people do not realize that they have it. Even in the most severe condition, one cannot be sure if it is due to high blood pressure. Some of these symptoms may trace to some other disease as well and often go unnoticed. The symptoms most often do not occur unless it is an extreme case or is secondary hypertension.
There may be some symptoms or signs that can help you know if you have a high blood pressure or not. By checking if you have any of these symptoms or problems, there can be a chance that you might be suffering from hypertension. And accordingly, you can start taking actions and precautions to keep it under control.
These are a few symptoms that might, or might not, occur during severe high blood pressure levels.
- Dizziness
- Irregular Heartbeat
- Severe Headaches
- Shortness of Breath
- Nosebleeds
- Vision problems
- Fatigue or confusion
- Chest Pain
However, it is important to note that these symptoms are not guaranteed to lead to hypertension and can possibly be symptoms of other diseases too. Hence the best way to confirm if you have hypertension is to get regular blood pressure tests. Visiting a doctor on regular intervals is a better option so that it can be detected as soon as it begins since it can get dangerous if not noticed beforehand.
Home Remedies for High Blood Pressure
Develop a Healthy Diet
You can start taking precautions or maintaining your blood pressure level by improving your every diet a bit. Diet and food play a major role for maintaining a healthy body and need to be carefully chosen.
Salt can be an agent that can cause fluctuations in your blood pressure levels. Too much sodium is not good for blood and should be taken in a reasonable quantity. The limited amount of sodium in your food can be a big help for restraining your blood pressure. About 1 teaspoon of salt is enough for everyday. You can add spices and herbs instead to make your meal delicious!
Other products to add in your diet are fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and high potassium food. Also, you should refrain from eating high-fat meat, sugary drinks and dairy products. This is one of the best natural remedies for high blood pressure which you can try by yourself.
Physical Activities
Primary high blood pressure is majorly due to lack of sufficient physical activity in regular life. You can avoid high blood pressure or keep your level maintained by exercising on a daily basis.
A minimum 150 minutes of physical activity each week, that is, 30 minutes per day is essential for the body to stay fit. It not only helps you increase your stamina but also keeps you away from diseases like obesity. Exercising on a regular basis will help you maintain your blood pressure levels.
You can try any physical activity that you like to do like brisk walking, running, aerobics, cycling or even take it as a chance to join the gym to improve your fitness. Any physical activity or sport would do the work. So, if you are interested in any sport, you can start that as well. But the key is to keep it constant and not leave it after some time.
Control the weight
Reducing weight or even maintaining the weight as it is, can be one of the best remedies for high blood pressure if your weight is too much. Weight and age are important factors for high blood pressure. If you are also suffering from obesity or fall under the overweight category, this is a sign to start controlling your weight as well. More weight can lead to high blood pressure and other heart problems too.
You do not need to rush or lose too much weight in a short time.You will be fine even if you lose 5 pounds of your weight slowly. A healthy weight and height is essential for a fit body. Obesity and diabetes tend to be a common reason for high blood pressure. So, you can keep your blood pressure in control by keeping a track of your weight regularly.
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Stress Management
If you are an over-thinker, have too much workload, have anger issues or other things that stress you out, you can try methods like counselling, meditation, yoga, massages or other things that can help you relax. Even doing activities that you enjoy or food can be a therapy for your stress. Stress is very bad for your health, even if you do not have a high blood pressure. When you have a high blood pressure, you need to take extra care not to stress out too much. You can start meditating or diverting your thoughts and energy to physical activities.This will not only help you calm down but also improve your physical health. Mental health is as necessary as physical and needs to be taken care of. So, try these Home Remedies for high blood pressure for precaution if you want to prevent it.
Limit Alcohol and Quit smoking
Too much alcohol, drugs like cocaine and smoking are bad for health if taken for a long time. Not only is the heart affected, other organs can also be internally damaged because of them. If you are a regular smoker, this may be a cause for concern. Smoking tobacco is harmful for the heart and should quit for good. You can start by reducing the smokes per day or go for counselling too if it is difficult to stop. Smoking has never been good for health and should be avoided if you want to prevent many health issues.
Alcohol in a small amount can be beneficial for your body but too much of anything is never good for you. If you drink on a daily basis, you can cut the amount to one or two drinks a day. Just reducing the amount can be okay as well if you do not want to quit. The amount should, however, be reduced enough to maintain your health as per your blood pressure level.
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Final Words
Aside from the prescription your doctor gave you, these tips can help you keep your body healthy. These few Home remedies for high blood pressure can be tried at home to prevent you from high blood pressure or even help keep your pressure levels within the range.
You need to keep in mind that these methods can help you maintain your blood pressure levels but they should be followed meticulously to be effective. Even if you do not have hypertension, these home remedies for high blood pressure will help you avoid it in future.
