If you suddenly encounter high blood pressure (hypertension) under the new American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology guidelines, you might question what to do. If you control your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle, you may avoid, delay or lessen the need for medication. Here are tips to help you control blood pressure.
Monitor your blood pressure and consult your doctor periodically
Home monitoring can help you keep blood pressure tabs, make sure your lifestyle modifications work, and alert you and your doctor to potential health issues. Blood pressure monitors are commonly available without a prescription. Talk to your doctor about home monitoring before starting.
Regular doctor visits are also crucial to controlling blood pressure. If your blood pressure is well-checked, check with your doctor how often you need to check. Your doctor may suggest checking every day or less frequently. If you make any changes to your medication or other treatments, your doctor may recommend that you check your blood pressure two weeks after treatment adjustments and a week before your next checkup.
Pump an iron
Add some weightlifting to your routine to help reduce weight and stay fit. Women lose muscle mass as we age, and weightlifting is generally disregarded in most women’s fitness regimen, “Fisher explains.
Stop smoking
Each cigarette you smoke elevates your blood pressure many minutes after you’re done. Stopping smoking helps normalize your blood pressure. Quitting smoking can minimize your heart disease risk and improve overall health. Others who quit may live longer than people who never quit smoking.
Limit your alcohol consumption
Alcohol can be helpful for your health. By drinking alcohol only moderately—usually one drink a day for women or two a day for men—you might potentially reduce your blood pressure by roughly 4 mm Hg. One drink is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.
But if you drink too much alcohol, that protective effect is eliminated.
I am drinking more than moderate alcohol can elevate blood pressure by several points. It can also affect blood pressure drug efficacy.
Weight loss
The most efficient way to reduce raised blood pressure is to lose weight, says Fisher. And making an impact doesn’t involve considerable weight loss. Even decreasing 10 pounds can reduce blood pressure.
Eat a good diet
Eating a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and saturated fat and cholesterol skimps will lower your blood pressure by up to 11 mm Hg if you have high blood pressure. This eating regimen is known as Dietary Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. Many medical supplements help to control blood sugar level. Among them biotin is considered as effective supplement. It works on both skin care and blood sugar controlling.
Changing eating habits isn’t simple, but with these guidelines, you can adopt a healthy diet:
Keep a diet. Writing down everything you eat, even for a week, can shed amazing light on your eating patterns. Monitor what you eat, when, and why.
Consider enhancing potassium. Potassium can lower sodium’s blood pressure effects. The best source of potassium is food, such as fruits and vegetables, not pills. Talk to your doctor about your potassium level.
Savvy shopper, read food labels when shopping, and stick to your healthy eating plan when dining out. Eat food that lowers blood pressure quickly.
Lose extra pounds and see the waistline
Blood pressure increases as weight increases. Overweight can also cause disturbed breathing while you sleep (sleep apnea), which further elevates blood pressure.
Weight loss is one of the most beneficial lifestyle adjustments for blood pressure regulation. Losing even a small amount of weight if overweight or obese can help decrease blood pressure. In general, with each kilogram of weight you lose, you can drop your blood pressure by roughly 1 millimeter of mercury (mm Hg).
Besides dropping pounds, you should also be watching your waistline. Too much weight can put you at greater risk of high blood pressure.