How to control hypertension
Why me, why now?
There are a number of reasons why people have
hypertension. In the majority of cases, hypertension is caused by a combination of inherited and environmental factors. Certainly, a family history of hypertension predisposes you to the disease. Other risk factors are chosen, such as smoking, eating too many fat-laden foods, and not getting enough exercise. But there is good news and some bad news! There are factors you can control and others you can't. Look at the list below to find out what you can do about lowering your
blood pressure.
Factors you can control
Smoking
Cigarette smokers are at least twice as likely as non-smokers to develop
heart disease. If you smoke, talk to your doctor about breaking the habit. Give up the habit, it will help reduce your chances of getting heart disease and help keep your blood pressure under control
Reduce alcohol consumption
Excessive alcohol can raise your blood pressure and reduces your heart's ability to pump blood. Limiting yourself to no more than two drinks per day is definitely a good idea.
Exercise
Let’s work that body more! Doing just 30 to 45 minutes of mild to moderate
exercise such as brisk walking or biking three times a week can bump your
blood pressure down a few points, especially if you are losing weight as well. For those of you who want to lower your risk of hypertension further, try some vigorous exercise, such as riding a stationary bike for 40 minutes, running for 30 minutes or doing laps in the pool. Vigorous exercise can lower blood pressure by more than 10 points. Note: Please check with your doctor before you undertake vigorous exercise.
Eating a lower fat, balanced diet
It is well documented that many people who have high blood pressure are also overweight. Try controlling your weight with both exercise and
diet to maintain a healthy weight. Seek help from a registered dietitian in your area to gain more insight to better eating habits.
Reduce salt intake
This is a must do! We
salt our food before we even taste it! Many people consume far more salt than their bodies actually need. Eating too much salt can be dangerous to those with a history of
high blood pressure because sodium intake can increase blood pressure. While not everyone must cut down on salty chips, pickles and popcorn, African Americans and people of African descent and women older than 65 seem to
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