Tips and Tricks to Lower Blood Pressure: What Can You Do to Lower Your Blood Pressure?

What is Blood Pressure?

The pressure exerted by blood flow on the artery walls. Diastolic and systolic measurements are used to determine blood pressure. Systolic measurements are taken when the heart beats when blood pressure is highest (measured between heartbeats when blood pressure is lowest). Systolic blood pressure comes first when writing blood pressure, followed by diastolic blood pressure (120/80). Getting an accurate blood pressure reading will help you understand your risk of heart disease and stroke; according to Cancer Gov. you may have a false sense of security about your health if a measurement shows that your blood pressure is lower than it actually is.

Tips and tricks to lower blood pressure

Below are some tips and tricks to lower blood pressure:

1. Weight Loss:

Fisher claims that losing weight is the most effective way to lower high blood pressure. Plus, it only takes a little bit of weight loss to notice a difference. Your blood pressure can drop with just a 10-pound weight loss.

2. Reading Food Labels:

According to dr. Fisher, Americans consume up to three times the recommended daily intake of 1,500 milligrams (mg) of sodium for people with high blood pressure. Only 3/4 teaspoon of salt is needed to reach the daily sodium limit of 1500 mg. A breakfast sandwich made with an Egg McMuffin contains half the sodium. Identify foods high in sodium by reading labels carefully. According to dr. Fisher, it’s not easy to cut back on dietary salt without reading labels unless you produce all of your own food. Watch out for the following common foods, which the American Heart Association has called the “salty six” and where high sodium can hide:

3. Exercise:

Exercise doesn’t have to be intense to improve your health. Aim for at least half an hour five days a week. Fisher advises, “Make sure you’re doing something you love or it won’t stick.” For some people that means dancing; for others, it’s going for a quick bike ride or a walk with a friend. Even routine hobbies like gardening can be helpful.

4. Add Iron:

“To lose weight and stay fit, you need to incorporate weightlifting into your exercise routine. As we age, women gradually lose muscle mass, and for most women, weightlifting is often neglected as a type of exercise,” explains Fisher.

5. Limit Alcohol:

Excessive and frequent drinking can raise your blood pressure, so be careful.

6. Stress Relief:

Your blood vessels are constricted by stress hormones, which can cause a temporary increase in blood pressure. Stress can also gradually lead to bad habits that jeopardize your cardiovascular health. Overeating, insufficient sleep and abuse of drugs and alcohol are some examples. For all of these reasons, stress reduction should be a top goal if you want to lower your blood pressure.

Reference Source – Harvard Health

What can you do to lower your blood pressure?

Blood pressure can be improved by something as simple as staying hydrated by drinking six to eight glasses of water daily. The human heart contains 73% water1. Thus, no other fluid is more effective in regulating blood pressure. If your blood pressure is high and you want to feel an immediate difference, lie down and take a deep breath. By doing this, you can lower your blood pressure in minutes, which also calms your heart rate, according to Health Match. Chemicals that constrict your blood vessels are released when you experience stress. Intermittent fasting may lower oxidative stress, blood pressure and the risk of developing atherosclerosis in humans (5, 10-12). Blood pressure and heart rate are significantly reduced by fasting every other day for a month in healthy, non-obese adults, indicating that chronic fasting may enhance parasympathetic activity.

Image source – Youtube

What Are the Symptoms of Blood Pressure?

Below are some of the symptoms of blood pressure:

• Blurred or double vision

• Dizziness/fainting

• Fatigue

• Headache

• Palpitations

• Nosebleeds

• shortness of breath

• Nausea and vomiting

Reference source- RWJBH

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