Controlling Blood pressure

Blood pressure is the force exerted by our blood against the walls of our arteries. Arteries are vessels that convey blood from your heart to various regions of your body. Throughout the day, your blood pressure naturally rises and falls.

When is blood pressure considered to be high?

Blood pressure is always taken on a variety of different days and at rest. If several of these values are abnormally high, you are considered to have high blood pressure, even if just one of the two – the systolic or diastolic – is abnormally high. Adults are deemed to have normal blood pressure when their systolic pressure is less than 140 mmHg and their diastolic pressure is less than 90 mmHg.

When taking your blood pressure for the first time, it’s a good idea to take it in both arms because it can be high on only one side. The higher numbers are always used for determining blood pressure. Following that, just measure the blood pressure in the arm that produced the higher value. A person has high blood pressure if their systolic value is greater than 140 mmHg, their diastolic value is greater than 90 mmHg, or both are greater than these readings.

High blood pressure is unnoticed most of the time. Only when it is extremely high can it cause symptoms such as dizziness or difficulty seeing. High blood pressure increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, and heart and kidney failure in the long run. So, if you or your doctor suspect you have high blood pressure, it’s critical to have your blood pressure checked on a regular basis.

Ways to control blood pressure

Drop a few pounds and keep an eye on your waistline.

As a person’s weight increases, so does his/her blood pressure. Being overweight can also result in interrupted breathing while sleeping (sleep apnea), which elevates your blood pressure even further.

Weight loss is one of the most crucial and beneficial lifestyle adjustments for blood pressure regulation. If one is overweight or obese, losing even a tiny amount of weight can help lower ones blood pressure. In general, losing one kilogramme (2.2 pounds) of weight will lower your blood pressure by roughly one millimetre of mercury (mm Hg).

Avoid Tobacco products

Tobacco products should be avoided. Throughout the day, smoking can cause your blood pressure to rise almost indefinitely. Aside from all of the other horrifying side effects of smoking, it can raise your blood pressure by 10 mm Hg for up to an hour after you’ve smoked. Even though it is simply a short effect, if you do it on a regular basis, your blood pressure will not notice the difference.

Second-hand cigarette smoke isn’t any better. Avoid it if possible. There are also detrimental implications to simply being in the vicinity of it.

Intake healthy diet

It is difficult to follow a healthy diet, but with these recommendations, you can start eating healthier. Keep a food journal. Even jotting down what you eat for a week can incur unexpected information about your genuine eating habits. Keep track of everything you eat, how much you eat, when you eat it, and why.

Increase your potassium, magnesium, and calcium intake.

Multiple studies have connected these three nutrients to reduced blood pressure levels. [3] While calcium and magnesium are not specifically connected to decreasing high blood pressure (as potassium is), they are linked to sustaining low blood pressure in general.

Potassium (the most effective of the three) can be found in bananas, vegetables, dairy, and seafood. Calcium may be found in dairy products (low-fat varieties are best), and magnesium can be found in whole grains, green leafy vegetables, almonds, and dried peas and beans. Before attempting to add nutrients to your diet, consult with a dietician or your healthcare professional. 

Reduce your sodium consumption

 Limit your sodium intake to no more than 2,300 milligrammes (mg) each day. [2] If you don’t think you eat a lot of salt, it could be because you don’t know what’s in your meal. Avoiding manufactured meals is an easy approach to reduce salt intake; when you create your own food, you know exactly what goes into it. Begin cooking! Don’t season your food with salt! If this is an issue for you, begin gradually reducing your intake. Your palette will adjust, believe it or not. Because salt is a common hidden food, you may not notice you’re eating it until you start looking for it.

Conclusion

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a significant disease that affects one-third of all individuals in the World. It typically has no symptoms but requires rapid attention, especially if you are overweight, sedentary, eating incorrectly, or it simply runs in your family. Try out the suggestions below to see which ones work best for you and your lifestyle. Over 1 billion people worldwide have high blood pressure, which is defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 130 mm Hg or above, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of greater than 80 mm Hg, or both.