If you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you might be nervous about taking medication to lower your numbers. Lifestyle plays an integral part in treating your high BP, and if you succeed in controlling your BP with a wholesome lifestyle, you might bypass, delay, or decrease medication requirements. Elaborated below are some lifestyle modifications you can make for hypertension management (to lower your blood pressure and keep it controlled).
Lose Excess Pounds and Manage Your Waistline
Blood pressure usually rises as weight grows. Being overweight can induce disrupted breathing while you’re asleep (sleep apnea), increasing your BP. Weight loss is the most productive lifestyle change for managing blood pressure. Losing even a little weight if you’re fat or obese can help lower your blood pressure readings. Generally, you may drop your blood pressure by roughly 1 millimeter of mercury (mm Hg) per kilogram (about 2.2 pounds) of weight loss.
Barring shedding weight, you typically must also keep a watch on your waistline. Carrying excessively much weight near your waist can put you at a more significant danger of high blood pressure. Generally:
Men are at stake if their waist size is more than 40 inches (102 centimeters), while women with a waistline greater than 35 inches (89 centimeters) are at risk. These numbers differ among racial groups. Ask us at
Sheikh Medical Care PLLC, about a healthy waist measurement for you.
Workout Regularly
Regular physical activity – like two and a half hours a week or roughly 30 minutes on the weekdays – can reduce your blood pressure by approximately 5 to 8 mm Hg if you experience high blood pressure. It’s paramount to be uniform because your blood pressure can shoot up again if you stop exercising.
If you want to control elevated blood pressure or are looking for hypertension management, exercise can help you bypass developing hypertension. If you already have a history of hypertension, regular physical activities have the ability to bring your BP down to safer levels. You may get yourself involved in aerobic exercise, including walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, or dancing.
Eat a Nutritious Diet
Having a diet rich in whole grains, loaded with fruits, veggies, low-fat dairy products, and skimps on saturated fat & cholesterol can alleviate the BP by up to 11 mm Hg if you have a high blood pressure problem. This eating plan is termed the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.
It isn’t hands-down to transform you’re eating habits, but with these recommendations, you can embrace a nutritious diet:
Keep a Food Diary. Noting down consistently what you eat for just a week can shed unexpected light on your sound eating habits. Observe what you consume, its quantity, when, and why.
Ponder about boosting potassium. Potassium can ease the effects of sodium on BP. The most promising source of potassium is fruits and vegetables instead of supplements. Talk to us about the potassium level that’s most suitable for you.
Be a savvy buyer. Read food labels while shopping and stick to your healthy-eating program when dining out, also.
For Adequate Hypertension Management, Reduce Sodium in Your Diet
Even a slight drop in the sodium in your diet can outperform your heart health and lower BP by roughly 5 to 6 mm Hg if you’re a high blood pressure victim. The sodium intake effect on blood pressure varies among different age groups.
Typically, limiting sodium to 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day or less is recommended. However, an intake of 1,500 mg a day or less is ideal for adults. To reduce the amount of sodium in your diet, regard these tips:
Read food labels. If feasible, pick low-sodium alternatives to the foods & beverages you often purchase.
Consume fewer processed foods. Slight sodium amounts arise naturally in foods, and most sodium is added while processing.
Don’t add salt. A single level tablespoon of salt has 2,300 mg of sodium. Hence, try using herbs or spices to add taste to your food.
Ease into it. If you feel you can’t drastically lower the sodium intake suddenly, cut back gradually.
Limit the Amount of Alcohol
Alcohol is both good as well as bad for your health. By drinking alcohol in restraint – one drink a day for ladies or two for men a day – you have the ability to lower your BP by roughly 4 mm Hg potentially. One glass of drink equals 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor. But that effect is lost if you consume excessive alcohol.
Drinking more than moderate alcohol can shoot your BP up by several points, and it can also decrease the efficacy of blood pressure medications you’re taking for hypertension management.
Quit Smoking
Each time you smoke, it increases your BP for minutes after you finish. Quitting smoking benefits your blood pressure to return to normal, reduces your chance of heart disease, and enhances overall health. Individuals who discontinue smoking may live more than those who never give up smoking.
The Bottom Line!
We know you have a hard time dealing with hypertension and other chronic diseases. If your blood pressure isn’t controlled even after following this routine, you must connect with your nearest doctor. At Sheikh Medical Care PLLC, we are here to assist you in every possible manner. Hail us, and we’ll help you!
