Reducing Hypertension
Friday, June 12th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
High blood pressure is a major health problem that affects many people - a lot of whom don’t even realize that they have it. Often, people are told that changes in their diet and exercise habits are enough to control blood pressure, without the use of medication.Persons who have only mild or moderate hypertension will find this helpful.
Reducing your sodium intake is one of the most important factors in reducing your blood pressure level. Those affected with high blood pressure often claim that reducing their sodium intake reduces their blood pressure as well. It is important to learn which foods are high in sodium and limit your intake or avoid them all together.
Eating more fruits and vegetabls and even some grains increases your intake of important vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Studies suggest that people with a diet high in these foods and low in fats can reduce blood pressure in a small, but significant way.
Adding exercise to this change in diet can improve the blood pressure reduction. It helps to prevent and to control hypertension, and it is said that people who are active in exercise have lower death rates than their sedentary counterparts, even when they have the same blood pressure. An added bonus is that studies suggest that exercise not only reduces the risk for cardiovascular and other diseases, but can help prevent obesity, which is another high blood pressure risk factor.
Exercise is said to be the foundation for successful behavioral change programs.Exercise not only is good for your body and heart, but it also helps reduce stress, which is a major contributor to high blood pressure.
Eating well and exercising are the cornerstone to reducing your blood pressure levels. However, they are not the only factors to a successful blood pressure reduction.Reducing your alcohol and caffeine intake will also reduce your blood pressure.You should try to drink these in moderation, or not at all.Quitting smoking also makes a big differenc,too.You shouldn’t take these things lightly.Some things are more difficult than others to give up.Sometimes it may take many months or even a year to get rid of these behaviors.
Reducing stress is another highly important factor in reducing your blood pressure.This is a lifetime commitment, but you’ll be able to enjoy life ten to twenty years longer. If you find that you have stress that seems out of control, taking a stress management workshop may be in your future.
Since these dietary and exercises changes will help reduce the need for hypertension medication, you should consult with your doctor to give you the lower dosages that will now be required.
It is advisable to check your blood pressure often to see how your corrective and preventative measures are doing.Fortunately, it is rather easy in this day and age to monitor your blood pressure on a daily basis . You can find a reliable,accurate home blood pressure monitor just about anywhere these days at a good price. There are digital models that are now accurate and easy to use. When I used the word “now,” it’s in reference to the fact that the earlier models’ accuracy was suspect. {And now everything is OK}.
Controlling your blood pressure takes commitment and effort. It’s hard to do because you don’t have any symptoms. But hypertension gradually wears your body down at a faster rate than would be the case otherwise. That’s why they refer to it as the “Silent Killer.“
Technorati Tags: No Tags
Related Tags: No Tags
Possible Related Posts
