How often do you check your blood pressure? Always, sometimes, or never? In our society today, people care less about their heart health and this negligence has led to the death of many.
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is the increased force of blood against the arterial walls. The consistent increase in the force of blood can eventually cause harm to the heart. An individual is said to have hypertension if his or her blood pressure is above the normal range of less than 120/80 mmHg, where 120 is the systolic blood pressure and 80 is the diastolic blood pressure.
Hypertension is most times called the silent killer because most hypertensive patients usually have no signs or symptoms, even when their blood pressure readings reach dangerously high levels.
Although, few people with high blood pressure may have headaches, shortness of breath or nosebleeds, these symptoms aren't specific and usually don't occur until the blood pressure has reached a severe or life-threatening stage.
The different stages of hypertension include:
· Normal: Less than 120 over 80 (<120/80) mmHg
· Elevated: 120-129/< 80 mmHg
· Stage 1 high blood pressure: 130-139/80-89 mmHg
· Stage 2 high blood pressure: 140 and above/90 and above mmHg
It is therefore necessary to visit the doctor once you notice your blood pressure is higher than the normal range.
Nevertheless, we can avert this silent killer by having our blood pressure checked regularly and reducing some of the risk factors that leads to it. Here are some proven tips:
1. Reducing the amount of salt (sodium) intake: Although, the contents of salt are essential for many body functions, eating too much of it can disturb the regulation of sodium and water levels in our blood, thereby increasing the pressure of the blood on the wall of the vessels. Therefore, moderate reductions in salt intake (i.e. a decrease of ½ to 1 teaspoon a day) can lead to a reduction in blood pressure.
2. Increasing the amount of potassium intake: Potassium is essential for many body functions, but low amounts of it in diet can lead to high blood pressure. By consuming enough potassium, you can help counterbalance the negative effects of sodium and keep your blood pressure in a healthy range. Potassium can be found in many fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, potatoes, spinach and lentils.
3. Always be Hydrated: Dehydration can lead to an increase in blood pressure due to the action of a hormone called vasopressin. To improve your heart health, it's important to drink an adequate amount of water daily to keep your body hydrated and functioning properly.
4. Maintain a healthy body weight: Maintaining a healthy body weight is necessary because if the body weight increases, the demand on the heart increases which leads to an increase in blood pressure. Therefore, we must burn more calories than we consume.
5. Be physically active: Regular physical activities can increase our heart’s strength, which in turn reduces the effort needed to pump blood around the body. This decreases the force of blood on our arteries, reducing blood pressure.
6. Limit alcohol intake and quit smoking: High intake of alcohol as well as smoking can increase the risk of high blood pressure. Therefore, it is necessary to limit the intake of alcohol and quit smoking.
However, it is important to note that these measures vary for different individuals as it depends on an individual’s initial blood pressure, their current level of salt intake, genetics, age, disease status and medication use. Nevertheless, these measures also serve to limit the dangers that comes with consistent increase in blood pressure.
References
1) 7 lifestyle tips to help reduce blood pressure. www.eufic.org
Last Updated : 05 August 2020
2) Does Drinking Water Lower Blood Pressure? By Yvelette Stines Published on January 13, 2022. Medically reviewed by Jason DelCollo, DO
3) High blood pressure. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/high-blood-pressure. Accessed Dec. 20, 2020.
4) Causes of High Blood Pressure. Medically Reviewed by James Beckerman, MD, FACC on August 06, 2021
Comments