How to reduce Blood Pressure?
What is Blood Pressure?
Heart plays an important role in circulating blood to each and every part of the body. Blood pressure is the measurement of pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of the blood vessels. Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood into the arteries to be carried further. This is when the pressure is known to be the highest. On the other hand, when the heart is at rest, between the beats, the pressure automatically falls. Blood pressure varies according to the activities a person undertakes such as its high when he/she is exercising, running or frightened. While the pressure is normal or low when a person is sleeping, inactive, etc. Having said that, the major question is to look for solutions on how to reduce blood pressure?
Blood pressure is measured by Sphygmomanometer in terms of millimetres in mercury i.e. “mmHg”. It has two major units – systolic (120) and diastolic (80). A normal blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg. American Heart Association defines ‘Systolic’ and ‘Diastolic’ as below:
Systolic – It is the higher value among the readings. It measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart muscles contracts.
Diastolic – It is the lower number among the readings. It measures the pressure in the arteries and heartbeats when the heart muscles rests during heart beat and riffling with blood.
Blood Pressure Problems
Blood pressure is generally classified into three categories:
- High Blood Pressure (or Hypertension)
- Low Blood Pressure (or Hypotension)
- Fluctuating Blood Pressure
Causes of Blood Pressure
The causes of low blood pressure are:
- Dehydration
- Anaemia
- Hormonal issue
- Depression
- Genetic Connection
- Pregnancy
- Liver diseases
- Low/high body temperature
- Loss of blood during injury
The causes of high blood pressure are:
- Obesity
- No physical activity
- High salt intake
- High fat diet
- Stress
- Pregnancy
- Chronic Kidney disease
Symptoms of Blood Pressure
Some common symptoms of high blood pressure are:
- Eye problems like blood spots & vision problem
- Irregular heartbeat
- Headache which may turn severe in case of Hypertensive crises
- Breathing problem
- Nose bleeding
- Dizziness
- Severe anxiety in case of Hypertensive crises
Apart from these you may notice below in case of low blood pressure:
- Depression
- Thirst
- Pale Skin
- Fainting
- Weakness
- Blurred vision
- Nausea
How to reduce Blood Pressure?
The problem of high blood pressure is more common as compared to low blood pressure. Follow the below mentioned tips to overcome the problem of high blood pressure:
- Lose Weight
Increase in the level of blood pressure is directed related to one’s increasing weight. Being overweight can not only make a person lethargic and feel tired easily, it also aids in rise in the blood pressure. It is therefore, essential to shed extra kilos in order to control and reduce blood pressure level. In addition to this, carrying too much weight around the waist line can also put a person to the risk of developing hypertension.
- Regular Exercise
Regular physical activity and exercising widely helps in lowering the blood pressure level of a person. It is recommended that individuals must exercise for at least half an hour a day. Exercises that lower blood pressure include swimming, jogging, dancing, cycling and walking. Irregular exercise can lead to rise in blood pressure during inactive days.
- Keep a check on diet
If you have been diagnosed with the problem of blood pressure, keeping a check on your diet will help you in controlling your blood pressure level in the most effective manner. Add more of whole grains, fruits and vegetables to the diet. Also, cut down on your fatty food intake as well as go for low fat dairy products.
- Meditation
Stress is one of the major causes of irregular blood pressure levels amid 90% of the people. Hence, it goes without saying that reducing stress will effectively help in controlling the blood pressure problem. Apart from meditation, you can read more about controlling stress here
- Take BMI Measurement
BMI is a measurement that indicates whether or not a person’s height is in proportion with his/her weight. Knowing one’s BMI can help in predicating his/her weight, which in turn is an indicator of how much weight the person must maintain in order to reduce blood pressure level.
- Reduce the Intake of Sodium
Yet another solution to how to reduce blood pressure is to limit the intake of sodium. Salt and hypertension do not work together. Many pieces of research have proven that reducing the intake of salt or sodium can prominently lower one’s blood pressure.
- Limit Alcohol
Though it has been proved that many alcoholic drinks are good for one’s health, exceeding the prescribed limited can evidently pose many health risks. One such is increased blood pressure level. It can also disrupt the effectiveness of blood pressure medications. Hence, it is advised that one must consume alcohol in moderate quantities only.
- Smoking
Smoking is another factor that contributes to increase in the blood pressure level of a person. Quitting smoking can aid in normalizing the blood pressure and even preventing one from damaging his/her lungs.
To conclude, the above mentioned solutions on how to reduce blood pressure are highly effective and must be implemented in one’s lifestyle. For everything else, you can consult your doctor and get tested to know the potential risks and underlying problems associated.
