And 10 more that will help you forget about high blood pressure forever.
High blood pressure kills. And this is not a metaphor. In the United States alone, this cardiovascular problem kills more than half a million people each year.
What is high blood pressure and why is it dangerous?
High blood pressure is called the silent killer, and for good reason. Hypertension (hypertension) often has no pronounced symptoms, but dramatically increases the risk of developing dangerous cardiovascular disorders and stroke.
Blood pressure is measured in two numbers.
The first, systolic pressure, tells you how much (in millimeters of mercury) blood presses against the walls of blood vessels during ejection into the aorta due to contraction of the heart muscle. The latter is called systole.
The second, diastolic, captures the blood pressure at a time when the heart is resting between beats. The relaxation of the heart muscle is called diastole.
In general, blood vessels are elastic. But if the blood pressure gets too high, they can fail. A vessel rupture in any of the important organs leads to serious consequences – up to and including death.
What kind of pressure is considered too much? In 2017, the American Heart Association recommended that blood pressure of 130/80 mm Hg be considered high. In Russia and Europe, the bar is higher – 140/90.
If you register your blood pressure at this level or higher, you are at risk. Immediate action should be taken.
How to reduce pressure fast at home.
Let’s say at once: with complaints of hypertension you must necessarily go to a therapist. Depending on the level of pressure, your lifestyle and other factors, the doctor will choose for you an individual plan of prevention and treatment and is likely to prescribe drugs that will help to bring the figures to normal levels.
But if for some reason you haven’t gotten to a therapist yet, here are a few ways to help lower your blood pressure. Choose the one you feel most comfortable with, or combine several to maximize the effect.
- Take a few deep breaths
Research shows that proper deep breathing is one of the most effective ways to quickly lower vascular pressure. This is because blood flow to all tissues in your body, including your extremities, increases.
Relax and close your eyes. This will help reduce stress, one of the main triggers of hypertension.
Take a deep breath, counting to 5. Inhale not with your chest, but with your belly. To control it, put your hand on it: you should feel it rise.
Then exhale again for 5 counts.
Repeat for 3-5 minutes.
It is possible to try holding the breath after the exhalation for 8-10 seconds – choose the variant of the exercise, which seems more comfortable to you.
- Run a hot bath
Pour about 45 degrees Celsius into a basin and immerse your hands or feet for about 10 minutes. The hot water will make the blood vessels in your extremities dilate, bring blood to them, and lower the high blood pressure somewhat. - Drink warm mint tea.
If you have no allergies, boil a pinch of peppermint leaves for 10 minutes, let cool, and drink the tea in slow sips. In this form, peppermint can lower blood pressure.
But remember: peppermint increases the effect of high blood pressure medications. So be careful.
- Take Valerian in tablets.
Valerian is a powerful sedative that helps the body cope with stress. Thanks to it, your heart will begin to beat more calmly, and your blood pressure will go down. Important: when taking it, do not exceed the dose indicated in the instructions!
How to reduce the pressure for a long time without medication
Once again, let us remind you: the above ways to reduce pressure at home are emergency measures. To fight the “silent killer” is necessary only with the help of a doctor, scrupulously following his recommendations.
But there is good news. Lifestyle has a great influence on the level of blood pressure. It’s enough to change it in a healthy way, and hypertension or retreat altogether, or your need for medication will be significantly reduced.
Experts from the respected research organization Mayo Clinic have compiled a list of 10 necessary lifestyle changes:
Get rid of excess weight. Every pound you lose will lower your blood pressure by about 1 point.
Exercise regularly. Your choices are aerobic exercise: long walks, jogging, cycling, swimming, dancing. Devote at least 30 minutes a day to these activities. In this case, you will be able to lower your blood pressure by another 5-8 points.
Eat healthy foods. More fruits, vegetables, grains (porridges), less fat, uncooked foods, baked goods. Revising your diet will help you “subtract” up to 11 points from your BP.
Reduce the amount of salt in your diet. At least by a little bit. This will help lower your blood pressure by 5-6 points. Remember: the WHO and other reputable sources recommend consuming no more than 5 grams of salt per day, which is less than a teaspoon!
Don’t drink, or at least limit the amount of alcohol. Including beer. The latter leads to fluid retention and high blood pressure. In addition, the substances in beer increase the amount of fatty tissue in the abdominal area, and this is also bad for blood pressure. In general, there is no safe dose of alcohol. But if you can not give it up completely, at least do not exceed the limit. For women, it’s 330 ml of beer, or 150 ml of wine, or 50 ml of 40-degree drink a day. For men – twice as much.
Quit smoking. Each cigarette increases your blood pressure by 25%.
Drink less coffee. However, this is a bit controversial, because scientists are still debating the effect of coffee on blood pressure. The fact is that for some people, caffeine causes an increase in blood pressure, while others do not have such an effect. If you belong to the first category (check: measure your blood pressure before the coffee-break and 30 minutes after it and compare rates), it is better to give up the drink.
Try to reduce stress. Chronic stress is one of the main triggers of high blood pressure.
Monitor your blood pressure at home and consult your doctor regularly. Home monitoring will help you better understand which lifestyle changes work and which ones are ineffective.
Seek support from family and friends. Let them know about your problem and ask for help. Caring from loved ones will make your struggle easier and less stressful.
