Blood pressure can be managed with the help of prescription medications. Your healthcare provider will prescribe you some medications that will prevent your blood pressure from rising suddenly. Alongside this, it is necessary to implement some lifestyle changes which will lower your blood pressure naturally.
Medications in combination with healthy lifestyle habits will keep your blood pressure under control and reduce the risk of health conditions like heart disease, cardiovascular disorders, atherosclerosis, and stroke. Given below are some ways by which you will be able to manage your blood pressure.
Eat healthy diet
Diet plays a pivotal role in managing blood pressure and keeping it under control. You must choose your food wisely. Start by preparing your meal plan. Find out the foods that can boost your health by providing your body with essential nutrition. Include fiber-rich foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, cereals, grains, etc.
Do not consume fast food, fried foods, processed and junk foods, because such foods are loaded with high amounts of sodium and saturated or trans fat, which causes damage to vascular health and potentiates the risk of heart attack, heart disease, or stroke.
Consume foods that enhance the health of your vascular system. Foods that are rich in potassium are excellent, they include bananas, oranges, grapefruits, raisins, prunes, and dates. Potassium is an essential mineral that ensures the health of your blood vessels and makes it easier for the heart to pump blood with less effort.
Reduce sodium intake
Sodium is an essential mineral that is needed by the body in small amounts for carrying out multiple functions like maintaining a proper balance of minerals and water in the body and regulating the contraction and relaxation of muscles. However, if its levels in the body increase, it causes a rise in water levels, which spikes the blood volume.
When the blood volume rises, it affects the heart health, as the heart will have to push the blood throughout the body with too much force. The heart might get damaged as a result. So, limit your intake of salt, which has the highest quantity of sodium. Avoid salty foods.
Do physical activities regularly
Exercising has an incredible impact on your health. Not only does it help you in managing your blood pressure, but also it improves the strength of your heart. Your heart’s capability to pump blood throughout the body improves with the help of routine exercises. Aerobic exercise is necessary, as it nourishes your body with oxygen and helps you to stay fit and active. So, engaging in regular physical activity will help you in keeping your blood pressure in check.
Get adequate sleep
Giving your body sufficient time to relax is as necessary as regular physical activity. Sleep is a restorative activity that heels your organs and releases the muscle tension in your body. It causes deep relaxation. Individuals that struggle to sleep or skip sleeping at night time are highly likely to experience issues with their physical and mental health. Insomnia or lack of sleep contributes to hypertension, which is why staying awake at night is a bad idea.
Manage stress and anxiety
Stress is a part of life. Without it, the individual may not get out of their comfort zone and try something new. But excessive stress can increase the levels of hormones that can constrict the blood vessels. Vascular constriction narrows the blood vessels and increases the pressure with which the blood flows through the vascular system. Moreover, anxiety is the accumulation of stress which might lead to persistent stress and keep the blood pressure constantly high.
You must learn some powerful techniques to handle the stress. Some meditative exercises, such as deep and mindful breathing will improve your focus and enhance relaxation throughout the body. Deep relaxation causes the expansion of your blood vessels, which lowers your blood pressure.
Stay in a good shape
Being overweight and having excessive fat accumulation near the waistline increases the risk of health problems like hypertension and type 2 diabetes. This is why you must lose some extra weight that might put your health at risk. For that, you need to control your eating habits. Rather than eating just anything, you must include only nutritious foods that offer long-term health benefits.
Abstain from junk, processed, and fried meals. In addition to that, it is important to exercise regularly. Performing physical activity regularly will help you to burn extra calories and bring your body weight to a healthy range.
Stop smoking
Smoking is one of the biggest contributors to blood pressure problems. People who are chronic smokers may experience vascular disorders at some point in their life. Smoking deprives the blood vessels of essential chemicals known as nitric oxide, which ensures their health. Lack of nitric oxide leads to plaque accumulation in the blood vessels, which clogs them and hinders the flow of blood. It is indeed injurious to health.
Get regular checkup
Monitoring your blood pressure is an essential step for controlling it and preventing the risk of health problems associated with it. You must visit the doctor’s office for regular check-ups, which will eliminate the possibility of heart damage and stroke.