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How to Lower Your Blood Pressure Effectively

High blood pressure is a critical condition where the heart needs to work harder to pump blood throughout the body,and this can result in a heart attack or stroke. In India, high blood pressure is one of the major causes of premature deaths. The sad part is that very few people with hypertension have their blood pressure under control in this country. If you too have a problem of high blood pressure, try out these effective ways to keep your blood pressure controlled.

Be Active and Do Regular Exercise

A healthy weight prevents the occurrence of high blood pressure.Therefore, doing regular exercise and participating in more activities will help in reducing excess body weight.Also, getting fresh air and doing meditation and yoga,can help reduce stress, whichin turn,helps to reduce your blood pressure. According to experts, just 30 minutes of moderate daily activity is enough to keep your body healthy.

Reduce the Intake of Added Sugar and Refined Carbs

There is a direct connection between added sugar and high blood pressure. Having sugary drinks increases blood pressure even more than salt. Therefore, you must reduce the intake of sugar and refined carbs and have whole grains instead.

Get More Potassium

Potassium plays a key role in reducing high blood pressure.Increased potassium intake helps in excreting sodium out of the body, which lowers blood pressure. Foods that are high in potassium include bananas, raisins, apricots, avocados, tuna, oranges, potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, milk, and yogurt.

Reduce Sodium Intake

Reducing sodium intake can lower blood pressure by 2 to 8 points. Healthy people can limit sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams or less per day, and people with high blood pressure should limit it to 1,500 milligrams or less per day.

Drink Less Alcohol

Moderate intake of alcohol is essential for blood pressure control. If you don't want to quit alcohol completely, limit it to a low to moderate amount: one alcoholic drink a day for women and two alcoholic beverages for men. A standard drink is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.

Quit Smoking

People who smoke excessively are more likely to have high blood pressure problems. Smoking also increases the risk for many cardiovascular diseases and can also damage blood vessels, which is a more serious health condition.

Manage Stress

Stress usually increases the blood pressure temporarily, but if you have chronic stress, you are likely to have high blood pressure for extended periods. Hence, managing stress is very cruscial. You can try healthy ways to reduce stress, like listening to soothing music, taking deep breaths, and doing meditation or yoga.

Get Enough Sleep

Insufficient or poor-quality sleep can lead to hypertension. One needs to get 8-9 hours of undisturbed sleep to feel refreshed. In case you suffer from problems like restless leg syndrome or sleep apnoea, you can seek medical help to get treated. To sleep better, you can also avoid having heavy meals or any kind of caffeine right before bedtime.

Eat Garlic

Regular intake of garlic can do wonders in lowering blood pressure as it contains allicin that has the property to reduce blood pressure. Besides, garlic also improves cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of heart diseases by controlling cholesterol levels and arterial stiffness. Eating 1 to 4 fresh garlic cloves is enough to shield your body against high blood pressure and other heart-related ailments.

Conclusion

Lifestyle changes and diet modifications can help with blood pressure control. However, some people might require medication too.So, if diet and exercise do not prove to be helpful enough, consult your doctor about medications.

Sources: Webmd, Medical News Today, Healthline

Disclaimer: This blog provides general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, website or in any linked materials are not intended and should not be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Kindly contact your Doctor before starting a new medicine or health regime.

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Published on August 23, 2022