High blood pressure is a major health problem that affects many people – a lot of whom don’t even realize that they have it. Often, people are told that changes in their diet and exercise habits are enough to control blood pressure, without the use of medication.This is important for persons with mild to moderate blood pressure.
Cutting back on sodium will greatly help you control your hypertension. Those affected with high blood pressure often claim that reducing their sodium intake reduces their blood pressure as well.It’s important to avoid high sodium foods and that will take some nutritional education on your part.
Eating more vegetables and fruits and some grains will increase your daily consumprtion of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Studies suggest that people with a diet high in these foods and low in fats can reduce blood pressure in a small, but significant way.
Adding exercise to dietary changes will accellerate your blood pressure reduction.Exercise not only helps lower hypertension, but even people without hypertension have longer life expectancies if they exercise regularly. An added bonus is that studies suggest that exercise not only reduces the risk for cardiovascular and other diseases, but can help prevent obesity, which is another high blood pressure risk factor.
Exercise is said to be the foundation for successful behavioral change programs. Exercise has been shown to make people feel positive about themselves and helps to reduce stress, a factor that not only raises blood pressure, but makes you feel less inclined to stick to the positive plans you’ve set in motion.
Eating well and exercising are the cornerstone to reducing your blood pressure levels. However, they are not the only factors to a successful blood pressure reduction.Reducing your alcohol and caffeine intake will also reduce your blood pressure. You should strive to drink these things only in moderation, or not at all.Quitting smoking also makes a big differenc,too. These are not things to be taken lightly. You may find that you cannot simply give these things up.It may take many months to modify your behavior successfully.
Stress reduction will also help reduce hypertension. This is a lifelong task, but can prove to be one of the most important things you can do for your health. If you find that you have stress that seems out of control, taking a stress management workshop may be in your future.
Diet and exercise will reduce the need for your blood pressure medication, but you should let your physician make those decisions.
You need to monitor your blood pressure at least daily to see how these measures are affecting your hypertension.Fortunately, it is rather easy in this day and age to monitor your blood pressure on a daily basis . You can find a reliable,accurate home blood pressure monitor just about anywhere these days at a good price. There are digital models that are now accurate and easy to use. I say “now” because earlier models were inaccurate. But now they are okay.
Controlling your blood pressure takes commitment and effort. It’s especially difficult because you don’t feel sick or are in pain. High blood pressure wears your body down more quickly than would be the case if you didn’t have it. That’s why they refer to it as the “Silent Killer.“
