High blood pressure (BP) or hypertension is often referred to as the ‘silent killer’ as it has no symptoms but poses a major risk for heart disease and stroke. It can also seriously damage organs like the brain, kidneys and eyes. High BP develops gradually due to many reasons like an unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle, health conditions like diabetes and obesity, or sometimes during pregnancy.
Measuring your blood pressure regularly can show if you have hypertension or not. However, medication and certain changes in lifestyle can help lower the risk of serious health problems.
Here are a few ways to keep blood pressure levels in limit:
Shed the kilos
Weight gain frequently causes an increase in blood pressure. In addition to raising blood pressure, being overweight can lead to sleep apnea, which disrupts breathing while you’re asleep. One of the best ways to lower blood pressure is weight loss, even a minor loss of weight can help, especially if you are obese or have diabetes.
Exercise
According to a 2019 article published in the American Heart Association (AHA) journals, indulging in moderate to vigorous exercise for 40 minutes thrice a week is important. As per the findings, encouraging resistance exercise can prove beneficial by improving physical health, and control in diabetic patients and possibly lowering BP.
Reduce sodium intake in your diet
Lowering the sodium (salt) intake in the diet can improve heart health and reduce high BP. To cut back on salt intake make sure to read the food labels. Look for foods and beverages with low sodium. Only a small amount of salt is naturally present in processed foods, as salt is added during processing. Avoid adding salt and instead enhance the flavour of your food with spices and herbs.
Limit alcohol and quit smoking
Limit your alcohol intake to lower your high blood pressure. Additionally, it may lessen the impact of blood pressure medicines. Quit smoking as it helps in lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Get proper sleep
Poor sleep quality can lead to high BP and lead to sleep apnea or insomnia as well. Go to bed early. Keep your room cool, quiet and dark to help you drift off to sleep easily. Avoid gadgets before sleeping. Make sure there’s a gap of at least 2 hours between your meal and sleep.
