| Guidelines to Understand High Blood Pressure and Manage it Efficiently
An abnormal increase in the blood pressure of the arteries is known medically as hypertension. A permanent resting blood pressure that is greater than 140/85 mmHg is considered high. It can be symptom less or you may experience one or more of the following.
Symptoms:-
- Tiredness
- Breathlessness following any activity which requires effort to be done, e.g. like climbing stairs
- Buzzing in the ears
- Occasional dizzy spells
Causes:-
- Hereditary or metabolism
- Associated with atherosclerosis which is a condition where the walls of the arteries are thickened, calcified or getting blocked
- Linked to obesity
- High alcohol intake and smoking
- Triggered by prolonged mental and emotion stress or some shock or trauma
Changes to be made:-
The first and most important step is to bring your body weight to the ideal weight for your height. If you are 20-30kgs over weight and you feel that this is such an enormous task, try to at least drop 10kgs to start with. Even 3-5 kgs weight loss has been seen to immediately lower the blood pressure. 2. The next most important step is having a regular cardio vascular exercise routine, like a 25-30 minutes’ walk, all 7 days. This exercise will help you to improve your blood circulation, help you to relax and relieve stress and also help you to burn calories and reduce your weight. 3. The third step is to reduce salt intake. Besides saying no to adding any salt to your food at the table it is important to avoid certain foods which are prepared with a high amount of salt.
a. Pickles and Papads
b. All fried snacks and nuts
c. Smoked meats like ham, sausages, salami, etc.
Besides the above make sure your diet contains plenty of fresh fruits and salads. Avoid alcohol and give up smoking completely. Ensure that you spend time daily in relaxing hobbies and activities that give you pleasure and also make time for spiritual devotion.
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