Hypertension is a condition in which your blood pressure remains higher than normal. To get diagnosed with hypertension, your healthcare providers will check your blood pressure frequently. If you have more than three readings of blood pressure elevated, they will prescribe you medications.
Blood pressure is the force your blood exerts against the blood vessels. If it remains high for a long time, it can lead to various life-threatening complications.
Never take hypertension lightly. If you have it, take medicines on time as your healthcare provider prescribes.
Certain lifestyle modifications can help lower blood pressure and keep it under control. However, that does not mean that you can stop taking medications.
With hypertension, taking medications on time is essential. Make sure you take them on time, in the same dose as prescribed by your physician.
In this article, we will tell you the lifestyle modifications that can help lower blood pressure. If you are a known case of hypertension, you must attend follow-up visits with your healthcare provider. To get an expert opinion, you can consult with a Cardiologist in Lahore.
What Are The Lifestyle Modifications For Hypertensives?
Lifestyle modifications can make a difference in your blood pressure reading, keeping it low and controlled. Tips that can do that are:
Lose Extra Pounds Around Your Waist
Being overweight or obese can be a risk factor for hypertension. Therefore if you have extra weight according to your body mass index, you must lose it.
Being overweight can exacerbate obstructive sleep apnea, which can, in turn, raise blood pressure.
Losing weight can be one of the most effective tips to lower blood pressure. Along with that, keep an eye around your waist.
If you carry fat around your waist, it can be bad for your heart health. Therefore keep a check on your waistline. The general recommendations are:
- For men, the risk increases above 40 inches waist measurement.
- For women, the risk increases above 35 inches waist measurement.
Exercise Daily
A daily routine of physical activity can help lower blood pressure in the long run. However, do not work out acutely when your blood pressure is high.
Set a goal of around 150 minutes of workout per week, or 30 minutes five days a week. Try to be consistent. Leaving exercise can cause a rise in your blood pressure again. Therefore you need to make a routine for a daily workout and follow it.
Eat A Healthy Diet
Whatever you eat impacts your blood pressure. You need to eat clean and healthy food low in salt content and fats. Changing your diet is not an easy thing to do. But doing that can help lower blood pressure and keep it well under control.
To make a change in diet, you can exercise the following tips:
- Maintain a food diary- writing down what you eat can help transform your lifestyle into a healthier one. Monitor and write what you eat throughout the day, how much, and why.
- Eat potassium-boosting food- potassium and sodium work antagonistically. Sodium retains water and salt, hence raising blood pressure. Therefore potassium can help lower blood pressure. You can get ample potassium through bananas and dates. However, before consuming that, make sure you do not take blood pressure medications that interact with potassium.
- Avoid consuming preserved food that contains high amounts of sodium.
- Do not sprinkle raw salt over your food. Even while cooking food, add it in an optimal amount. It may take some time for your tongue to adjust to a low sodium diet, but it will do that eventually. Do not rush. Instead, do that slowly and gradually.
- Avoid consuming too much alcohol. If you do that, do it in moderation.
People having hypertension need to visit the healthcare provider frequently. To get an expert opinion, you can consult the Best Cardiologist in Islamabad.
