'Hypertension', is a very common problem for Americans.
From 1995 to 2005 deaths from this malady rose 56.
4 percent.
Nearly one in three U.
S.
adults has high blood pressure.
Because having it greatly increases your chances of heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes, it's important to take what steps you can to lower it.
How can you improve your blood pressure scores? Here are 6 simple things you can do to help control it.
1.
Exercise - Doctors and health professionals agree that exercising and keeping an active life style is a great place to start to lower your blood pressure.
Even if you only walk for 30 minutes a day, you will reduce it.
Probably the greatest single reason why Americans suffer from hypertension more than most other countries is that we passively sit watching the TV instead of getting out and using our bodies.
2.
Maintain your weight - Maintaining a healthy weight is a great way to reduce your hypertension.
According to an article on the American Heart Association's website "Hypertension is more common among the obese than among the nonobese and, conversely, a significant proportion of hypertensive persons in the population are overweight.
Obese hypertensive subjects experience a greater risk of coronary heart disease than the nonobese, and mortality rates for obese hypertensive persons are higher than for those with obesity alone or hypertension alone.
Weight reduction has been shown to lower blood pressure, and it may bring about a more favorable prognosis in obese hypertensive persons.
" This issue goes hand in hand with exercise.
By increasing your activity level you'll also be helping yourself get to and maintain a healthy body weight.
Now for the mandatory disclaimer: Always check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program and be careful what steps you take to lose weight! Excessive exercise can put your heart at risk.
Using diet pills often raise your BP levels significantly.
If you already have heart disease or dangerously high BP, make sure you exercise lightly and avoid diet pills.
Lowering your blood pressure is important, but it's not worth having a heart attack over! 3.
Watch the salt - Another key change you should make right off the bat to help reduce your hypertension is reducing the amount of salt in your diet.
The sodium from salt is a well known link to increased blood pressure.
Most of us get plenty of salt in our everyday diet so products high in sodium should generally be avoided.
4.
Keep alcohol to a minimum - Though small amounts of alcohol may help raise your good cholesterol levels (effectively lowering your bad cholesterol), it's a sort of double edged sword because it comes at the risk of higher blood pressure.
Even moderate amounts of alcohol consumption can elevate your hypertension throughout the day.
Keep yourself to one glass of wine or cocktail a day.
5.
Quit smoking - If you smoke and have hypertension you have a death wish.
Quitting smoking completely will do wonders to lower your blood pressure.
Smoking can wreak havoc to all parts of your health, especially your blood pressure, causing it to spike erratically.
6.
Check in with your doctor regularly - Last but not least is see your doctor on a regular basis.
According to the American Heart Association, one in five Americans (and one in three adults) has hypertension.
Of those, 31.
6 percent don't even know they have it.
So the absolute most important step you should take to lower it is see a doctor.
Your doctor will probably tell you to do everything discussed here, but will also help you to determine if you need to be on a medication designed to lower blood pressure.
There are a number of such medications available today, and if your hypertension is excessive your doctor will probably start you off on one, at least until you can get it under control naturally.
From 1995 to 2005 deaths from this malady rose 56.
4 percent.
Nearly one in three U.
S.
adults has high blood pressure.
Because having it greatly increases your chances of heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes, it's important to take what steps you can to lower it.
How can you improve your blood pressure scores? Here are 6 simple things you can do to help control it.
1.
Exercise - Doctors and health professionals agree that exercising and keeping an active life style is a great place to start to lower your blood pressure.
Even if you only walk for 30 minutes a day, you will reduce it.
Probably the greatest single reason why Americans suffer from hypertension more than most other countries is that we passively sit watching the TV instead of getting out and using our bodies.
2.
Maintain your weight - Maintaining a healthy weight is a great way to reduce your hypertension.
According to an article on the American Heart Association's website "Hypertension is more common among the obese than among the nonobese and, conversely, a significant proportion of hypertensive persons in the population are overweight.
Obese hypertensive subjects experience a greater risk of coronary heart disease than the nonobese, and mortality rates for obese hypertensive persons are higher than for those with obesity alone or hypertension alone.
Weight reduction has been shown to lower blood pressure, and it may bring about a more favorable prognosis in obese hypertensive persons.
" This issue goes hand in hand with exercise.
By increasing your activity level you'll also be helping yourself get to and maintain a healthy body weight.
Now for the mandatory disclaimer: Always check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program and be careful what steps you take to lose weight! Excessive exercise can put your heart at risk.
Using diet pills often raise your BP levels significantly.
If you already have heart disease or dangerously high BP, make sure you exercise lightly and avoid diet pills.
Lowering your blood pressure is important, but it's not worth having a heart attack over! 3.
Watch the salt - Another key change you should make right off the bat to help reduce your hypertension is reducing the amount of salt in your diet.
The sodium from salt is a well known link to increased blood pressure.
Most of us get plenty of salt in our everyday diet so products high in sodium should generally be avoided.
4.
Keep alcohol to a minimum - Though small amounts of alcohol may help raise your good cholesterol levels (effectively lowering your bad cholesterol), it's a sort of double edged sword because it comes at the risk of higher blood pressure.
Even moderate amounts of alcohol consumption can elevate your hypertension throughout the day.
Keep yourself to one glass of wine or cocktail a day.
5.
Quit smoking - If you smoke and have hypertension you have a death wish.
Quitting smoking completely will do wonders to lower your blood pressure.
Smoking can wreak havoc to all parts of your health, especially your blood pressure, causing it to spike erratically.
6.
Check in with your doctor regularly - Last but not least is see your doctor on a regular basis.
According to the American Heart Association, one in five Americans (and one in three adults) has hypertension.
Of those, 31.
6 percent don't even know they have it.
So the absolute most important step you should take to lower it is see a doctor.
Your doctor will probably tell you to do everything discussed here, but will also help you to determine if you need to be on a medication designed to lower blood pressure.
There are a number of such medications available today, and if your hypertension is excessive your doctor will probably start you off on one, at least until you can get it under control naturally.
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