High blood pressure is a common problem among most of the adults. High blood pressure or hypertension is considered as a silent killer across the world. Normally, people don’t notice it in the initial years or even for several decades. However, the damage to your cardiovascular system keeps on mounting during this span of time. Untreated or unnoticed high blood pressure can lead to severe consequences like a stroke or haemorrhage and further death. Therefore, it is important to check the problem of high blood pressure as soon as possible.
Causes of High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure can be explained as the amount of force exerted against the walls of your arteries with blood flowing through them. Having high blood pressure indicates that the walls of your arteries receive excessive pressure at repeated intervals.
The main causes leading to high blood pressure are:
- Family History
You are more likely to be at risk of high blood pressure if any of your close family members suffers from the hypertension or high blood pressure. - Age
Age is an important factor that can be a cause for high blood pressure. - Obesity
The extra body weight, known as obesity, is also a major cause for high blood pressure. Extra weight always indicates a higher amount of body fat. Obese and overweight people are more likely to be at risk of high blood pressure than those with normal body weight.
Symptoms of High Blood Pressure
Generally, high blood pressure doesn’t show any visible symptoms until it reaches the level 180/110 mmHg. However, some common symptoms to detect high blood pressure and avoid serious consequences are:
- Dyspnea – shortness of breath, breathlessness
- Dizziness – vertigo, unsteadiness, and lightheadedness
- Vomiting
- Nausea – a feeling of discomfort and uneasiness in the stomach with a vomiting sensation
- Palpitations – disagreeable sensations of forceful or irregular heart beat
- Blurred vision or double vision
- Headache – lasting normally for many days
- Epistaxis – nosebleeds
Diet to Lower your Blood Pressure
It is extremely important to bring your blood pressure to a normal level. However, it is not always necessary to do it through prescription medicines. If your blood pressure is not touching an extremely high level, you can always bring it down through some home remedies and certain specific foods that work wonders on high blood pressure or hypertension.
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Some Good Ones Include:
1. Garlic
Since ages, garlic has been considered to contain amazing medicinal and health purposes. Allicin, the key ingredient in garlic, is a sulphur compound when we crush, chop, or chew a garlic clove. Various studies have proved that garlic supplementation lowers the blood pressure significantly.
2. Beetroot
Nitrites and nitrates are known to be crucial for metabolic system. Although their influence is a little confusing, it is surely very clear that it works wonders to lower the blood pressure. Beetroot is simply great if you are suffering from high blood pressure and looking for ways to bring it down.
3. Turmeric
Turmeric is one of the most popular Indian spices. It has been used in Indian kitchens since ages. Besides, Indians have also been using it as a medicinal herb. But recently, science has also confirmed the medicinal properties of turmeric. The key active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin that contains powerful anti-inflammatory effects in the body. Besides, curcumin also provides health benefits for blood flow and blood pressure. It circulates nitric oxide thus regulating high blood pressure.
4. Kale
Akin to spinach, kale is also packed with essential vitamins and minerals along with important anti-oxidants and other compounds that prevent high blood pressure. Well, the key reason that makes Kale effective in lowering the blood pressure is its unique nutrient profile that contains rich content of potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C. All these nutrients are quite helpful to lower the blood pressure.
5. Green Tea
Green tea is packed with a variety of anti-oxidants and powerful compounds that help to improve blood flow and thus blood pressure. Green tea relaxes the blood vessels thus increasing blood flow and reducing blood pressure.
6. Almonds and Cashews
Tree nuts, like almonds and cashews, are known to be associated with numerous metabolic health benefits. Unlike peanuts, obtained from the ground, are outstanding when it comes to metabolic problems, like high blood pressure. The high content of magnesium is what works to bring the blood pressure down to a normal level.
7. Stevia
Every rising day, sugar is being recognized as harmful. With this, sweetener alternatives are gaining more popularity. And, stevia is one of the most popular choices. Stevia is one of the few natural sweeteners. It doesn’t increase the blood sugar level. Besides, the active ingredients in stevia – rebaudioside, and stevioside – make it the best choice of food to reduce blood pressure.
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Precautionary Tips
Besides a healthy diet and prescription medicines, if any, it is also important to follow some precautionary tips to maintain a healthy level of blood pressure. Some good ones are:
1. Weight Management
Obesity or overweight is the root cause for many health issues, hypertension or high blood pressure being just one of them. Therefore, it is important to maintain a healthy weight to avoid long term health issues associated with high blood pressure.
2. Exercise
Regular exercise and a healthy workout regimen helps to improve BMI and lower the blood pressure. Therefore, try to incorporate cardiovascular exercise into your routine for better circulation and improved heart and lung capacity.
3. Lower Sodium Intake
Although salt and high blood pressure don’t mix with each other, cutting down a little bit of salt from your diet can help to reduce blood pressure significantly.
4. Stay Away From Stress
Stress can be a major cause for high blood pressure. If you are suffering from high blood pressure and want to bring it down to normal, it is important to keep stress at bay. You can do this by following certain relaxation techniques, like meditation and yoga.
[ Read: How Music Reduces Stress ]
If any of these dietary changes and preventive measures do not bring down your blood pressure, it is better to consult a doctor and get proper medication prescribed in order to avoid serious long term consequences.