According to the guidelines given by the American Heart Association, if the blood pressure falls in one of the below categories then the condition is called Hypertension:
Thus, Hypertension is nothing but high blood pressure and is a serious condition because it makes the heart work harder to pump blood into the body and if not controlled, can result in an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failures.
Similarly, Hypotension is low blood pressure. In this condition, the blood pressure typically falls below a Systolic value of 90 and a Diastolic value of 60.
Within prescribed limits, a low blood pressure reading is generally good. However, sometimes this condition can result in dizziness and tiredness. But if there are no adverse symptoms as such then there is nothing to worry about.
While the exact causes of high blood pressure are still unknown, medical practitioners attribute this condition to certain factors namely:
The dropping of blood pressure is a normal scenario. However, certain conditions cause low blood pressure for an extended period such as:
While high blood pressure doesn’t show any severe symptom (which is why it is also called a ‘silent killer’) as such, it is sometimes observed that some people suffering from high blood pressure do show signs of sweating, sleeping problems, and anxiety. However, if the Hypertensive crisis condition is reached, the patient may suffer from nose bleeding and headaches.
Some noticeable symptoms that should raise alarm bells include:
Also Read: Can Dehydration Cause High Blood Pressure? A Research-Backed Examination
While many doctors prescribe medication to deal with high blood pressure, generally, it is best treated by bringing about a change in lifestyle and improving dietary choices.
Some lifestyle adjustments include:
Doctors generally also recommend a ‘DASH – Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet for high blood pressure patients who adhere to the above lifestyle adjustments.
Also read: Home Remedies for High Blood Pressure
Simple, good to implement practices that prevent low blood pressure which includes :
High blood pressure can rightfully be described as a ‘silent killer’. This is because there are rarely any high blood pressure symptoms but it poses a major threat of heart-related ailments like stroke. Some of the ways in which you can lower your high blood pressure without medications are as follows:
Also Read: Signs to Stop Water Fasting: Boundary Between Health and Harm
Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.
Links and product recommendations in the information provided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation on the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.
Ref
https://www.who.int/health-topics/hypertension#tab=tab_1
https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/about.htm
https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/the-facts-about-high-blood-pressure/low-blood-pressure-when-blood-pressure-is-too-low
No diet discussion for High Blood pressure is complete without talking about the DASH diet.
DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.
This diet is relatively simple and involves:
Reducing the consumption of food items that are high in cholesterol, trans fats, and saturated fat.
Another favourite variation of the DASH diet is the DASH-Sodium diet. This diet refers to cutting the sodium intake per day (to about 2-3 teaspoons, 1500 milligrams). While this reduction doesn’t need to be immediate, you can gradually reduce the sodium intake till your body adjusts to this prescribed goal.
Consult a dietician or doctor before you put yourself on a DASH diet. That’s because he/she will accurately be able to tell you what should be your calorie intake per day to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Simultaneously, specific foods that you need to avoid include:
Many doctors also recommend a Mediterranean Diet to keep blood pressure and heart ailments at bay.
Some common traits of this diet include:
Many attribute the benefits of this diet as the sole reason for a low rate of heart diseases in the Mediterranean countries. However, the American Heart Association suggests that further studies and experiments need to be conducted to quantify the benefits of this diet.
Also Read: Can Dehydration Cause High Blood Pressure? A Research-Backed Examination
Many dieticians also suggest tracking how many calories you are eating and drinking per day. Write down whatever you consume each day, this also includes jotting down the portion sizes. It is said that this is one of the best ways to enlighten yourselves about much you are consuming. On the basis of this analysis, you can then work out a plan – on reducing the calorie count and the portion size and finally your blood pressure too!
Also Read: What is the BRAT Diet? Breaking Down its Pros and Cons
Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.
Links and product recommendations in the information provided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation on the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.
References
The best way to combat lifestyle diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity are almost always through lifestyle changes. Get more exercise and eat more foods that reduce the risk of heart disease and you will observe drastic improvements in your health.
The general rule in this regard is to avoid foods that are high in saturated and trans fats as well as foods that are high in sodium (salt). In many cases, there is an overlap of foods that are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Knowing what to eat and what to avoid can help you make healthy dietary choices.1
Here are some examples of foods that are bad for people with high blood pressure:
A few ways have been shown scientifically to reduce blood pressure. The first, and perhaps most important, is to stay physically active. Losing weight also can be important in a lot of different people. Limiting alcohol, reducing sodium intake, and increasing dietary potassium intake can all help.
Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD
You should look to limit your salt intake to less than 1 teaspoon a day if you have high blood pressure.2 In order to make this easy, try the following steps.
There is an overwhelming consensus that both alcohol and smoking are bad for you and your heart. Softer arteries are signs of a healthy heart. Normally, our arteries stiffen or grow less elastic as we grow older. Research indicates that regular smoking and alcohol consumption accelerates the rate at which our arteries stiffen. Alcohol accelerates arterial stiffness faster than smoking and as a combo, the effect is enhanced.3
Stiffer arteries increase the risks of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Reducing or quitting tobacco and alcohol can relieve some of the stiffness in your arteries, especially if you are starting to have complications due to it. Smoking also affects the lungs, which can cause the heart to work harder to oxygenate the blood for distribution.
How healthy your lungs are? Click here to find out
Also Read: Can Dehydration Cause High Blood Pressure? A Research-Backed Examination
Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional. Because of unique individual needs, the reader should consult their physician to determine the appropriateness of the information for the reader’s situation.
High blood pressure can be fatal and hence it is important to know how to keep it under control. Hypertension is a blood pressure reading above 140/90 mmHg. Such a high reading puts one at risk for a number of serious health conditions, including stroke and heart disease. Knowing the essential Steps to Control high blood pressure would help at great levels.
Maintaining hypertension requires a lot of healthy lifestyle changes which should be a part of your personal life goals. Continue to follow the points mentioned below and try to incorporate it into your daily habits.
The higher the sodium in the body the higher the blood pressure. Adopting a low-sodium diet can help keep the blood pressure normal. Limit to consuming a total of 1,500 milligrams of salt per day which means no processed foods.
DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Following a DASH diet means including a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, 4-5 servings of nuts, seeds, and legumes in the diet. Encourage a lot of protein in your diet and avoid fat, sugar. Also, include plenty of whole grains in the diet like brown bread, rice, pasta, etc
Also Read: Signs to Stop Water Fasting: Boundary Between Health and Harm
One of the best ways to control hypertension is by maintaining body weight and the most effective way to do that is by staying active. Exercise will help in improving blood circulation, lung capacity, and heart efficiency.
If your doctor asked you to take your bp medicines at a particular time, take it exactly on time. Never skip your dosage. You can use the PharmEasy app to help set dosage reminders.
Make sure to check your blood pressure regularly by getting a check-up done at the clinic or at home. Most of the people target to keep their blood pressure at 140/90mmHg but that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case for everyone. Consult with your doctor and find out the target bp you have to maintain and work towards it.
Apart from all these, try to keep your stress under control as well. There are a lot of Steps to Control High blood pressure and follow a calmer lifestyle. A morning ritual which starts with positive thoughts and chamomile tea can have a very calm impact throughout the day.
Also read: Treating Hypertension: 5 Effective Ways
Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.
Links and product recommendations in the information provided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation on the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.
Keep in mind that, most often, achieving your blood pressure goal will only be accomplished after a series of steps – one step at a time. After each step, you and your doctor will determine whether the goal — reaching your “target” blood pressure without significant side effects — has been achieved.
Typical Treatment Steps for Essential Hypertension
Treating Hypertension often depends on the “stage” of your hypertension, which is determined by your systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Lifestyle Changes
If your hypertension is relatively mild (Stage 1 hypertension), your doctor may begin by advising lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes that may help to reduce your blood pressure include:
If you are successful at adopting these lifestyle changes but your blood pressure still has not reached your goal (or if you are a more typical human, and your efforts at diet and exercise still fall somewhat short of what the experts recommend) your doctor will recommend drugs for treating hypertension
Drug Therapy
Five major classes of medications are used to treat hypertension:
Several specific drugs have been marketed for hypertension within each of these classes, and several prescription medications contain a combination of these drugs.Remember to consult your physician before self-medicating.
If you have Stage I hypertension, the odds are good that your blood pressure can be brought to target levels with a single drug. If you have Stage 2 hypertension, single drug therapy rarely is effective enough, and your doctor may want to begin right away with a combination of drugs.
If single drug therapy (or monotherapy) is chosen, it appears best to begin with either a thiazide diuretic, a long-acting calcium blocker, or an ACE inhibitor. Young patients often respond well to ACE inhibitors; black patients and elderly patients tend to do better with thiazide diuretics or calcium channel blockers.
If the first try at monotherapy is insufficiently effective or poorly tolerated, switching to another single drug, and then to a third if necessary, is generally recommended as the next step.
If three or more attempts at monotherapy have not worked well enough, the next step is to try combination therapy with two or more drugs. While numerous combinations are possible, recent evidence suggests that using a calcium blocker together with an ACE inhibitor or ARB may be the most effective and best-tolerated combination. Most doctors will now try this combination first, even if the monotherapy was with a thiazide diuretic.
With these step-wise manoeuvres, the large majority of patients with hypertension will reach their target blood pressure levels with minimal side effects. Keep in mind that finding successful therapy for hypertension often requires several weeks or months, and several drug trials. But it is important for you to stick with the program. Getting your blood pressure to target levels, and keeping it there, will give you a very large payout for your efforts — a greatly reduced risk of heart attack and stroke. PharmEasy lets you order prescribed medication and schedule diagnostic tests.
