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Being In Control - Knowing How To Lower Blood Pressure

If you’re a patient diagnosed of having hypertension or having borderline high blood pressure, you might think that the only way to manage your condition is through medication. Well, you got that wrong. Medication shouldn’t stand alone in the process. That’s why it would be beneficial for you to have proper education on other ways on how to lower blood pressure.

The National High Blood Pressure Education Program has a goal of 140/90 mm Hg or lower for patients with hypertension. This goal, however, was not fully accomplished; since only one third of the patients achieved it. In America, pharmacotherapy, is the most common method for managing hypertension. Other kinds of intervention strategies like lifestyle and diet changes are usually overlooked.

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) published literature on how you can manage hypertension without the use of antihypertensive drugs. You can actually lower your BP by having lifestyle changes. Get to know some of these methods on how you can lower your blood pressure readings.

Sodium Reduction

High sodium intake can increase your blood pressure levels. That’s why it is recommended that you cut your intake to 2.4 grams and less per day. You should monitor how much salt you put into your food. You should also be careful of food that you bought outside, since most fast-food meals and processed food have high sodium content.

Let’s Get Physical

Doing aerobic exercise can have a positive effect on your blood pressure. It can reduce it by diminishing up to 4 mmHg in your systolic blood pressure, while it can lessen up to 3 mmHg in your diastolic blood pressure.

You can consult your physician to help you choose appropriate enjoyable activities for you. You should keep in mind that whatever activity you choose, it should be something that you enjoy, because enjoying the activity can be a factor for you to keep on doing that activity.

If you find it difficult to have time to exercise, it is recommended to take brisk walks during lunch. It would be best if you can exercise for at least 30 minutes per day for four days a week.

Restricting Alcohol Consumption

Limiting your alcohol consumption can actually reduce your systolic blood pressure up to 3 mmHg in and 2 mmHg for your diastolic blood pressure. As a general rule, men should have only up to two alcoholic drinks in a day, while women are limited to one.

Dietary Change

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating program; which is a diet program rich in vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy products, low-saturated fat food, magnesium, potassium, and calcium; is the recommended diet plan. Changing your diet does not only help manage your hypertension, but it can also give you lots of other health benefits.

Weight Loss

Weight loss is another lifestyle modification you can use to reduce blood pressure. It was found that losing 10 lb could produce a significant lowering of your blood pressure. It would be better if you lose 20 lbs., because this can result to 5-20 mmHg reduction in blood pressure.

Some other ways to reduce blood pressure is by stopping smoking, meditation, and taking natural blood pressure supplements. Make all of these healthy habits part of your life; for sure, your blood pressure will lower.