High blood pressure is a common condition that can cause dizziness, headaches, and even fainting. Fortunately, there are many ways to reduce your blood pressure naturally. In this article we will dive into the symptoms of high blood pressure and how to reduce it over time by making healthy lifestyle changes.
What is high blood pressure?
High blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of your arteries. This can lead to a stroke or heart attack, which are life-threatening conditions.
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). The higher your blood pressure, the more likely you are to have a stroke or heart attack.
Should I be worried about high blood pressure?
High blood pressure is a common condition that affects about one in three adults. It’s important to know that high blood pressure can be dangerous and lead to heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. Some people with high blood pressure may also experience other health problems such as vision loss, kidney stones or an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia).
If you have family members who have had a history of high blood pressure, it’s especially important to take care of your own health so that you don’t develop this condition yourself.
Symptoms of high blood pressure.
If you have high blood pressure, you may experience the following symptoms:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision or double vision
- Nausea and vomiting (without associated diarrhea)
If so, there are steps you can take to help control your condition.
How to reduce your blood pressure naturally.
- Eat a healthy diet. High blood pressure is linked to obesity, so it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough of the right nutrients. A diet that is low in sodium, saturated fat and trans fats may reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. Losing weight if you are overweight or obese can also help improve your cholesterol levels. If you have high blood pressure, losing 5 to 7 percent of your body weight is recommended for lowering it; the lower the better.
- Exercise regularly. This can help lower your blood pressure and reduce stress levels; it also lowers the risk of diabetes and helps with weight loss if done in conjunction with other health measures. Even if you don’t want to join a gym or jog down the street at all hours of the day, just taking a brisk walk around the block every day will help keep your blood pressure under control. Make sure that you get at least 30 minutes of exercise each day if possible!
- Get enough sleep every night—at least seven hours per night for most adults and try not to burn out by pushing yourself too much at work or school.
- Avoid stress as much as possible. Both physical and mental stress can increase your risk factors for hypertension, so take steps every day toward reducing these factors whenever possible through relaxation techniques like meditation or deep breathing exercises throughout the day.
When to see a doctor.
- If you have high blood pressure, it’s important to see a doctor.
- If you’re over the age of 50 and your blood pressure is consistently over 140/90 mm Hg, talk to your doctor about high blood pressure management.
- If you have other risk factors for heart disease (such as smoking or diabetes), talk to your primary care physician about managing these conditions before seeing a specialist in cardiovascular disease or hypertension management.
- Talk with your primary care physician about whether there might be any reason why you need more frequent follow-up visits than usual—or whether this is something that may require an appointment with a specialist who has more advanced training in diagnosing and treating chronic conditions like hypertension.
Conclusion
If you think your blood pressure is high, see your doctor. The best way to reduce high blood pressure is through lifestyle changes. If you don’t have access to a doctor or health care provider, there are many online resources that can help you manage your symptoms and lower the risk of complications from hypertension.
