10 ways to bid a goodbye to hypertension

Hypertension or high blood pressure boosts the risks of heart attack and stroke, aneurysms, kidney failure and cognitive decline. Medication can lower blood pressure, but it may cause side effects such as dizziness, cramps and insomnia. Life style plays an important role in treating your high blood pressure. If you can successfully control your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle, you might avoid or reduce the medicine intake. Here are ten ways to bid a goodbye to hypertension.

Reduce your alcohol intake

Drinking more than a modest amount of alcohol can raise your blood pressure by several points. Alcohol is both good and bad for your health. If taken in a small amount, it can possibly lower your blood pressure. But excessive intake can result in reducing the effectiveness of hypertension medications.

Reduce salt in your diet

Half a teaspoon of salt contains about 1,200 mg of sodium. Even a small reduction in the salt in your diet can reduce blood pressure by 3-8 mm Hg. Eating salt increases the amount of sodium in your blood stream and messes up the delicate balance, reducing the ability of the kidney to remove water. Thus, resulting in high blood pressure.

DASH diet

Eating a diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole-grains and low-fat dairy products can lower your blood pressure up to 14mm Hg. This eating approach is also known as Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.

Don’t smoke

Tobacco and nicotine in cigarettes can cause temporary raise in blood pressure. It is thought to cause chronic hypertension. Smokers are at higher risk of hypertension. Quitting smoking may help you in lower your blood pressure.

Exercise daily

Regular physical activity is a must for those who have high blood pressure. At least 30 minutes of daily exercise can lower your blood pressure by 5-10mm Hg. It is important to be consistent because once you stop exercising; your blood pressure can rise again. The best exercises for lowering your blood pressure include running, jogging, cycling and dancing.

Shed some extra pounds

As your weight increases, your blood pressure also increases. Being overweight can cause disrupted breathing while you sleep which can raise your blood pressure. Weight loss is one of the most effective measures that can help you lower your blood pressure as just losing 5 kilos can reduce up to 10-15mm Hg.

Stay happy, reduce stress

Stress is an important contributor to high blood pressure. Even occasional stress can lead to high blood pressure if one reacts to stress by eating unhealthy food, drinking alcohol or smoking.

Increase your tea intake

The phytochemicals in green tea are responsible for the reduction in high blood pressure. Drinking three cups of tea daily can lower your blood pressure by 7 points.

Dark chocolate

Chocolate contains flavanols that make blood vessels more flexible and increases the chance of low blood pressure. A Study conducted proved that people who ate chocolate everyday seen a dip in their blood pressure level.

Deep breathes

Slow breathing and meditative practices can decrease stress hormones. Inhale deeply and expand your belly, exhale and release all of your tension. Try this 5 minutes twice a day, one in the morning and one at night.