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When it comes to lowering or normalising your blood pressure, there’s no need to be ashamed to ask for professional advice – which you can, of course, get without any guilt. But if you’re not sure where to begin, read on to discover some simple ways to help with this aim.
The first thing to recognise is that lowering or normalising blood pressure doesn’t necessarily equate to having a heart attack or stroke or even dying. It simply means that you are more likely to have fewer problems throughout life.
What does mean is that you must now consider all sorts of factors, such as whether you smoke or eat a variety of foods all of which affect how well your body functions. There is also a connection between high levels of stress and unhealthy lifestyle choices such as smoking (which is one of the top predictors of sudden death), alcohol consumption (which is linked to high blood pressure) and inadequate exercise (which often plays a significant role in causing these conditions). So let's look at five quick tips on what should be done if you're concerned about your blood pressure level.
1. Keep Your Heart Healthy by Keeping Up the Good Work - Get Moving!
Regular physical activity can reduce both total and systolic blood pressure, according to research published in 2017. This means more cardiovascular health benefits in general. One easy, low-impact workout, that many people find they’ve got time for every day, is walking or running the distance between home and work, or taking the stairs rather than an elevator or escalator. And while you don’t want to do too much too fast (such as 60 minutes straight!) try doing 10 minutes first thing in the morning to start off the day right. The main benefit of getting up earlier in the day is that your whole body receives its daily dose of vitamin D (which helps regulate the balance of electrolytes in your body, such as sodium, potassium and magnesium). Aiming to get 50,000 international units per day (or 25000 IUs per day) will see your overall risk of stroke or heart attack reduced by around 30%. As long as you're consistently active, including 15 minutes each day, you should find you achieve most of these goals.
2. Make Yourself More Vulnerable for Stroke Risk Factors
If you’ve had a recent health scare and suffered through something unexpected, like an infection or bleeding in the brain, it may have caused you to feel stressed. According to the American Heart Association, there are a number of factors that increase your risk of experiencing a stroke or heart attack; it has even been suggested they may be associated with poor nutrition and/or excessive weight. An analysis by the British Heart Foundation found that men who suffer from obesity have a 36% greater chance of suffering from a stroke compared to those with normal body mass index. While obesity itself isn’t directly causing strokes, excess abdominal fat can impair blood flow to the brain. Obesity is also linked with higher blood sugar levels, which has been implicated in the development of type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. You can reduce your risk of developing serious cardiovascular diseases by following the guidelines below and reducing your intake of salt, trans fats (such as butter, lard and shortening) and saturated fats.
3. Focus on Building Resistance Capacity & Cardiovascular Health
Strokes are a common cause of disability and death in the UK. We know they are preventable but we still have far to go and are still failing thousands of patients.
According to NHS England, the chances of suffering a stroke in someone aged over 65 are 1 in 200. In younger age groups, the odds will be higher. If our patients with stroke prevention training programmes don't teach them how to spot and manage their weaknesses in this area, they won't realise they need to change to become stronger.
A lack of strength training exercise also exposes older adults to greater risks of falls. If you're at increased risk of falling, then it's crucial to make yourself stronger to stand on your toes. Doing so increases the resistance you have to overcome and makes movement easier and safer. However, building your muscles is challenging, take things gradually until you achieve maximum progress, take the correct form and aim to achieve a full range of motion. By focusing on creating enough power, it will give you the confidence that'll help you tackle everyday tasks and improve your quality of life. What's more, being stronger can lead to better performance in sport, such as tennis. A study involving female students showed women who improved their muscle strength were shown to enjoy faster recovery after participating in endurance sports. They also experienced improvements in their strength, flexibility, aerobic capacity and balance.
4. Reduce Stress Through Self Management Techniques
Stress occurs in two forms: acute and chronic. Acute stress occurs when our bodies are under too much strain, such as from illness or job pressure. We’re all exposed to stress but those around us aren’t always aware of it in the same way we are. Chronic stress is something many of us find difficult to deal with, as people find ourselves becoming overwhelmed by daily activities.
The key to dealing with stressful situations has twofold potential benefits: it enables us to learn vital lessons, builds resilience and reduces our likelihood of becoming ill in future. We learn from past experiences about what works and what doesn’t and create strategies to improve, build self-confidence, strengthen relationships and support coping and healing from difficult situations.
5. Help Your Body Use Bile Homeostasis
When our stomach acid rises it causes bloating. Bloating can be a sign of various medical conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease.
A 2019 study revealed that increasing bile levels can reduce inflammation in the gut and aid digestion, but lowering bile levels may not be a practical solution with everyone. Too much bile in your diet can also lead to a condition called steatorrhea and if left untreated can result in liver failure.
So what can you do if you’re looking out for ways to keep your blood pressure at bay? Remember, if you take medication it is important to continue checking blood pressure readings regularly. This is especially true if you’re using antihypertensive drugs like Lipitor and Nexium, because it’ll be crucial if you’re using any other treatments.