The Silent Killer – High Blood Pressure : Tips To Prevent and Manage
About 1.13 billion people worldwide have high blood pressure.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is often called the “silent killer.” This is because it typically has no symptoms but can lead to serious health problems if left unchecked.
So, what is high blood pressure exactly? What should you know to ensure your health gets back on track? Below, we dive into all this information and more.
What is High Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood. High blood pressure, or hypertension, occurs when this force is consistently too high.
Generally, blood pressure is measured using two numbers:
- Systolic pressure (the top number): This is the pressure when your heart beats and pushes blood out.
- Diastolic pressure (the bottom number): This measures the pressure when your heart rests between beats.
Normal blood pressure is typically below 120/80 mm Hg. High blood pressure is generally considered to be 130/80 mm Hg or higher.
However, the exact causes of high blood pressure aren’t always clear. At the same time, several factors can increase your risk:
- Age
- Family history
- Obesity
- Lack of physical activity
- Too much salt in your diet
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Stress
- Chronic conditions:
As for symptoms and as previously mentioned, high blood pressure is often called a “silent killer” because it typically doesn’t cause noticeable symptoms.
Yet, some people might experience:
- Headaches
- Shortness of breath
- Nosebleeds
However, these symptoms usually don't occur until blood pressure has reached a severe or life-threatening stage.
So, what’s the problem with high blood pressure? Well, if left unaddressed, it could lead to some serious health problems, such as:
- Heart attack or stroke: High blood pressure can cause hardening and thickening of the arteries, leading to a heart attack or stroke.
- Aneurysm: Increased blood pressure can cause blood vessels to weaken and bulge, forming an aneurysm.
- Heart failure: The increased workload from high blood pressure can cause the heart muscle to thicken, leading to heart failure.
- Kidney Issues: Weakened and narrowed blood vessels in your kidneys can prevent these organs from functioning normally.
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Vision Problems: Increasing blood pressure can place stress on the blood vessels in the eye, potentially leading to vision loss.
How Can I Improve My Blood Pressure?
On the flip side, there are so many things within our control when it comes to both our blood pressure and health. Here are some key insights into maintaining healthy body pressure:
- Maintain a healthy weight: Losing even a small amount of weight, if you're overweight, can help reduce your blood pressure.
- Exercise regularly: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.
- Limit alcohol consumption: If you choose to drink, do so in moderation. That means up to one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men.
- Quit smoking: Smoking raises your blood pressure and puts you at higher risk for heart attack and stroke.
- Manage stress: Chronic stress can contribute to high blood pressure. Thus, it’s important to find healthy ways to manage stress, such as meditation, deep breathing, or yoga.
- Practice good sleep habits: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night.
- Attend regular doctor check-ups: This will help pinpoint any issues with your blood pressure levels, ensuring anything is caught early and addressed.
- Eat a healthy diet: Limit intake of carbohydrate including starch and sugar. Incorporate plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins in your diet. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is specifically designed to help control blood pressure.
On top of the above, Life Nutrition can help you fill in any gaps in your diet to help maintain healthy blood pressure levels, such as our Deep Sea Fish Oil, Advanced Probiotics, Men’s Everyday Complete, Women’s Everyday Complete, Algae Calcium, and Liver Detox. Start making those changes today; every little bit counts. Taking care of your heart and overall health pays off in the long run, guiding you toward a long, healthy, and happy life!