How to Prevent High Blood Pressure

High Blood Pressure (BP), also called [b]Hypertension[/b], is a risk factor for heart and kidney
disorders and strokes. Lowering high BP, or keeping it normal, can help avoid heart
problems. Here's how you can do this.
Difficulty Level: Easy Time Required: 30 min d

Here's How:
Maintain a healthy weight. There are many statistical tables that calculate your ideal body
weight based upon your height, build and age.
If you are overweight, lose some. Being overweight increases your risk of high blood
pressure by six to eight times.
It also matters where you are overweight. People with a pot-belly - weight around their waist
- are at higher risk for hypertension.
To lose weight, eat fewer calories than you burn off. For instance, you could cut down from
3500 calories a day in the first week to 3000 calories a day for the second week, and then to
2500 calories a day for the third week and so on.
Do it slowly, but steadily. Aim to lose one-half to one pound a week.
Be more physically active. Fit some light activity into your daily routine.
Take a walk at lunch time or dinner. Use the stairs instead of the elevator.
Ride a bike to the supermarket. Stop a block or two away and walk the rest of the distance.
Work in the garden or backyard, or go out dancing, or to an aerobics session daily.
Choose foodstuffs lower in salt and sodium. Eat no more than 6 grams of salt a day.
Check food labels for information of sodium in the food. Look for products with "unsalted" or
"sodium free" labels.
Buy fresh poultry, fish and lean meat, and fresh, or canned with "no salt added", vegetables.
Cut back on frozen dinners, pizza, canned soups, broths and salad dressings, which are high
in sodium.
If you drink alcohol, do it in moderation. If you have no more than 2 drinks a day, your risk of
high blood pressure is low.
Other things too may help prevent hypertension, like calcium, potassium, fish oils,
magnesium and stress management.

Tips:
Don't try crash diets. Slow, steady weight control works.
Even light activity helps, if done regularly.
Watch food labels and your salt intake.
Strategies to control high blood pressure
At least 65 million Americans have high blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the workload of
the heart and kidneys, increasing the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke and kidney disease. High
blood pressure is the biggest risk factor for stroke.
It is up to you to take control! By making lifestyle changes, taking medications and working with your
health care team, you can control your high blood pressure to help prevent future problems.
Important note: These are general recommendations and may not be appropriate if you have been
diagnosed with another heart condition, such as heart failure. Always ask your health care provider for
guidelines that are specific to your medical condition.
It is up to you to take control! Here are some strategies to control blood pressure
1. If you smoke, Quit
2. Achieve and maintain your ideal body weight.
Being overweight is very closely connected to high blood pressure, especially if your body mass index
(weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared) is 25 or greater. Excess upper body fat (for
example a waist measurement of 35 inches or greater in women or 40 inches or greater in men) is also
related to high blood pressure, diabetes, increased blood lipid levels, and coronary heart disease.
Weight loss tips:
Keep a food journal to track exactly what and how much you eat.
Choose foods low in saturated fat, cholesterol, trans fat (partially hydrogenated fats) and refined sugar.
Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Try to avoid juice and canned fruit which are
generally higher in sugar and may add more calories.
Watch your portion sizes. One quarter of your plate should comprise a palm-size portion of lean protein,
such as salmon or chicken breast; another quarter should comprise a fist-size portion of unrefined grain,
such as brown rice; and one-half of your plate should be filled with a variety of colorful vegetables.
Do not skip meals. Eating three meals a day plus snacks is essential in weight management.
Make sure you are getting enough fiber - 25 to 30 grams of fiber are recommended each day. To help you
boost your fiber intake, choose whole-grain, high-fiber breads and cereals; choose whole-wheat pasta and
rice instead of white; and include more dried beans in your meals. Fiber helps fill you up faster, which can
help you to eat less and curb hunger. Most importantly, soluble fiber can help lower you cholesterol.
Exercise daily. Participate in physical activity daily as recommended by your physician or exercise
physiologist.
Eat the majority of your calories in the first half of your day. Enjoy portion-controlled snacks during the day
to control hunger at night.
Drink plenty of water. Include 6 to 8 glasses of fluid each day. Water helps keep you adequately hydrated
and often helps prevent overeating.
Set realistic goals. Weight loss should be gradual, no more than 1 to 2 pounds per week.
A registered dietitian can help you evaluate your current eating habits and plan strategies to help you lose
weight.

By definition, one drink equals 12 ounces of beer or wine cooler, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-
proof liquor.
3. Limit alcohol intake.
4. Exercise regularly.
Regular aerobic activity helps to:
Prevent and control high blood pressure
Lose weight or maintain ideal weight
Manage diabetes
Manage stress
Improve blood cholesterol levels
Increase your energy to carry out daily activities
Your exercise should be:
Regular: Moderate exercise 30 minutes per day, on most days of the week, is recommended.
Aerobic: Activities such as walking, cycling, or water aerobics
Safe: Before you begin an exercise program, ask your health care provider what type and amount of
exercise is right for you. Exercise specialists and programs are available to help you begin a safe and
regular exercise program.
5. Limit your intake of sodium (salt).
Many people are sensitive to sodium in their diet, especially those who are African American, older, or
have hypertension or diabetes. Lessening the amount of sodium in the diet can lower blood pressure.
Sodium should be limited to no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium per day, with a goal of further
lowering it to 1,500 milligrams per day (or less according to your specific management guidelines).
Sodium is found in table salt and many of the foods we eat, most commonly, preserved foods, canned
foods, luncheon meats, cheeses and snacks.
Tips to limit sodium:
Learn to read food labels to determine sodium content. Also read over-the-counter medication labels for
sodium content.
Use herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods.
Avoid processed foods (canned and frozen foods, cheeses and luncheon meats)
A registered dietitian can help you evaluate your current food choices and help you select foods lower in
sodium.

6. Include foods rich in potassium in your diet.

If your blood potassium is too low, blood pressure may increase. Including potassium-rich foods in your
diet may help manage high blood pressure.
High-potassium foods include salt substitutes, bananas, dried fruits, skim milk, coffee and potatoes.
If you take a diuretic (“water pill”) to control your blood pressure, it is important to have your doctor check
your blood potassium level during your regular check-ups. You may need to take a potassium supplement
to keep your blood potassium within the normal range.
Talk with your doctor about including potassium-rich foods in your diet. Some medical conditions (such as
kidney disease), may require you to LIMIT the amount of potassium in your diet.
A registered dietitian can give you more information about foods rich in potassium.
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) study looked at the impact of foods on high
blood pressure. The study results indicate that people who: increased calcium intake to more than 1200
mg/day, lowered fats to less than 26% of calories, and increased fiber, potassium and magnesium in their
diets each day decreased systolic blood pressure (the top blood pressure number) by 5.5 mm Hg and
diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by
3.0 mm Hg.
In people with high blood pressure, the systolic blood pressure decreased by 11.4 mm Hg and the
diastolic blood pressure decreased by 5.5 mm Hg. Learn more about the DASH eating plan.
7. Control stress and anger.
During periods of stress or anger, blood pressure rises. If the stress and anger persists, over time, high
blood pressure can occur. Stress and anger are also related to heart disease.
Tips to control stress and anger:
Manage your time
Set realistic goals of what you can accomplish each day
Take time each day to relax
Learn relaxation techniques
Stress management professionals are available to help you learn new strategies to control stress and
anger
8. Take medications to control high blood pressure, as prescribed.
Depending on your blood pressure readings, other risk factors and the presence of other medical
conditions, your doctor may prescribe medications to help you reach your blood pressure goal.
There are many different types of blood pressure medications. You will need to work with your doctor to
find the best drug to achieve your blood pressure goal with the least side effects.
Tips when taking high blood pressure medications:
Follow your doctor’s orders about taking your medications
Do not stop taking your medications without first talking to your doctor
There are many different types of blood pressure medications. You will need to find the best drug to
achieve your blood pressure goal with the least amount of side effects.
9. Follow-up with your health care team.
To control high blood pressure, you must work with your health care team of doctors, nurses, and other
health care providers. Once your high blood pressure is diagnosed, your doctor may want to see you
often until it is under control (every one to four weeks). He or she may want you to monitor your blood
pressure at home and keep a record of your blood pressure at different times of the day. Once your blood
pressure is in control, regular follow up visits are still required to ensure control and minimize side effects.
Your doctor will tell you how often to schedule visits.
When you come to the doctor, bring:
A list of your current medications
Your blood pressure record
A list of any questions you may have
It’s up to you
By making lifestyle changes, taking medications and working with your health care team, you can control
your high blood pressure to help prevent future problems
Hi guys can u gve me a gd tip to reduce high blood pressure....without pills or only exercise or ayurvedic me?
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
Try cutting out a few bad foods or unhealthy fats from your diet.

Exercise WILL work, even if it's just fifteen minutes a day.. that is the best and healthiest thing to do.

If you're overweight and have high blood pressure you need to change your eating habits and exercise more. It's
very dangerous to have high blood pressure.

Other Answers

 Lose weight and exercise

 Avoid high salty foods.

Feel good about yourself and continue to excercise and eat healthy.

Remember, when getting excess amount of stress or depression, this also to can increase high blood
pressure. Not to mention getting really upset and angry.

lots of little things will produce some nice results.

1. reduce salt intake - and beware, there is salt added to a lot of processed, canned or frozen foods so read the
ingredient labels.
2. Reduce stress. There's nothing like a good stressful situation to raise one's blood pressure. So, deal head on
with things in your everyday life that create unnecessary stress and thus be healthier.
3. Watch what you eat. A good balanced nutritious meal plan will definitely make you feel better. Lots of fresh
fruits and veggies, meat for protein and all the other good stuff.
4. Raise your activity level. If you drive, walk, bike or take the bus. If you take the bus then walk or bike or at
the very least get off a few stops early and board a few stops later. Use stairs instead of elevators. And if you
can, do some actual exercises too like pushups or sit ups or just some nice brisk walking.
How to Instantly Lower Blood Pressure
It may be possible to lower your blood pressure without drugs. Make sure that you check with your doctor to see if
any of these are appropriate and safe for you to use before attempting them. This is not a substitute for competent
medical treatment and should only be attempted under a competent doctor's supervision.
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

 A hot bath
 Calming music

 Massage

 Book of food counts

1. Step 1

Take a hot bath to cause vasodilation (opening up blood vessels) to drop the overall blood pressure. Lowering
your blood pressure is why you faint if you stand up too fast after a hot bath. Stand up slowly after a hot bath
and allow your body to adjust while you hold on things to steady yourself. If you get dizzy, lay down on the
floor to let the blood get back to your head since the pressure is not forcing it there. Only do this after
consulting with your physician.
2. Step 2

Relax your mind. Let your mind drift to a different time or location that calms you. Use peaceful music. Add a
massage to increase circulation in the extremities and loosen muscle tension. Listen to the wind in a quiet
location and forget your troubles.
3. Step 3

Take a nap. When you sleep, your blood pressure naturally drops. Adequate sleep will also help lower your
blood pressure long term. Use a routine to prepare for bed and your body will start to decrease blood pressure
in anticipation of sleeping. If you sleep at the same time every night, the body has a routine that it can prepare
for by starting the sequence before you even lay down in bed. These practices are known as sleep hygiene by
medical practitioners.
4. Step 4

Practice controlled breathing techniques. Controlling your blood pressure through breathing techniques helps
to reduce your stress. The reduced stress sends a signal to your body to decrease tension and respond in a
relaxed manner, decreasing blood pressure.
5. Step 5

Practice biofeedback. You can learn to mentally change your blood pressure by watching your blood pressure
change and learning to cause it to change using your thoughts. This can be done at the grocery store, using
their blood pressure cuff so that you don't have to purchase anything. As you learn how to decrease your blood
pressure, you get to where you can do it at will. This technique will work instantly but takes time to learn.
Read more: How to Instantly Lower Blood Pressure | eHow.com
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