Many consider high blood pressure as a silent killer. In reality, however, nobody actually dies from this condition. The danger in having high blood pressure is the conditions and diseases that arise from having this problem. If for a long time your blood pressure is above what is normal, you can suffer from other conditions such as heart failure and even stroke. What is scary about high blood pressure is that you may have been suffering from it for a long time without even feeling a single symptom.
The best way to know whether you have high blood pressure or hypertension is by going to the doctor and have your blood pressure checked with a sphygmomanometer, which is commonly known as a blood pressure cuff. Once your doctor has confirmed that you have an astronomic blood pressure, you better follow the pointers below on how you can help manage the problem:
Mind Your Weight
According to experts, individuals who weigh 30% above their normal weight are more at risk of suffering from hypertension. However, just five to ten pounds of decline in your weight would have a significant effect on your blood pressure. It seems that your heart needs to pump more and work harder if you have more cells and tissues in your body. So if you lose a little weight, you are giving your heart a little break from hard work.
Shrinking your waist is not an easy feat. However, many believe that increasing your fitness level by performing exercise regularly and participating in physical activities, such as biking, playing sports, swimming, and other activities that will make you sweat and increase your heart rate, will surely help in making you lose weight.
Increase Intake of Essential Minerals
The two minerals that you should have in abundance in your body are calcium and potassium. These two minerals are helpful in easing tension in your body and making your overworked arteries more relaxed, which ensures that your blood can freely move along your blood vessels.
Furthermore, potassium also aids in the excretion of excess salt, which is also believed to be responsible for promoting hypertension. Thus, the more potassium is present inside your body, the more sodium can be eliminated out of your system.
Aspire to Eat Right
It is quite difficult to eat right, especially if you are surrounded by a lot of tempting foods. Who can resist a slab of fatty steak or a bucket of delicious fried chicken? However, if you want to live longer, you need to be more careful with what you put inside your mouth. For starters, you can increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Many experts also believe that eating a lot of fiber-rich foods can also help manage your blood pressure.
Go Easy On the Salt
Almost 50% of people who are suffering from high blood pressure are called by experts as salt responders. This simply means that the amount of sodium intake of a salt responder dictates their blood pressure levels. It seems that the older you get, the more susceptible you are to the effects of salt. In order to prevent hypertension, it would be wise to get easy on the salt. Choose foods that are low in sodium or are sodium-free.
Another effect of too much salt in the body is bloating and swelling. If you are not hypertensive and you feel that your water retention is due to hormonal imbalance and not because of other more serious problems, such as high blood pressure or kidney problems, then you may want to try taking natural supplements, such as Expelis, to get rid of excess water in your body.
For more information, just visit http://www.expelis.com/Janet Martin is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premiere online news magazine http://www.thearticleinsiders.com
