Monday, October 7, 2013

Quick Ways to Lower Blood Pressure

By Nora M. Greenway


People who have high blood pressure are at risk of developing heart disease in the future. If you have it you are probably looking for quick ways to lower it. There are simple things that you can do at home to help your blood pressure return to normal. Speak to your doctor about how these various ways can help you.

Watch Your Caffeine Intake

A cup of coffee in the morning or a coca-cola beverage with your dinner isn't the end of the world. But many people can't stop at one cup of coffee. In fact many people are drinking up to 8 cups a day. If you have high blood pressure and drink a lot of caffeine you could be sensitive to caffeine. To figure out if you are, pick up a small measuring device from your local drugstore and test yourself at home. Test your pressure 10 minutes before having your first cup of coffee and 20 minutes after it. If your pressure has risen you should really consider making some changes to how much caffeine you drink.

Increase Aerobic Exercise

Anyone dealing with health issues understands the importance of exercise. Exercise does not need to be strenuous. In fact if you have high blood pressure you will probably want to start with something that is not too intense. A daily 30 minute walk is good for everyone. Other forms of exercise that are not too strenuous are ice skating or yoga.

Before beginning this step, it's especially important to check with your doctor. While exercise is good for your blood pressure, some people with extremely high blood pressure need other steps before they can exercise, since exercise in itself raises your heart rate for a while. Ask your doctor specifically which exercises you can do, based on your current blood pressure. Also ask about signs that you need to stop exercising.

Reduce Your Salt Intake

It is a known fact that people with high blood pressure should avoid salt as much as possible. Avoid fast foods and processed foods as they are usually high in sodium. If you go out for dinner to a fine restaurant always taste your food before you consider adding salt to it. Many people have a bad habit of shaking salt all over their meal without tasting it first. If you cook at home, it is easy to cut back on how much salt you use. There are many spices available at the grocery store which are a great alternative when you are looking for something to add more flavor to the food that you are preparing.

Limit Your Alcohol Consumption

Cutting out drinking entirely is usually not necessary. In fact, many studies suggest that a light amount of drinking is actually good for your blood pressure! However, if you often have several drinks in quick succession, you should stop. This type of drinking can raise your blood pressure. Experts agree that a safe and healthy number of drinks per day is one for women and two for men. As always, ask your doctor if these numbers are safe for you, and be sure to ask about potential interactions with any medications you're taking.

As you can see, lowering your blood pressure quickly isn't as hard as it might seem. With a few healthy lifestyle choices, you can start seeing results almost immediately. Even better, these changes are healthy for your entire body!




About the Author:



Add to Technorati Favorites Bookmark and Share

0 comments: