These tips to prevent high blood pressure (hypertension) are important and should be followed to the “T”. This is because high blood pressure or hypertension can cause complications that can disable you permanently or can even cause sudden death.
If you’re not convinced, check out these alarming facts:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- About 70 million American adults (29%) have high blood pressure—that’s 1 of every 3 adults.
- Only about half (52%) of people with high blood pressure have their condition under control.
- Nearly 1 in 3 American adults has prehypertension—blood pressure numbers that are higher than normal, but not yet in the high blood pressure range.
Again check this out:
In 2013, more than 360,000 American deaths included high blood pressure as a primary cause. That is almost 1,000 deaths each day.
High blood pressure increases your risk for dangerous health conditions:
- First heart attack: About 7 of every 10 people having their first heart attack have high blood pressure.
- First stroke: About 8 of every 10 people having their first stroke have high blood pressure.
- Chronic (long-lasting) heart failure: About 7 of every 10 people with chronic heart failure have high blood pressure.
- Kidney disease is also a major risk factor for high blood pressure.
If you have high blood pressure, it is necessary that you control it but if you do not have it, you can prevent it. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources has recommended these tips for preventing high blood pressure.
Tips to prevent high blood pressure (Hypertension)?
- Weight. You should maintain a healthy weight and prevent becoming obese. If you are overweight or obese, exercise daily to lose weight and adhere to a weight-loss diet, which will control your calorie intake.
- Diet. Your diet to prevent high blood pressure should contain fruits and vegetables. You should prefer low-fat dairy products and avoid foods that can cause your blood pressure to rise. Such foods contain saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol. The DASH diet (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) is ideal and is drafted just for hypertensive patients. Examples of such foods that contain saturated fats and triglycerides and which you should avoid are:
- Dairy products such as cream, cheese, butter, and Ghee.
- Animal meat such as tallow, lard, and fatty meat.
- Oils such as coconut oil, cottonseed oil, and palm oil.
- Chocolates
- Salt intake should be restricted to one teaspoon per day (ie.2400 mgm). Avoid taking that extra salt at the table. Fast foods, canned foods, or processed foods containing low sodium content should be preferred.
- Avoid Smoking: Smoking is the second most common cause, after high blood pressure, in the list of heart attack causes.
- Alcohol should be taken in moderation and restricted to 2 pegs for men and one peg for women.
- Exercise for about 20 to 30 minutes and can be in the form of a brisk walk, cycling, aerobics or some such exercise that will burn your calories.
- Check your blood pressure at your physician’s clinic at regular intervals especially if you are at high risk of hypertension.
- Natural medicines for high blood pressure such as one small piece of raw garlic can be eaten with dinner. This will also help in keeping your LDL cholesterol levels from rising. An herbal preparation of Hawthorne berries is also very useful.
- Drink an adequate amount of water. If you are a normal healthy person without hypertension, you should drink about eight to ten 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Staying well hydrated by drinking an adequate amount of water is beneficial for blood pressure.
- If any medication for hypertension has been ultimately prescribed, take it religiously and follow up with your doctor for regular checkups. Sometimes, a change in the medicine or its dosage may be required.
It is important to remember that complications of hypertension can be lethal. Many a time, hypertension does not show any symptoms and is detected only when lethal complications develop. It is, therefore, called “The Silent Killer”. Preventing high blood pressure, therefore, becomes important.