7 Ways to Manage Hypertension

Typically, blood pressure measurements take into account the amount of blood flowing through your blood vessels and the level of resistance your blood experiences while the heart is pumping. Hypertension or high blood pressure occurs when an excessive force of blood pushes through your blood vessels. This article looks at the seven ways to manage hypertension in West New York.

1. Reducing Salt Intake

On average, an individual’s salt intake is between 9 to 12 grams per day. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that your average salt intake should be under 5 grams a day. This suggestion is because reducing salt intake significantly lowers the risk of hypertension and other health problems. Consequently, you should watch how much salt you consume to keep your blood pressure low.

2. Medication

You can use various medications to treat hypertension, but the type largely depends on your health and any pre-existing medical complications you may have. Doctors often recommend a low dose of antihypertensive medication at first. However, people with severe hypertension will need more than one medication to control their blood pressure.

3. Stress Management

Learning or avoiding stress through relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, warm baths, and taking long walks can help control your blood pressure. Additionally, you should avoid consuming junk food, recreational drugs, or alcohol as a way to manage your stress because they could lead to increased blood pressure – the opposite of what you want.

4. Regulating Alcohol Consumption

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), men should only drink a maximum of two alcoholic beverages a day, and women should take one. Excessive alcohol consumption can increase your blood pressure, in turn causing hypertension.

5. Improving Your Diet

If you have hypertension, you are advised to consume little or no saturated or total fat at all. Instead, you should eat:

• Fish rich in omega-3 twice a week
• Nuts, pulses, and beans
• Fruits and vegetables
• Skinless fish and poultry
• Non Tropical vegetable oils like olive oil
• Low-fat dairy products
• Whole grain, high-fiber foods

6. The DASH Diet

The US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) recommends the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet for people with hypertension. DASH is a balanced and flexible eating plan that helps in:

• Reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases
• Lowering high blood pressure
• Improving levels of fats in your bloodstream

Furthermore, the NHLBI produces a cookbook known as “Keep the Beat Recipes” that provides diet ideas to help people manage hypertension.

7. Maintaining a Healthy Body Weight

Normally, weight loss results in a reduction in blood pressure since the heart finds it much easier to pump blood around your body. Experts often recommend a balanced diet with a calorie intake that coincides with your body size, physical activity, and sex.

Possible Complications of Hypertension

Without effective treatment, hypertension can lead to numerous life-threatening health problems. The excessive pressure exerted on the walls of your veins and arteries can lead to complications like:

• Aneurysm
• Cognitive problems
• Dementia
• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Kidney malfunction
• Metabolic syndrome
• Stroke
• Vision loss

Conclusion

Daniel Maenner, DO, at The Doctor’s House in West New York, New Jersey, often recommends certain lifestyle changes and prescribes effective medications to help bring your high blood pressure to a normal level. For more information about hypertension and how to negate its life-threatening effects on your body, kindly schedule an appointment online or simply call us today.