Prevent high blood pressure and its importance

As you may be aware, high blood pressure increases the risk of cardiac and kidney and the likelihood of a sudden stroke. Medical experts opine that high blood pressure is especially dangerous because it occurs without any warning signs. It is estimated that one in every four American adults suffers from high blood pressure. Once high blood pressure develops, it becomes a life-long malady. You can prevent and control high blood pressure by taking appropriate action.

High blood pressure makes the heart work hard and stiffens the walls of the arteries. High blood pressure increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, the most common and the third most common cause of death for Americans. High blood pressure can also cause other problems, such as cardiac arrests, kidney disease, and blindness. You can find out if you suffer from high blood pressure by regularly checking your blood pressure. Most doctors will diagnose a person with high blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension, on the basis of two or more readings, taken on different occasions.

The one relieving factor is no matter what your age or physical condition, there are things you can do to prevent high blood pressure. You can take steps to prevent high blood pressure by adopting a healthy lifestyle. These steps include maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active and following a healthy eating plan. Medical experts offer various tips to help you prevent high blood pressure, or reduce your blood pressure if it is already high.

Maintain a healthy weight. There are ready reference tables that indicate your ideal body weight based upon your height, build and age. If you are overweight, then shed excess weight immediately. It is said that being obese increases your risk of high blood pressure by six times. Those who are pot-bellied, with excess weight around their waist, are at higher risk for high blood pressure.

To lose weight, eat fewer calories than you can possibly 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 gradually and aim to lose one pound a week. Be more physically active ant do some light physical exercises every day.

Make it a habit to take a walk at lunch time or after dinner. Always use the stairs and not the elevator. Avoid as far as possible using vehicles to travel short distances and walk instead. Try to do some physical work like gardening or go out cycling or to an aerobics session daily.

Choose food items that are low in salt and sodium and make it a point not to consume more than 6 grams of salt a day. Check food labels to know the sodium content in the packed food items. Stay away from frozen dinners, pizza, canned soups, broths and salad dressings, which are invariably high in sodium.

If you can not abstain from alcohol altogether, then drink in moderation. If you reconcile to having not more than 2 small pegs a day, your risk of high blood pressure is low. Other things that may help prevent hypertension are intake of calcium, potassium, fish oils, magnesium and exercises aimed at stress management.

The ideal treatment goal for blood pressure is to restrict to below 140/90 and still lower for people suffering from diabetes and kidney disease. If lifestyle changes alone are not adequate in keeping your pressure under control, it may be necessary to add blood pressure medications.

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