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Controlling High Blood Pressure The Most Effectively
by Jim Bruce
Controlling your high blood pressure is fairly easy with the right medical care and your own initiative to follow your doctor's instructions, and sometimes the medications that are prescribed. The hard part is learning that you have this condition, which is also known as hypertension. High blood pressure is called the “silent killer” because it rarely shows any visible or other health symptoms until it reaches the life-threatening stage.
The good news is that controlling your high blood pressure can be achieved through medication, changes in your diet, and changes in your lifestyle. There is no “cure" for hypertension; it is a chronic condition once it takes hold. Controlling your high blood pressure will effectively reduce or even eliminate the severe complications of heart attack, stroke and kidney disease or failure.
The Best Ways of Controlling High Blood Pressure?
You need to consider changing the way you eat. Using too much salt in your diet, for instance, can cause you to retain water – which is a condition called “edema.” Which causes a reduction in the amount of water you excrete by urination and excessive fluid retention causes pressure on your blood vessel walls that result in hypertension.
Therefore, you should consider using a salt substitute (usually a potassium substitute or likewise), or a combination of good-tasting herbal seasonings. Not only will your food taste better than you've ever experienced, but your hypertension will become less acute.
Common Suggestions For Controlling High Blood Pressure
One of the best things you can do in controlling your high blood pressure is to lose weight, if that's a problem. There is a definite connection between obesity and hypertension. Your physician will weigh you and then make suggestions on how you may lose weight in order to help reduce and suggest preventative means to control your high blood pressure.
You may have heard about the "DASH" diet. The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) was funded by the US government and was found to be extremely effective (found in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1997). Briefly, the "DASH" diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, chicken and fish protein, fiber, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Not only will you control and lose weight on the "DASH" diet, but the controlling your high blood pressure will be much easier.
If you use tobacco products or have more than two alcoholic drinks per day and drink more than three times a week, your physician may counsel you that you must stop smoking/chewing altogether, and cut back on your alcohol use. Controlling high blood pressure just won't be possible if you continue these two high risk lifestyle habits, and I know that's not going to be easy. If you need help to stop smoking and/or curtailing your drinking. Your doctor will provide you with excellent sources of help with these issues and local groups that will support you with your efforts.
Are You Sedentary?
Controlling high blood pressure also involves changing your sedentary lifestyle( if that' s a part of your lifestyle). Lack of regular exercise is a major factor in hypertension and should be avoided. If you're sitting at your desk all day and watching TV all evening, you're not getting nearly enough exercise to prevent high blood pressure. You don't need to go to the gym and pump the iron every day. Just do a daily walk and that in itsellf will do you well towards accomplishing your goals. Swing your arms when you walk, move a little faster. Do whatever you can to increase your exercise routine, whenever you can. You'll be surprised how much effect your exercise has on controlling your high blood pressure.
Sometimes It's Not Your Fault, There's A Genetic Component
Hypertension (high blood pressure), is often an inherited, genetic condition. When you talk with your doctor about controlling your high blood pressure he/she will want to know if members of your family have a history of high blood pressure. You can't do anything about your DNA, but you should take extra precautions if you have a family history of hypertension.
The Last Resort
Finally, controlling your high blood pressure may involve medications called “antihypertensives.” There are several different types of antihypertensives; it may be a trial and error process of determining which one, and what dose, is right for you, but bear with it. Treating hypertension with medication should be used in conjunction with your diet and lifestyle changes to be the most effective.
| Disclaimer: |
The information in this High Blood Pressure section has been taken from a number of sources. It is meant to give you information about certain medicines, but it does not cover all of the possible uses, warnings, side effects, or interactions with other medicines and vitamin or herbal supplements.
This information should not be used as medical advice for individual medical problems. Please talk to your doctor, health professional, and/or your pharmacist for prescription or treatment instructions. |
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