The Silent Killer

Hypertension is a major health problem and many people don’t even know they have .  Often, people are told that changes in their diet and exercise habits are enough to control blood pressure, without the use of medication.  This is especially helpful for people with mild to moderate blood pressure levels.

Reducing your sodium intake is one of the most important factors in reducing your blood pressure level.  Those affected with high blood pressure often claim that reducing their sodium intake reduces their blood pressure as well.It’s important to avoid high sodium foods and that will take some nutritional education on your part.

Eating more fruits and vegetabls and even some grains increases your intake of important vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Research shows that these dietary modifications will help lower your hypertension.

Adding exercise will further help you lower your blood pressure.  It helps to prevent and to control hypertension, and it is said that people who are active in exercise have lower death rates than their sedentary counterparts, even when they have the same blood pressure.  An added bonus is that studies suggest that exercise not only reduces the risk for cardiovascular and other diseases, but can help prevent obesity, which is another high blood pressure risk factor.

Exercise is said to be the foundation for successful behavioral change programs.  Exercise has been shown to make people feel positive about themselves and helps to reduce stress, a factor that not only raises blood pressure, but makes you feel less inclined to stick to the positive plans you’ve set in motion.

Eating well and exercising are the cornerstone to reducing your blood pressure levels.But there are other factors that also affect your blood pressure.Cutting back on alcohol and caffeine will help, too.  You should strive to drink these things only in moderation, or not at all.Quitting smoking also makes a big differenc,too.  These are not things to be taken lightly.There will always be something that is impossible to totally give up.Sometimes it may take many months or even a year to get rid of these behaviors.

Reducing stress is another highly important factor in reducing your blood pressure.  This is a lifelong task, but can prove to be one of the most important things you can do for your health.If your stress is really bad, you might want to go to a stress control workshop.

Though it is said that diet and exercise can reduce the need for blood pressure medication, it is important to discuss any and all lifestyle changes with your doctor, who can instruct you in any reduction of your current medication dosages.

You need to monitor your blood pressure at least daily to see how these measures are affecting your hypertension.Fortunately, it is rather easy in this day and age to monitor your blood pressure on a daily basis . Blood pressure home monitors are readily available and reasonably priced. Ther are digital home monitors now that are much improved over the earlier types and very easy to use. When I used the word “now,” it’s in reference to the fact that the earlier models’ accuracy was suspect. {Everything is fine now}.

It’s not easy to control your blood pressure problems, so you need to really be committed to fixing the problem. It’s difficult because you don’t feel sick or any pain. High blood pressure wears your body down more quickly than would be the case if you didn’t have it. That’s why they refer to it as the “Silent Killer.“

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Filed under: Health and Fitness: Heart Disease

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