Keep Your Blood Pressure Under Control Without Medication
High blood pressure can become a serious concern if left unchecked, but thankfully there are a number of options available for keeping it down. While the most common involves prescription medication, there are other steps you can take if you’re avoiding medicating your condition. Maintaining healthy blood pressure involves changes in your lifestyle, activity, and food choices. With diligence, you may be able to delay or reduce your need for medication. In some cases, you may be able to prevent the need for the medication entirely.
Steps You Can Take To Keep Your High Blood Pressure Under Control
As we gain weight, its common for our blood pressure to increase alongside it. Among the reasons for this is the increased risk of sleep apnea, a breathing condition that can cause our blood pressure to rise. Losing weight is a powerful tool in preventing our blood pressure from rising, with even small losses showing significant changes in blood pressure levels. On average losing, 2.2 pounds results in a drop of 1mm Hg in your blood pressure.
Regular Exercise Can Help
Along with losing weight, increasing how much exercise you get can have a profound impact on your blood pressure. Taking half an hour a day to exercise can show a reduction in your blood pressure of up to 8mm Hg if done consistently. Maintaining this exercise level will be essential to seeing lasting results, as your blood pressure can rise again if you stop. Walking, swimming, dancing, and jogging are all activities that can help.
Maintain A Healthy Diet
Given these last two tips, it should come as no surprise that diet fits right in with maintaining healthy blood pressure. Avoiding cholesterol and saturated fat, as well as consuming vegetables, fruits, grains, and low-fat dairy products, can see your blood pressure drop by up to 11mm Hg. If you want to learn more about the diet that helps with high blood pressure, check out the DASH diet. (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension).
Sodium Reduction
Some people who experience high blood pressure do so as the result of having sodium-sensitive hypertension. This means that they are given to developing high blood pressure if they consume high levels of salt. Patients who have this condition should reduce the amount of salt they consume below 2,300mg a day, though less than 1,500mg is ideal for most of us. You can help accomplish this goal by reading labels, reducing how many processed foods you eat, and not adding salt to your diet.
If you have high blood pressure and want to know more ways you can help prevent the need for medication to control it, call our offices today. Dr. Trang D Nguyen has been helping patients like you battle high blood pressure from their clinic in Conroe, TX. At Conroe Family Doctor, we’re proud to teach our patient family how to maintain their health and enjoy life to the fullest. Don’t let hypertension take control of your life, take steps to reduce it, and your dependence on medication to treat it. Call today!
