Cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure—is the number 1 killer of women and men in the United States. It is also a leading cause of disability keeping you from leading an active life. There are natural, safe and effective ways to lower and control high blood pressure.
Did you know upward of 80% of those with high blood pressure are in the low to moderate range? This is good news and can be controlled by simple lifestyle changes.
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for a stroke or heart attack. Almost all cases of hypertension can be improved with changes to diet, weight, inactivity, stress and overconsumption of alcohol. Your best bet for lowering blood pressure are losing weight through diet and exercise, cutting sodium intake, and reducing stress.
Ways to Lower Blood Pressure
Lower Your Sodium Intake
The standard American diet is often high in sugar, sodium, saturated fat and low in calcium and magnesium —all which have an effect on blood pressure. Aim for eating low sodium foods. Excess salt consumption raises blood pressure. Limit your consumption to no more than 1500-2000 mg daily. Potassium found in melons, avocados and bananas counteract the effect of sodium and helps lower blood pressure. The DASH diet is one type of diet that has been proven to lower blood pressure. The DASH diet is a plant-focused diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, nuts, with low-fat and non-fat dairy, lean meats, fish, and poultry, mostly whole grains, and heart healthy fats.
Alcohol
Over consumption of alcohol has an effect on blood pressure. Too many and too frequent servings can cause pressure to elevate. Drinking outside a meal can cause faster and further increases. It is best cut back or limit alcohol consumption if high blood pressure is a problem. Try to go 30-days without alcohol and see if it changes your blood pressure.
Physical Therapy and Exercise
Regular physical activity can help decrease your blood pressure. Mild to moderate cases of elevated blood pressure can benefit from including exercise as part of a lifestyle program. Exercise can be a challenge to begin if it is unfamiliar or you are fearful of exercising incorrectly. Seek professional medical advice from the team at Premier Physical Therapy. Exercise generally decreases blood pressure by five to seven points, and the decrease can occur as early as three to four weeks. Physical activity also assists with weight control and improves cholesterol and glucose levels, so that the risk of heart attack and stroke is lower. The American Heart Association recommends you get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise, 75 minutes of vigorous exercise or a combination of both each week. Aim for at least 30 minutes of activity most days of the week.
Being active is also extremely important for people with pre-hypertension (120-139/80-89) and for anyone who has a family history of hypertension.
The key to maximizing the benefits of exercise is to follow a well-designed program that you enjoy and can commit to long term. The best way to get such a personalized program is through a trained doctor of physical therapy.
Monitor Your Numbers
You can learn to monitor your own blood pressure by measuring your pulse rate. Sit comfortably in a chair for 5 minutes and relax before testing. Place 2 fingers (index and middle) alongside your throat (on either side of the Adam’s apple.) While watching the second hand on clock, count the number of beats you feel for 30 seconds. Double this number to get your resting heart rate. Be aware this number can vary with time of day, activity, age and emotional stress although 60-80 beats per minute is the average for an adult at rest. Athletes may have a lower resting heart rate due to improved cardiovascular conditioning. A resting heart rate that is over 90 can indicate a problem.
Long term-high blood pressure increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and diabetes.
If you have high blood pressure we can monitor it for you at Premier Physical Therapy during your visit. Blood pressure ranges are:
Normal: Less than 120/80
Prehypertension: 120-139/80-89
Stage 1 high blood pressure: 140-159/90-99
Stage 2 high blood pressure: 160 and above/100 and above
Frequently, there are no symptoms as blood pressure increases. Warning signs for very high blood pressure can include:
- Chest pains
- Headaches
- Ear ringing
- Irregular heartbeat
- Nosebleeds
- Vision changes
Stress Free Advice
Reducing stress can lower blood pressure. Some tips include getting more and better sleep, scheduling in more free-time and fun, meditation, journaling, finding purpose or passion, exercise and surrounding yourself with encouraging friends.
Your Next Step on the Road to Recovery
Schedule an evaluation with a physical therapist to have your blood pressure checked and receive recommendations on exercise and other lifestyle recommendations to improve health.
Contact us at www.premierptny.com
References
Salehi-Abargouei A, Maghsoudi Z, Shirani F, Azadbakht L. Effects of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)-style diet on fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular diseases–incidence: a systematic review and meta-analysis on observational prospective studies. Nutrition. 2013 Apr;29(4):611-8.
Go AS, Mozaffarian D, Roger VL, Benjamin EJ, Berry JD, Blaha MJ, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2014 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2013
www.heart.org
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