How to reduce Blood Pressure!?

 

 How to lower blood pressure

 

There are many ways to lower blood pressure but they are mostly divided into 2 major categories, and these are with medication and without medication 

The one without medications works by changing your lifestyle 

It's very easy to bring blood pressure levels down to normal if you have mild hypertension but these medications may have some side effects, so if you can you should choose to follow the lifestyle way, as its a great role player and it can reduce the need to take medicine altogether or at least delay or reduce the amount of drug that  you need

Lifestyle changes 

1. If you are overweight or obese, try and lose some weight

Usually extra weight leads to high BP(hypertension)

And if you lose 1 kg of weight you can in general lower your BP by 1 to 2 mm of hg

2. Reduce the consumption of salt 

             As most of us are well aware that sodium is present in salt and it is in a lot of ways responsible for the High BP so we should try and limit the consumption of salts and other foods and drinks with sodium in it, 

3. Reduce the consumption of alcohol

drinking more than moderate amounts of alcohol can actually raise blood pressure by several points. It can also reduce the effectiveness of blood pressure medications.

4. Stop smoking 

After each smoke, your blood pressure level increases for some time so you should consider stopping smoking and living a better and healthy life

5. Eat healthily and exercise regularly 

Having a healthy diet and regular exercise helps us reduce any extra weight and prevents us from adding more weight and thus leading to high BP

If you have elevated blood pressure, exercise can help you avoid developing hypertension. If you already have hypertension, regular physical activity can bring your blood pressure down to safer levels.

6. Try and reduce stress

Chronic stress may contribute to high blood pressure. More research is needed to determine the effects of chronic stress on blood pressure. Occasional stress also can contribute to high blood pressure if you react to stress by eating unhealthy food, drinking alcohol or smoking.

Take some time to think about what causes you to feel stressed, such as work, family, finances or illness. Once you know what's causing your stress, consider how you can eliminate or reduce stress.

If you can't eliminate all of your stressors, you can at least cope with them in a healthier way. Try to:

• Change your expectations. like plan your day and focus on your priorities. Avoid trying to do too much and learn to say no. Understand there are some things you can't change or control, but you can focus on how you react to them.

 

• Focus on issues you can control and make plans to solve them. If you are having an issue at work, try talking to your manager. If you are having a conflict with your kids or spouse, take steps to resolve it.

 

• Avoid stress triggers. Try to avoid triggers when you can. For example, if rush-hour traffic on the way to work causes stress, try leaving earlier in the morning, or take public transportation. Avoid people who cause you stress if possible.

 

• Make time to relax and to do activities you enjoy. Take time each day to sit quietly and breathe deeply. Make time for enjoyable activities or hobbies in your schedule, such as taking a walk, cooking or volunteering. Expressing gratitude to others can help reduce your stress. 

Monitor your bp

 Home monitoring can be very help full and an early diagnosis can save lives, it can be done very easily nowadays with the help of machine we can buy in the market the digital BP measuring tools

Medication 

(i am not a medical professional and this is in no way a piece of medical advice, the drugs mentioned below are only for academic purposes)

 

• if you're under 55 years of age – you'll usually be offered an ACE inhibitor or an angiotensin-2 receptor blocker (ARB)

 

• ACE inhibitors

are Vasodilators such as Enalapril, Lisinopril, perindopril, and Ramipril ,And the most common side effects are headache , dizziness, and rashes

• ARB (angiotensin-2 receptor blocker)

These work the same way as ace inhibitors but are recommended if the patient is either allergic to ACE inhibitors or is getting a lot of side effects some examples of ace inhibitors are.Candesartan, irbesartan ,losartan . valsartan and olmesartan

Side effects may be Dizziness, headache and flu-like symptoms

 

• if you're aged 55 or older, or you're any age and of African or Caribbean origin – you'll usually be offered a calcium channel blocker  these work by

• Calcium channel blockers

reduce blood pressure by widening your blood vessels. Common examples are amlodipine, felodipine, and nifedipine. Other medicines, such as diltiazem and verapamil, are also available.Possible side effects include headaches, swollen ankles, and constipation.Drinking grapefruit juice while taking some calcium channel blockers can increase your risk of side effects.

 

 

 

 

• Diuretics

Sometimes known as water pills, diuretics work by flushing excess water and salt from the body through your pee.

They're often used if calcium channel blockers cause troublesome side effects.

Common examples are indapamide and bendroflumethiazide.

Possible side effects include dizziness when standing up, increased thirst, needing to go to the toilet frequently, and a rash.

You might also get low potassium and low sodium after long-term use.

• Beta blockers

Beta blockers can reduce blood pressure by making your heart beat more slowly and with less force.

They used to be a popular treatment for high blood pressure, but now tend to be used only when other treatments have not worked.

This is because beta blockers are considered less effective than other blood pressure medicines.

Common examples are

Possible side effects include dizziness, headaches, tiredness, and cold hands and feet