What is Good for High Blood Pressure? High Blood Pressure Symptoms
High blood pressure is a serious health problem that is common worldwide and affects the body’s arteries. The pushing force of circulating blood against the artery walls is blood pressure. The blood pumped from the heart must have a certain pressure in order to move through the veins. However, when the blood pressure affecting the artery walls is constantly high, the heart has to work harder to pump blood. It can also damage arteries, leading to serious complications such as heart attack and stroke.
What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?
High blood pressure often occurs without any symptoms and is therefore described as the “silent killer”. The person may not be aware that he is experiencing any adverse situation in his body, but the increased blood pressure in high blood pressure patients constantly damages the normal functions of blood vessels and heart. The pressure exerted by blood on artery walls is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). There are two measurements that define high blood pressure, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure is popularly known as systolic blood pressure and is the value of the pressure that the blood exerts on the artery walls when the heart beats or contracts. Diastolic, also known as diastolic blood pressure, is the pressure that blood exerts on the artery walls when the heart relaxes. The ideal blood pressure value is considered to be 120/80 mmHg. In general, a blood pressure value above 130/80 mmHg is considered high blood pressure. When the blood pressure value rises to 180/120 mmHg, the following symptoms may be observed:
- dizziness
- Nose bleeding
- Severe headache
- Increased heart rhythm
- chest pain
- difficulty breathing
- Nausea and vomiting
- Vision problems such as blurred vision
- Increased feelings of worry and anxiety
- confusion
- buzzing in the ears
What are the Causes of High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure is not due to a single, definitive cause. Often a combination of many health conditions can be responsible for increased blood pressure. The type of high blood pressure whose cause is unknown is called “essential hypertension”. Although it remains a mystery, essential causes of high blood pressure include the following:
- Unhealthy eating habits high in sodium
- Lack of physical activity
- Stress
- Aging
- Genetic predisposition
- excess weight
- Diabetes
- Insufficient calcium, potassium and magnesium intake
- thyroid disorders
In addition, essential hypertension affects men more than women. Race may also be responsible for the increased risk of hypertension. For example, black people have a higher risk of developing high blood pressure than white people. If a direct cause of high blood pressure can be identified, this condition is called “secondary hypertension”. Secondary causes of hypertension include:
- Some types of medications, such as immunosuppressants and birth control medications
- Chronic kidney diseases (renal vascular diseases, renal artery stenosis, kidney tumors, etc.)
- Sleep apnea
- Conn syndrome
- Drug use (cocaine, amphetamine, etc.)
How to Lower High Blood Pressure?
In case of high blood pressure, which occurs due to increased blood pressure, the factor causing the blood pressure must first be determined. If the exact cause is not known, lifestyle changes should be made and medications prescribed by the doctor should be used regularly. When you notice that your blood pressure is rising, you can do the following to temporarily lower blood pressure:
- Water can help lower blood pressure by reducing the density of circulating blood. Be sure to consume plenty of water throughout the day to lower blood pressure.
- Stress and tension can cause increased blood pressure to increase further. You can provide psychological relief with deep breathing techniques and contribute to the decrease in blood pressure by calming down.
- You can apply cold towels or ice to your forehead, neck and wrists to help reduce blood pressure by constricting blood vessels.
- You can consume herbal teas such as chamomile tea and lemon balm tea to help you feel calmer. Be careful to stay away from drinks such as coffee and tea when your blood pressure rises.
- Physical activities such as light stretching and walking can help lower blood pressure temporarily.
What is Good for High Blood Pressure?
The best way to keep high blood pressure under control is to have healthy lifestyle habits. Adopting a healthy lifestyle such as adequate and balanced nutrition and regular physical activity can prevent, delay or reduce the need for blood pressure medications. Suggestions that can help you keep blood pressure under control may include:
Get Rid of Excess Weight
Excess weight can make it difficult to breathe while sleeping, leading to sleep apnea and therefore increased blood pressure. Obese and overweight people have a higher risk of high blood pressure. You can reduce the risk of high blood pressure by keeping your ideal weight under control.
Exercise Regularly
Regularly doing activities such as walking, running, swimming, dancing and cycling plays an important role in regulating blood pressure. Supplementing the exercise program with 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day and strength training at least two days a week can reduce the risk of high blood pressure.
Eat Adequate and Balanced Nutrition
Diet program is of great importance in controlling blood pressure. You can follow a nutrition program that includes whole grain foods, foods with quality protein content such as meat, milk and eggs, and healthy fats such as avocados, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds and vegetable oils. You can reduce the effects of salt (sodium) on blood pressure by adding potassium-rich fresh vegetables and fruits such as bananas, avocados and potatoes to your diet.
Reduce Salt Intake in Diet
When the sodium in salt exceeds the recommended daily intake, it can cause increased blood volume in the vessels and disruption of the fluid-electrolyte balance in the kidneys, causing high blood pressure. It is recommended that daily salt intake should not exceed 1.5 grams in high blood pressure patients. To reduce dietary salt intake, you should stay away from processed foods and avoid using extra salt in meals.
Pay Attention to Your Sleep
Decreased sleep duration and/or quality may increase the risk of hypertension and exacerbate symptoms in those who already have high blood pressure. If you have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, you should definitely consult a doctor to investigate the reasons and find solutions. If there is no underlying cause, you can consider the following suggestions for a good sleep:
- Prepare to go to bed at the same time every day and adopt sleep rituals such as taking a warm shower, reading a book, doing a relaxing exercise, or listening to soothing music.
- Make sure that the room you sleep in is dark and quiet.
- Stay away from bright screens such as TV, computer or mobile phone.
Manage Stress
Stress is an emotion that helps a person stay alert and focus. However, long-term stress can cause blood pressure to increase. Staying away from stressful environments and/or people can reduce the risk of high blood pressure. However, it may not always be possible to avoid stress. You can help regulate blood pressure by using some methods to manage stress. For example, you can include practices such as breathing techniques, meditation, yoga and behavioral therapies into your life.
How to Treat High Blood Pressure?
The most important step in high blood pressure treatment is to acquire healthy lifestyle habits and the aim is to reduce blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg. If there is another disease that causes high blood pressure, your doctor will treat this disease first. In addition to adequate and balanced nutrition and physical activity, he or she may recommend using blood pressure medications to control blood pressure. Regular use of blood pressure medications and not discontinuing them without a doctor’s advice is vital for the effectiveness of blood pressure treatment and protection of cardiovascular health.
When high blood pressure is not controlled, it can cause serious complications such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure, peripheral artery disease, and kidney diseases. It is especially important for adults over the age of 40 with genetic predisposition and people with symptoms of high blood pressure to make an appointment with the nearest health institution to have their blood pressure checked at regular intervals.
