Archive

Posts Tagged ‘high blood pressure’

High Blood Pressure Treatment

April 6th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

Hypertension is a very serious and debilitating disease. It can cause death without warning. Hypertension is known as the silent killer for a reason, it has no warning signs. It strikes you down and kills you without letting you know. So if you have been diagnosed with this disease of are at risk for it, then you must read this article to know the right high blood pressure treatment.

A right high blood pressure treatment will cover everything from diet to lifestyle. There are things that you are doing right now that can be impacting your life negatively and causing you to raise your blood pressure levels up.

If you are drinking coffee, the caffeine in it raises your hypertension levels. Yes, decaffeinated coffee tastes great, but have you tried decaf coffee? Most of the time it taste exactly the same! You have the same great flavor but you cut out the caffeine that is harming your health. Any high blood pressure treatment will indicate this and you must adhere to it. If you want to improve your health, then this is one of those lifestyle changes you have to make. It is not a hard one, but it one many people don’t want to do.

Another lifestyle change you can do is stop smoking. If you’re a smoker of course, if not, then you’re one step ahead. Smoking raised your blood pressure to hypertensive levels. The reason this occurs is that with each breath of smoke, you are depriving your body of the highly needed oxygen. Oxygen is needed to circulate your blood and without it, your heart has to work much harder to pump blood around. If you can, stop smoking, if you can’t, try to stop smoking, consider using a stop smoking device if you have to. You will find this advice in any high blood pressure treatment guide. However, it is also one of many that is hard to break.

You can also cut down the amount of salt you eat every day. You might think you don’t eat much but do this to see how much you eat throughout the day. Carry around a small zip loc bag everywhere you go. When you use salt on foods, sprinkle the same amount you put on your food into the zip loc bag. At the end of the day, take a look at the amount you ate. It will surprise you! Cutting down the amount of salt you eat every day is a key part in your high blood pressure treatment.

If you don’t manage and control your hypertension, it can lead you to an early grave. Do you really want to leave your sons, daughters, wife, husband just because you did not do the right thing and saved your own life by doing some small lifestyle changes? It is not too late to change your habits. You can lower your blood pressure and be healthy once more. Consider this a second chance at life, a second chance that you should not pass up.

Healthy Blood Pressure

March 12th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

Keeping a healthy blood pressure is more important now than ever before. The reason for this is that people are living a more sedentary lifestyle plus eating unhealthy has become a common habit. Hypertension occurs when the blood exerts a stronger than normal pressure over the walls of the blood vessels. This pressure can be strong enough to break the arteries and cause a wide number of health problems that can result in death. Heart attacks and strokes are among the most feared consequences of having high blood pressure but that is not all; many organs in the body like kidneys and lungs can also suffer great damage from this condition.

The average blood pressure has a reading below 120/80mmHg. The top number is the systolic blood pressure when the heart is pumping blood and the bottom one is the diastolic, pressure when the heart rests. As long you keep your blood pressure below the average reading your cardiovascular health will not present many problems. Once the blood pressure goes beyond the average reading the risk of suffering heart problems starts increasing. Hypertension do not have symptoms so your body could be getting internal damage and you will not notice until is too late. Sometimes people can experience headaches with blurred vision and nausea. In those cases you must the see doctor immediately.

One question that is always on the mind of the people is what causes hypertension? Well there are many factors that play an important role in developing hypertension. Possible the most important factor is the food that you eat. One general rule is that we become what we eat so a diet with fatty foods will normally lead us to suffer hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and many more diseases. When we eat foods high in fat our blood becomes thicker and the heart has to make more effort to pump it through the body. Genetics, salt intake and life activity also play a role as some causes of hypertension.

Getting a healthy blood pressure is easier than you might think. Most doctors will tell you that you have live the rest of your life with the condition but the truth is that you do not. Medication will only keep it under control but the condition is still there. Your blood pressure can get to healthy levels simply by eating correctly. Once you stop consuming fatty foods and start with many vegetables and fruits, your pressure will go down automatically. Many foods like garlic have amazing properties that can heal the human body. Stress can also be dangerous when suffering hypertension. Meditation and yoga are very useful to relax and calm which can help in preventing the pressure spikes that can be caused by stress.

High Blood Pressure Exercises

February 25th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

High blood pressure may not be easily detected unless you have your equipment, but it does cause a lot of serious health problems. It can often lead to heart failure, stroke, heart attack, kidney failure that may lead to death. But you can control it and it may only take some lifestyle changes and some exercises for high blood pressure.

Exercising is indeed a great way to live a healthier lifestyle. Of course, along with it should be healthy food and eating habits. If you have hypertension, you can actually find ways to control and deal with it. There are exercises that can help a lot in lowering down and take care of your symptoms. Working out can indeed help if you want to maintain a normal pressure, regular exercise plays a big role.

Exercising can indeed bring in good benefits aside from reducing pressure. From a healthy heart, you can also benefit a lot more things from regular exercise including the maintenance of healthy weight or losing excess weight if you are having weight problems which can also add up to your circulation problems, and of course strengthening your heart.

The best exercises for high blood pressure are aerobic exercises. These are exercises that improves the use of oxygen in the cardiovascular system as well as in the body’s metabolism and in the many processes occurring in the body. Among the best aerobic exercises for high blood pressure are brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming and dancing. If you are hypertensive though, you have to consult your physician before engaging into physical activities such as these.

Walking is the simplest you can do to get started. Regular walking 30 minutes in a day can indeed make good improvements in your health and normalize your blood pressure. Brisk walking along with proper breathing helps a lot in your quest to stay hypertension-free in the long run, for as long as you do it regularly.

You can also use the treadmills if you can’t go outdoors. Swimming is also a great aerobic exercise which also helps in the proper circulation of blood. Even those exercises of moderate intensity such as dancing and enjoying your favorite sports are also great to reduce pressure of your blood in the long run, for as long as you continue to do them regularly.

Even if you are in perfectly normal health or you are not hypertensive, regular exercise is still recommended to prevent high blood pressure as you go older. Remember too that you can’t just do strenuous exercises now hoping to lower down your pressure forever. You have to do regular exercise to keep your from rising, and you don’t have to make it strenuous. Moderate exercise can be effective as well, for as long as you do it regularly.

Aside from these aerobic exercises, yoga and breathing exercises can also help in dealing with hypertension. Of course, apart from doing physical activities and these exercises for high blood pressure, it is also a big factor to keep a healthy lifestyle.

Foods That Lower Cholesterol

February 14th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

High cholesterol foods can have a detrimental affect on your health! Cholesterol can destroy your life if you are not careful! You are at an increased risk of heart attacks, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and strokes if you do not get help!

You can make changes to your life if you are committed to seeing a difference. You do not have to continue eating all of the same unhealthy foods all of the time! Here are my top 3 foods that lower cholesterol.

1. Fish

Fish includes omega-3 fatty acids which can make a significant difference in your cholesterol. Omega-3 fatty acids help lower your risk of high blood pressure and developing blood clots. You can make a big change in your diet by eating fish at least twice a week. I recommend that you eat fish instead of hamburgers, fried chicken, and steak. You can still eat red meat from time to time, but you should eat it sparingly.

2. Whole Wheat Foods

Whole wheat foods are probably the most important foods to lowering cholesterol in your body. This is going to be absolutely essential to your diet. The easiest way to incorporate whole wheat into your diet is to switch to whole wheat bread and eat oatmeal for breakfast. These two simple steps can help bring down high cholesterol levels.

3. Walnuts

Walnuts help protect your heart by lowering LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) in your body. It has even been suggested that you should eat walnuts after eating a big fatty meal. This can help protect your heart and your blood pressure.

Bonus Tip: Lower Your Cholesterol With Natural Supplements

These are my top 3 foods that lower cholesterol. In addition to these healthy foods, I recommend taking a daily natural cholesterol control supplement and exercising at least 30 minutes a day to give you the maximum benefits of a low cholesterol diet.

A natural supplement for cholesterol should contain theaflavins, beta sitosterol and d-limonene oil, just to name a few proven effective ingredients.

Anxiety and Hypertension

February 11th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

Doctors, researchers, and medical professionals are not entirely sure what the link between stress levels and high blood pressure or hypertension is, but there certainly does seem to be a connection. Stress itself may even be a risk factor for heart disease. There are numerous possible reasons why stress increases blood pressure and medical professionals are still attempting to determine why stress and hypertension are linked.

One of the possible reasons for the link is that stress and anxiety seem to lead to more risky behaviors like smoking more or exercising less. Many researchers suspect that the link between stress and high blood pressure may be caused simply be the increase in risky behavior. This is one of several theories on the connection.

Another possible reason that there is a connection between high blood pressure and stress is stress hormones. When an individual is under prolonged stress the body will react to it physically as a way of trying to send a signal that something is wrong. The stress hormones that are release may be the cause of the increase in blood pressure.

Some physical signs of high stress levels are dizziness, aches and pains, grinding or tapping teeth, shaking, muscle tension, trouble sleeping, indigestion, and exhaustion. These are just a few of the possible affects that stress can have on the body. Some of the mental signs of symptoms are worry, restlessness, constant worry, loss of humor, lessened creativity, and less interest in things that were once of interest.

Stress comes in a variety of forms and from a variety of sources; for that reason, stress has widely varied affects. Researchers may not completely understand what causes the link between stress and hypertension, but they do recognize that there is a connection between the two. Stress and anxiety can have serious affects on wellness and even lead to a higher risk of heart disease.

Anti-Hypertensive Diet

December 24th, 2009 Dan Hicks No comments

According to the latest statistics, there are about 65 million Americans with hypertension or high blood pressure. Learn the three essential foods you need to include in your diet to control high blood pressure. This article on anti-hypertensive diet may save your heart and your life.

Maybe you are one of those 65 million with hypertension. Are you above 40? Are you experiencing sudden headaches? It is a known fact that many people are not aware they already have hypertension. This could potentially harm your heart and overall cardiovascular health. At age 40, have your blood pressure monitored regularly. Although younger individuals are not spared from hypertension, this is absolutely critical with people reaching the age of 40.

One of the main concerns with people having hypertension is the diet. Here are three essential foods you need to include in your anti-hypertensive diet.

The first in the list of essential foods is vegetables. Pay close attention to including garlic and onions. These vegetables are known for centuries to control hypertension. The healing properties of both garlic and onions are so amazing that it can strengthen your heart and regulate the blood pressure effectively. These spices can be great for your salad, soups, and salsa. You can also add them in your sour cream and pastas.

The second essential food is whole oats to maintain normal blood pressure. In addition, this group particularly controls the cholesterol and blood sugar levels due to its fiber content. Starting today, increase your intake of whole oats in replacement to all the processed and refined foods.

Lastly, you need to include Omega-3 fatty acids in your anti-hypertensive diet. Rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids are fishes like tuna, salmon, and halibut. These fatty acids lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels which are helpful in controlling hypertension.

The etiology of hypertension

December 13th, 2009 Dan Hicks 1 comment

There are many people in the world today who are falling prey to high blood pressure. The chronic condition in which blood pressure is elevated is called hypertension. There are two types of hypertension and they are primary and secondary. The causes of primary hypertension have not yet been ascertained and there are a large number of people who suffer from this condition. Secondary hypertension indicates that the high blood pressure is the result of another condition that can be a kidney disease or the tumors of adrenal and pheochromocytoma. Those people who suffer from persistent hypertension are susceptible to strokes, heart attacks, heart failure, arterial aneurysm and are the major contributing factor to chronic renal failure.

According to a recent study that was conducted by the American Heart Association it was observed that around 90 to 95 per cent of hypertension cases have no causes in particular, however, there are factors that have contributed to high blood pressure. As one ages, the blood vessels in the body begin to constrict and this brings about a reduction in the volume of blood flow. This in turn results in an increased amount of pressure that is exerted by the blood so that it can pass through the narrowing blood vessels.

It had been also observed that people who have a darker skin tone are more prone to hypertension compared to people with a lighter skin tone. The researchers also observed that black people also have higher chances of developing other complications that are associated with hypertension like strokes and heart disease. The exact reason of the above fact has not yet been ascertained but medical statistics have shown these results. There are some genetic and hereditary factors that also lead in the etiology of hypertension. There are studies that have proved that it has the tendency to run in the family. Those with a family history of hypertension have the increased risk of developing the condition than those who do not. These heredity factors are responsible for the transmission of the condition from one generation to another.

Another contributing factor to the etiology of hypertension is smoking. This leads to increased blood pressure as the chemicals that are accumulated over the walls of the arteries and the blood vessels. Passive smokers also have the risk of getting hypertension and so it is advised to avoid smoking. There are also some other factors that contribute to the etiology of hypertension like deficiency of vitamin D, low potassium levels, excessive consumption of alcohol and stress.

Stress and High Blood Pressure

December 10th, 2009 Dan Hicks No comments

Most people already know that stress and high blood pressure are related. In this article, I’ll share with you 3 great tips for lowering your blood pressure and your stress together. I’ll also remind you that stress is not the only factor for those with high blood pressure to consider.

Tip 1 – Try Supplements

Supplements are not a “magic bullet” cure for hypertension but as part of an overall program they are great.

L-theanine is a very little known about supplement that is derived from an amino acid in tea. This stuff has been used in Japan since the 60s with no known side effects.

It doesn’t make you drowsy but it does reduce mental and physical stress and boosts the immune system too.

Tip 2 – Biofeedback

We have much more control over our own bodies than most of us usually think about. Did you know that you can actually reduce your bp by “willing” or “thinking” about it coming down? This is known in medical science as biofeedback.

Tip 3 – Exercise

Exercise has a great benefit to the cardiovascular system generally. It widens the arteries and therefore lowers the blood pressure. It also helps to rid the arterial walls of deposits.

But leaving aside these benefits, it is also a great stress reliever. People who exercise once a day or once every two days are well known to have much less stress than those who never do any exercise.

Other Factors – Diet And Exercise

Exercise we already mentioned is very beneficial for reducing blood pressure. But you also need to consider your diet. Although some people think that all their hypertension problems are caused by stress, this is extremely rarely the case. For 99% of people, it is a combination of diet, exercise and stress and all three need to be looked at carefully.

Treating High Blood Pressure

December 4th, 2009 Dan Hicks No comments

According to the American medical establishment, the cause of 90% of high blood pressure (also known as ‘hypertension’) is unknown. But the fact is that the causes of hypertension are well known.

What the medical establishment is actually saying is that for the vast majority of people with hypertension, a single identifiable cause for their condition can’t be proved beyond doubt.

If we look at the actual statistics and our own personal experiences then the major causes of hypertension isn’t that hard to figure out.The following are the five main causes of high blood pressure (HBP) listed in no particular order.

High blood pressure caused by Modern Diet

That frozen take-home meal may taste great, not to mention fast and convenient. It might also be slowly killing us. I’m talking about highly processed foods full of saturated fats, trans-fats, salt, etc. Over time all these unnecessary additives clog up our system and increase our blood pressure (BP). These days we are literally eating ourselves to death.

The good news is that there are all sorts of tasty alternatives. By switching to a healthy and tasty diet we can reverse the effects of of diet caused (HBP) back to healthy levels.

High blood pressure caused by Lack of Exercise

Modern lifestyles and and endless stream of entertainment on the TV and the Internet doesn’t encourage an active lifestyle. Which is a pity because there’s nothing our heart and blood circulatory system loves more than a daily workout.

High blood pressure caused by Stress

Stress is not always as easy to detect as you make think. Even after you have left the office and have left yet another bumper to bumper commute behind you, stress can hang on and infiltrate many other areas of your life. Some people are more prone to stress than others. Some stress may be good for you. But too much for too long can lead to hypertension. Thankfully, if your prone to stress build up there are ways to relief it and see it off – and lower your BP as a consequence.

High blood pressure caused by Genetics

HBP tends to run in families. If your parents suffer from HBP the likelihood of you developing it are greater. Some people are simply more to get HBP simply due to their genetic structure. That doesn’t mean that there’s nothing you can do about though. If you have HBP ‘in the genes’ it just means that you have to work a little harder at achieving and maintaining a healthy range.

High blood pressure caused by Age

Yep, its a fact that as we get older our blood circulatory system ages with us. Veins tend to constrict and harden (aka. atherosclerosis). The flow is decreased and the pressure decreases. The medical establishment used to take this into account when determining acceptable BP. It used to be systolic 100 plus your age was considered OK. Now there’s nothing we can do about getting older. It happens to all of us, rich or poor, celebrity or hermit. But there is a number of things we can do to arrest the ravages of time pumping up our BP.

Treating high blood pressure causes

These are the five main causes causes of HBP. The first three causes (diet, lack of exercise, stress) are a symptom of 21st century lifestyle while the other two causes (genetics and aging) are inescapable parts of being human.

Hypertension (the medical term for high blood pressure) as a result of the first three causes are easier to cure. We simply have to change or diet, start exercising and de-stressing. There are guides to help us accomplish this.

Hypertension caused by aging can also be countered by adopting a healthy lifestyle. The effects of aging on your circulatory system be put of indefinitely through good diet and exercise. Naturally based antioxidants now being made available can slow or even, to a degree, reverse the process of aging, according to tests.

Hypertension due to genetics can’t be ‘cured’ – but it can be countered. Having a genetic propensity towards HBP doesn’t mean you are doomed. It simply means that you have to work harder at maintaining a healthy blood pressure.

The bottom line is this: There’s not a single cause of high blood pressure that can be treated and overcome by natural means if you are willing to make some lifestyle changes.

Health Risks of Hypertension and Diabetes

November 30th, 2009 Dan Hicks No comments

It’s known that hypertension itself significantly increases these risks, too. Unfortunately, the two diseases often go hand-in-hand and more then two-thirds of people diabetics also suffer from high blood pressure, HBP. As a result they have a compounded risk of various medical conditions.

LifeWire – It’s common that people with diabetes with all the attention paid to blood glucose level overlook closely associated medical condition – Hypertension.

A Lower Blood Pressure Goal for People with Diabetes

Health care providers usually recommend diabetics will keep their blood pressure, BP, even lower than most adults under 130/80 mm/Hg. According to the recommendations of Diabetes Association (ADA) people with diabetes should get their BP checked at least two to four times per year.

Lifestyle Changes for High Blood Pressure Control

The only good thing about diabetes is that the lifestyle changes to help control HBP and diabetes are pretty much the same. Additionally these help control blood cholesterol levels, too.

Diet

The recommended diet for people with diabetes include: a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lower-fat proteins (dairy, fish and nuts), and unsaturated fats. Since carbohydrates can contribute to the elevated blood sugar level attention must also be paid to carbohydrate consumption. But, all over, this is the same basic diet that is effective for diabetes management.

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet plan recommended for controlling HBP puts the same emphasis on fresh and low fat food choices. Additionally it also limits sodium consumption to only 2,400 milligrams per day. That way the DASH diet help in controlling both diabetes and high blood pressure.

Exercise

The required modifications in lifestyle recommended for diabetes pretty much similar to those for hypertension. A brisk walk for 30 minutes for five days per week can help manage and reduce risk for both conditions.

Weight Control

Excess weight and obesity significantly raises the risk for both diabetes and hypertension. Achieve calorie balance – if you take in the less number of calories a day that you usually burn to maintain a daily activities will help you lose the extra pounds and achieve your optimal weight. This will help control both conditions.

No Smoking

Smoking is a powerful risk factor for heart disease — and both diabetes and HBP raise the risk of developing heart disease – if you are diagnosed as diabetic, it’s crucial to stop smoking as soon as possible.

Medications May Be Required

Although these lifestyle changes help vast majority of people control high blood pressure and/or diabetes, in some cases even the most sincere efforts at lifestyle modification won’t be enough to take control of your blood pressure. In such cases, your doctor may recommend taking medications.

According the long experience in treating HBP and diabetes it’s have found that most diabetics have to take more than one medication to control high blood pressure.