Tips for Lowering Blood Pressure Naturally

by Mark Robertson

Covering tips for lowering blood pressure naturally and during pregnancy

A growing number of people is opting to manage high blood pressure conditions using natural means. This is not surprising because of the cost of blood pressure medications as well as sometimes dreadful hypertension medication side effects.

Tips for lowering blood pressure naturally are better understood when one has an appreciation of the causes of high blood pressure. Unlike low blood pressure causes, hypertension causes are not fully understood in the case of essential hypertension.

It must also be noted from the onset that some blood pressure subtypes such as malignant hypertension which is also known as accelerated hypertension will almost inevitably require hypertension medications in addition to some useful tips for lowering high blood pressure.

You will need to approach your doctor for guidance. Doctors usually make reference to blood pressure charts showing blood pressure ranges and hypertension guidelines to determine if natural methods alone will suffice. This therefore means that natural blood pressure lowering methods and tips by themselves can never replace the need for hypertension meds in certain circumstances.

The relationship between salt and high blood pressure is of paramount importance to understand for anyone seeking to lower their blood pressure naturally. Reducing your sodium intake almost instantly positively impacts your blood pressure health. Sodium is a mineral that is found in many salts and products namely table salt, sea salt and processed food products.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends about 2300mg daily sodium intake. Most adults eat up to 5400mg per day. Try and reduce your salt intake by checking food labels to ensure your daily total consumption does not exceed the set 2300mg. Use of nutritional supplements such as glucosamine is also detrimental to your blood pressure health if it contains sulfate. The glucosamine and blood pressure association has been studied and shown that glucosamine sulfate in particular is dangerous for people with high blood pressure. Supplements may also be dangerous for people suffering from labile hypertension.

Tips for lowering blood pressure naturally on my list will also include following a hypertension diet. This type of diet is very low in sodium and includes lots of fruits and veggies and other foods that lower blood pressure such as celery. The association between celery and blood pressure has been of interest and benefit to many hypertension patients. Celery is known to play a role in reducing high blood pressure.

Exercise is also important to your efforts of lowering blood pressure naturally. Contrary to a long held view that exercise may be dangerous to blood pressure patients, in fact doctors take seriously the relationship between exercise and blood pressure. The key here and safety is in doing certain types of exercises that benefit your blood pressure health.

This would particularly refer to aerobic exercise which is known to benefit the heart, muscles and arteries. Activities in this category would include walking the dog, cutting your grass and light gardening amongst other things. Exercise obviously contributes to weight loss and this is particularly beneficial to overweight or obese individuals. It is even more beneficial when combined with the other tips in this article.

Doctors also recommend lifestyle modifications that do away with or drastically reduces consumption of tobacco and alcohol. These are important factors that drive up blood pressure readings. The caffeine and blood pressure relationship is largely in controversy to some extent. Yet it is agreed that caffeine does cause blood pressure spikes in some individuals moments after consumption. How it affects blood pressure overall in the medium to long term is not fully agreed nor adequately understood. Therefore cutting back on your coffee consumption will likely be an effective tip for lowering blood pressure naturally.

Having said that, home blood pressure monitoring has by all means become extremely important for people who are concerned about their individual blood pressure readings. Likewise, individuals keen on lowering their blood pressure naturally need also consider investing in blood pressure equipment which is clinically approved and accurately measures readings. Such a monitor would include names such as the Omron series, Samsung and Relionamongst other good brands. You may read this article on how to take blood pressure for accurate and useful blood pressure measurements.

The idea here is to keep track of your blood pressure response as you try different natural blood pressure lowering tips. Usually the body responds fairly quickly which helps tell what works for an individual and what doesn't.

Tips for lowering blood pressure summary

Summaries help to get things remembered easily. The following are key tips for lowering blood pressure naturally contained in this article for you to take home;

• Reduce sodium consumption. Sodium is found in many salts and grocery store processed foods. Check food labels to help control how much sodium you consume daily.
• Hypertension Diet. Introduce a hypertension diet such as DASH laden with fruits and veggies and foods that reduce blood pressure. DASH specifically contains 7 day menus and some recipes to help you get going.
• Exercise. Engage in some daily physical exercise aerobic in nature. They must not be physically taxing such as weight lifting which will easily strain your heart and increase blood pressure
• Avoid tobacco and alcohol. Lifestyle modifications beyond what has been mentioned above will be necessary. Avoid tobacco and alcohol. Tobacco use will also include cigarette smoking and chewing tobacco

Tips for lowering blood pressure during pregnancy

Pregnant women are also susceptible to high blood pressure that for many is brought about by the fact that they are pregnant. High blood pressure during pregnancy is called gestational hypertension and may become severe into what is called preeclampsia which puts the life of the mother and the baby in danger apart from damaging internal organs.

Pregnant women should also reduce sodium intake as a way of lowering blood pressure. Foods that lower blood pressure will also be necessary. Light exercise directed by the doctor will also help in this endeavor. Pregnant women should also take a lot of bed rest and avoid putting one's self under a lot of stressful pressure which will increase blood pressure.

Smoking while pregnant and drinking alcohol should be a taboo. This increases blood pressure of the pregnant woman as well as damaging the fetus. Before getting pregnant, women can take preemptive measures to help reduce the effect of high blood pressure in pregnancy. These measures would include lifestyle changes in diet and substance indulgence.

Return to Articles on Hypertension from Tips for Lowering Blood Pressure Naturally


Return to High Blood Pressure Home from Tips for Lowering Blood Pressure Naturally

Disclaimer
Information contained on this website is not meant to replace your doctor's advice.
(c) All Rights Reserved. 2010-2018