Blood Pressure Control Is Health Control

If you have been told that your blood pressure is too high (that is, that you have hypertension), then what you were actually being told was that your lifestyle is not particularly healthy. This is because, unless your hypertension has come about because of ethnicity, age, sleeplessness or medication, you are doing something wrong in your daily life.

Blood pressure control for most people means initiating lifestyle alterations for the better or taking tablets for life. If you have hypertension but you cannot go to see your medical doctor as often as you would like, you could always buy a home blood pressure monitor and keep an eye on your blood pressure yourself.

The best sort to buy is an automatic digital monitor with a self-inflating cuff. It should also have a pulse monitor and several memories, although you can always use good old-fashioned pen and paper. They are not expensive any more and should cost between $30 and $100.

Some have a lifetime warranty and are as accurate as your GP's sphygmomanometer, which is the gold standard of blood pressure monitors. You should take your readings at the same time every day (or two or three times a day at the same times) and make a record of it or them. In this fashion you can compare your progress (or lack of it).

The first thing to do is quit smoking (if you smoke, obviously) and then cut down on heavy drinking sessions, if you do that). Doing that will improve your general health whether you have high arterial pressures or not.

The next thing to do is to reduce your weight, if you are overweight by dieting and exercise. If you are not overweight, you will still have to increase your degree of exercise and change your diet for the following reasons. Exercise decreases your arterial pressures and an excessive amount of salt (also called sodium) will raise your blood pressure.

So, whichever way you look at it, you will need to exercise more and take on a low-sodium diet. One of the ways of reducing sodium in your diet is by eating fresh fruit and vegetables and give up eating canned and other fast foods, which are stuffed with salt.

These lifestyle changes are not easy, so if you have to take some of them on board, consider getting help. For instance, you could use patches to help you quit smoking. You could visit the pub less frequently or simply go there later in the evening. You could ask your spouse to go on the diet as well or you could join a support group on or off line.

There really are plenty of resources out there to help you circumvent hypertension, but if you really cannot be bothered, then pop along to your physician's and get your first batch or high blood pressure tablets and be certain to make a repeat appointment, because you will be going back and forth for the remainder of your life.

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Blood Pressure Lowering Strategies That Could Save Your Life!

Hypertension is not in itself a disease, and is referred to as the 'silent killer' as it rarely produces any symptoms. But, over time, it causes excessive force on your artery walls and can seriously compromise many of your body's vital organs - and can even be fatal.

In about 90% of cases the cause of hypertension is unknown. This is referred to as 'primary' or 'essential' hypertension. Some risk factors that contribute to high blood pressure - like family history - are outside your control, but others you can effectively reduce or eliminate by following these proven tips:

1. lose any excess weight. Being overweight means that the amount of blood circulating through your blood vessels increases, creating extra force on your artery walls. Losing as little as 4kg has been shown to bring blood pressure readings down to normal in some cases.

2. Make exercise a part of your everyday routine - walking for just 30 minutes four or five days of the week can significantly lower your blood pressure. However, it is important that you don't begin a strenuous aerobic exercise regime; instead, start slowly with something you enjoy like swimming or golf, and only with your doctor's prior approval and advice.

3. Eliminate or reduce smoking and drinking. Reducing the amount of alcohol you drink can lower your systolic pressure (when your heart contracts like a pump) by up to 5 points and your diastolic pressure (when your heart delates and refills with blood) by about 3 points. The chemicals in tobacco can damage the lining of your artery walls, increasing the risk of cholesterol deposits; and nicotine also constricts your blood vessels and forces your heart to work harder.

4. manage stress - as high levels can cause a dramatic increase in blood pressure. You can help avoid stress by getting ample sleep, saying no to extra tasks and staying calm and patient. Specific relaxation techniques such as massage, yoga, and meditation can be beneficial for reducing stress.

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High Blood Pressure Over Diagnosed - NHS Recommends Home Blood Pressure Monitoring

A recent study by Britain's NHS suggests that many patients are diagnosed as having high blood pressure when they really don't. A professor from University of Leicester says that blood pressure taken in a clinical setting (doctor's office) is affected by "white coat hypertension" more than previously thought. White coat hypertension is the term used for persons who's BP becomes elevated due to the stress they experience simply by being in the doctor's office.

As expected, most cases of elevated blood pressure are diagnosed by the doctor in his office. This new revelation may mean that thousands of people who have been diagnosed and treated for pre-hypertension may in fact have normal pressure.

Home blood pressure monitoring recommended

The recommendation from the Blood Pressure Association (the UK version of the American Heart Association) is the use of home blood pressure monitors. Monitoring pressure in the familiar and comfortable setting of a person's home minimizes the chances of a reading being influenced by stress and anxiety. Most modern blood pressure monitors are semi or fully automated and easy to use.

In the UK where the government offers universal health care the impact of over diagnoses and treatment is as much financial as it is medical. If a person is diagnosed as pre-hypertensive and also suffers from white coat hypertension, repeated trips to the doctor's office will simply exacerbate the problem and use up limited medical resources. In addition, any drug prescribed for the condition (usually a diuretic) is paid for by the NHS.

A clinically validated monitor costs between $45 and $90 which is much less expensive than repeated visits to the doctor. In addition, if medication can be reduced or eliminated that cost, as well as the potential side effects, goes away.

Lessons for US treatment for elevated pressure

The lesson to be learned by the rest of the world, particularly the United States where over 50 million people are thought to have high blood pressure, is that home pressure monitoring may reveal the same kind of over diagnosis. In the past artificially elevated pressure was explained as the anxiety of being in a doctor's office. Today there are additional stressors that are tied to the economic environment.

A trip to the doctor with reduced or no insurance benefits now represents an unplanned expense that can have potentially a significant financial impact on the patient and his or her family. Anxiety is becoming the norm.

If the NHS findings are correct, then it would seem to be logical for all persons diagnosed with high BP to use a home blood pressure monitor to get an accurate reading to their condition. This can result in a reduction in over medicating, stress and by engaging the patient in their condition, an increase in their awareness to diet, exercise and lifestyle.

Does this article make sense to you? Do you experience anxiety when you visit the doctor? Could it be that your blood pressure isn't as high as your doctor thinks? Have you been prescribed a higher dose of medication than you need based on pressure readings that are artificially elevated because of nerves?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then you really should consider blood pressure monitoring at home. It's easy, it's cheap and it can give you and your doctor the real picture of your problem.

For a step by step description of just how easy home monitoring is click here.

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Ways To Lower Blood Pressure Fast - Knock 10 Points Off Now!

If you suffer from high blood pressure you already know how miserable life can be. Hypertension is nothing to mess around with but if you don't do anything the best you will ever feel is the way you feel today. If you'd like to learn how to lower pressure fast just keep reading.

If you are on medication stay on it. Quitting hypertension medicine cold turkey can have disastrous affects. Do try these natural approaches to lowering blood pressure and as they work, consult with your doctor about reducing dosages of medication.

The fastest way to lower your pressure is through daily aerobic exercise. A thirty minute walk or bicycle ride can drop your BP about 2 points immediately and it will stay there for roughly 24 hours. Regular exercise will also strengthen your heart muscle and burn off stress related chemicals in your blood.

The Three Day Diet To Lower Blood Pressure

Try these three natural approaches for three days and watch your pressure drop 10 points.
Three teaspoons of apple vinegar mixed in a half glass of water. Nobody knows exactly why this works but it does. Take the mixture each morning for three days.Take a garlic supplement, or if you are a purist and love garlic, eat three to five cloves a day. Garlic has been used as a medicinal drug for centuries and is an abundant source of antioxidants.You need a good source of Omega-3 and you can pretty much forget about finding it in fish anymore. Most salmon are farm raised and fed junk. Only use fish that are classified as "wild" otherwise take a supplement.

These three natural remedies working together are great ways to lower blood pressure fast and show you the value of a natural approach to your condition.

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High Blood Pressure Remedies - What You Can Do Without Using Drugs

According to the American Heart Association there are high blood pressure remedies that don't call for drugs that most of the 50 million Americans who have this condition can benefit from. In fact the AMA says that medication is only useful when diet, exercise and changes in lifestyle fail to work. So what are these drug free remedies and why aren't more people using them?

To answer the last part of the question first, our American medical professionals turn to pharmaceuticals first as a matter of routine. That's the way they are trained and that's the most efficient use of the 15 minutes that they typically can allow for each doctor's visit. This is not to say that they don't care, it's just the way our health care system has evolved.

The net result is that treatment for high blood pressure usually involves testing different types of drugs and different doses until a combination is reached that effectively manages blood pressure. The problem of course is the discomfort and unnecessary over dosing that can result from this practice of mixing and matching. People trust their doctors so they accept this practice.

But how much do you know about blood pressure remedies that don't require drugs?

There are no definitive causes for hypertension but there are almost always the same lifestyles that lead up to it. Common characteristics in people with elevated pressure include obesity typically caused by a sedentary lifestyle and a diet high in fats and low in nutrition. Stress is the second common characteristic and with over half of Americans suffering from some form of sleep deprivation that's understandable.

The three things that are common to bringing on HBP, lack of exercise, poor diet and stress are the three things that can just as easily reverse and even cure the condition.

But this is where it can get really complicated and requires more effort than some people are willing to exert.

Exercise

This is an easy one. Exercise is the fastest way to lower blood pressure period. Forty minutes of light aerobic exercises like walking or riding a bike will lower pressure immediately after the exercise ends and keeps it down for approximately 24 hours.

Exercise strengthens the heart muscle making it a more efficient pump, trains the blood vessels to expand during the systolic beat, burns off excess adrenalin and other stress related chemicals and of course over time burns off extra pounds reducing the risk of obesity.

Diet

Thanks to the food processing and packaging industry, and restaurants that are more interested in making a buck than nutrition, eating a healthy diet has become almost impossible. Additives like sodium and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are found in all types of processed and packaged foods even the so called reduced fat and low fat varieties.

The only way you can insure you get the nutrition you need is to eat fresh food. The vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are needed to counter hypertension are most abundant in fresh fruits, vegetables and certain fish. Eating right requires extensive planning. See the AMA's DASH diet for a list of foods that are truly heart healthy.

Stress

In today's uncertain economic environment there's enough stress to go around for everyone and it affects more than just our blood pressure. Stress can be managed in part by diet or rather by avoiding certain foods and drinks in our diet, As mentioned above, exercise burns off the affects of stress and you may want to consider exercising in the evening after a day of building up stress rather than in the morning.

In order for these blood pressure remedies to work you have to have a plan and you have to stick to it. The good news is even if you do just a little bit to improve your lifestyle and diet it will have an incremental impact on your pressure. If you use a home blood pressure monitor (which you absolutely should) you'll be able to get instant feedback on how your efforts are doing.

Home remedies for hypertension do work...it simply takes a commitment to stick to the plan.?

What are you doing to treat your high blood pressure? How is it working for you? Wouldn't it be great to wake up one morning and have the whole problem in your past?

Well it doesn't happen overnight and it doesn't happen at all until you take charge of your health. If you want help with that then you need a plan that charts out exactly what you need to do. Do yourself and your family and at least take a look at this incredibly helpful tool now. Click here.

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Vitamin D Deficiency - Is Your Blood Pressure High?

blood pressure vitamin

Only recently have doctors started to recommend vitamin d supplements to their patients. Generally many family physicians are not in favor of supplementation; however with some recent research on high blood pressure and heart health there is a trend toward supplementing vitamin d in your diet.

So what exactly does vitamin d do to prevent high blood pressure and take care of your heart?

Apparently this vitamin act acts as hormone.

It causes the "smooth" muscles in your body to relax and stay flexible. This is important because both your heart and arteries are made with smooth muscle.

This is different to "skeletal" muscle that makes up the muscles in your arms and legs.

In your arteries the smooth muscle is the middle layer. It controls blood flow by contracting and relaxing. If there is a vitamin d deficiency the artery stays contracted and this leads to high blood pressure.

As you and I age, one of the natural processes in the body is for the arteries to harden. This is a degenerative change. Lack of vitamin d in the diet speeds this process up and leads to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and heart attack.

Now that being said, if you do have high blood pressure, this is something you want to address with your family doctor.

Now family doctors are testing for vitamin d deficiency in your yearly blood tests along with blood sugar, triglycerides and cholesterol levels. If you are low, DO NOT WORRY, there are several nutritional solutions.

Supplementation:

Vitamin d supplementation is one solution. The general recommendations:

-Younger than 50: 5 micrograms / 200IU (International Units)
-50-70 years old: 10 micrograms / 400IU
-More than 70 Years old: 15 micrograms / 600IU

Nutritional Solutions:

-Salmon 4oz: 400IU
-Milk 1cup: 50-75IU
-Tuna 3oz: 200IU
-Eggs: 20IU each

Also try to get in the sun for at least 10 minutes a day. If you are elderly, overweight (obese) and are limited to sun exposure, you "may" be at risk. It is important to take a good look at the foods you eat and get your vitamin d levels checked.

High Blood Pressure Can Be A Serious Problem

Have you noticed that whenever you have to visit your doctor for whatever problem, one of the first things he or she does is check your blood pressure? This is because in all developed western countries today, Hypertension as it is known by the medical profession, is a big problem. The readings taken are known as the Systolic (upper limit) and Diastolic (lower limit) levels, and the concern is that high blood pressure can lead to a number of potentially fatal conditions such as a heart attack, stroke or kidney problems, and yet the sufferer may have no idea that it is affecting them until one of these serious problems occur. It is often referred to as the Silent Killer, because people could easily take steps to reduce it if they were aware that it was too high.

There are some symptoms that you might experience which could be a clue that you may have high blood pressure. For example, regular unexplained nosebleeds, or persistent dizzy spells or headaches. These symptoms may not be that severe or regular however, and are easily overlooked.

The two main factors which regulate your blood pressure are the speed and strength of your heartbeat and the amount of resistance that the blood encounters as it travels round your body. A good strong regular heartbeat is the sign of a healthy heart, but things such as stress and strenuous exercise will cause the heart to beat faster and increase the speed and pressure of blood flow, which can cause problems if there is any narrowing or restriction in any of the blood vessels. Increased resistance to blood flow can be caused by narrowing or hardening of the arteries, veins or small capillaries which connect to all parts of the body.

There are two main types of high blood pressure; essential or primary hypertension, and secondary hypertension. Being seriously overweight can be one of the main causes of primary hypertension, and this often partly due to low levels of activity and exercise. Other factors can be tobacco use, alcohol and stress. Secondary hypertension is mostly caused by pre-existing conditions such as renal or heart problems, so it is likely that these are already being treated.

Most commonly used medications are Diuretics and Beta Blockers which may both cause dizziness and tiredness. Others are ACE Inhibitors, Renin Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers. These medicines are all effective in various degrees but they all have side effects which may be quite severe in some cases.

Finding the root cause of this condition can often mean that you will have to rely far less on these pharmaceutical drugs and will lead you towards a change in your lifestyle and diet.

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