In straightforward words, blood pressure can be best defined as the pressure the blood exerts on the walls of the walls of the arteries. There are two kinds of forces within the body that create blood pressure. One of these two forces is exerted by the heart when it pumps blood into the body. The other force is exerted by the arteries as resistance to the pressure that is exerted by the blood.
Constant high blood pressure is also known as hypertension.If the blood pressure rises above 140/90mmHg, the condition is diagnosed as hypertension. If your blood pressure. remains constantly above these levels, it needs to be lowered.
Due to high blood pressure, the arteries in the body are strained. This strain, in turn, results in weakening of arteries. Some times, the arteries even clog up which causes narrowing down of arteries. If not met with an acceptable treatment, elevated blood pressure can even result in brain or heart damage. also, blood pressure brings various health hazards like heart illnesses and stroke, kidney ailments etc.
If you want to lower your blood pressure levels, then you have more than just one way of going about the same. One of the first things you can do to bring down your blood pressure levels is reduce weight. Excessive weight strains the heart and disturbs normal pumping of blood.
Decrease the intake of sodium as it increases the blood pressure. Sodium is a common ingredient in food items, such as potato chips, bread and cheese. You check the labels of the packets before buying such food items. Do not consume more than two thousand milligrams of sodium per day.
Alternatively, increase the intake of potassium, magnesium and calcium. These minerals aid in better heart functioning which in turn ends in better and increased blood circulation and also reduces any possibility of elevated blood pressure.
Quit or cut back your alcohol intake considerably to combat hypertension. Also, limit your daily caffeine intake by refraining from drinking too much coffee. Caffeine causes astringency in the body that leads to strain on the heart. In turn, this can cause raised blood pressure.
Double your fruit and vegetable intake along with other fiber rich foods as they help up energy levels required to perform daily activities. Avoid food items which have high cholesterol or fat content. Both cholesterol and fat block the heart and hinder blood circulation.
If you smoke then it is vital that you give up the habit to bring your blood pressure in control. Cigarette smoking leads to narrowing of arteries which leads to a faster heart beat that consecutively results in high blood pressure.
Besides, you may use various medicines to treat hypertension. Bet-blockers, Alpha-blockers, ACE inhibitors, diuretics are some categories of drugs that can help control blood pressure. Diuretics help control blood pressure by eliminating excess sodium and forestalling accumulation of fluids in the body. While Beta blockers work by obstructing the consequences of adrenaline, alpha blockers unblock the arteries. ACE inhibitors aid in the prevention of narrowing of blood arteries. Calcium channel blockers avert veins from contracting by preventing calcium from going inside the body cells.