5 Lifestyle Changes for Keeping Your Blood Pressure Down

High blood pressure is a severe condition with detrimental effects to your health. When your blood pressure is chronically elevated, your entire body suffers, especially your heart.

The good news is that blood pressure can be managed medically and through lifestyle changes. Taking charge of your health is the best way to get your blood pressure under control.

The team at Highway Integrative Health Center provides efficient and compassionate care when you're dealing with high blood pressure. Dr. Jose Lopez-Chevres and Dr. Yaritza Arriaga O'Neill are experienced in treating high blood pressure to improve your health.

What is high blood pressure?

Your blood pressure is the exertion of your blood against the arterial walls. With every beat, your heart forces blood into your arteries. Right after your heart beats, your blood pressure is at its highest, called your systolic pressure.

In between heartbeats, your blood pressure comes down. This time of rest between beats is known as your diastolic pressure. The systolic and diastolic pressures make up your blood pressure numbers.

Normal blood pressure is considered a systolic pressure of 120 mm Hg or under and a diastolic pressure of 80 mm Hg or under. High blood pressure happens when your blood pressure rises above 140 over 90 when you have no other heart problems.

Dangerously high blood pressure happens when your systolic number reaches 180 and your diastolic number reaches 120. If you suffer from heart issues, 130 over 80 is considered high. Blood pressure that high requires immediate medical treatment.

The effects of high blood pressure on your health

High blood pressure is bound to happen here and there, especially when stressed. Spikes in your blood pressure are natural and don't cause many issues, as the pressure eventually comes back down.

However, if you suffer from chronic high blood pressure, it takes a toll on your health. The continuous pressure on your arteries can lead to other issues, including:

• Kidney disease
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Heart disease

Chronic high blood pressure puts significant stress on your arteries, causing irreversible damage. Your arteries become less pliable, decreasing blood flow to essential organs like your heart and brain.

5 lifestyle tips to keep your blood pressure down

If you have high blood pressure, your best chance of avoiding severe complications is to control it. Our team prescribes medications to help, but lifestyle changes are vital to lowering it. Five crucial lifestyle changes to make include:

1. Decrease your sodium intake

Sodium increases your blood pressure by forcing your body to retain excess fluid. You're not doing yourself any favors when you eat a diet high in sodium.

Start eliminating salty foods from your diet to help control your blood pressure. Try to stay under 1500 milligrams of salt per day to keep your blood pressure in check.

2. Eat a healthy diet

Your diet plays a significant role in your overall health and blood pressure. Foods that are high in potassium include bananas, Brussels sprouts, and dairy products. Be incredibly diligent with your potassium intake, as it helps slow sodium’s effects.

3. Incorporate physical activity

Physical activity is excellent for your heart and helps reduce your stress levels. You don't have to do hardcore exercise — simply walking daily or biking around the block dramatically affects your weight and blood pressure.

4. Lose weight

One of the best ways to manage your blood pressure is your weight. The more your weight rises, the higher your blood pressure gets. Losing weight through healthy eating and exercise keeps your blood pressure manageable.

5. Keep your stress levels down

Stress significantly affects your blood pressure, especially when it's chronic. Long-term stress has detrimental effects on your health and raises your blood pressure.

While some stress is good, too much is a problem. Try to manage your stress through meditation, yoga, and relaxation techniques. Lowering your stress helps our team keep your blood pressure at manageable levels.

Call the Highway Integrative Health Center team at 844-728-0802 for more tips on how to control your high blood pressure. You can also request an appointment online using our convenient booking tool.