It’s perfectly normal for your blood pressure to fluctuate throughout the
day. Usually, it’s lower while you’re sleeping and higher when you’re
physically active or under stress. But if your blood pressure remains
elevated for a long period of time, it can negatively affect your health.
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, can lead to many serious medical issues,
including heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. Fortunately, there are
many natural and common-sense measures to address it.
Diet
Eating a
healthy diet
that’s low in saturated fat and sodium, and
rich in potassium, is an effective way to get high blood pressure under control.
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)
eating plan
is a flexible diet that provides you with daily and weekly nutritional
goals. DASH doesn’t require you to eat any special foods; instead, it
recommends a diet rich in:
• Fruits and vegetables
• Whole grains
• Beans
• Fish
• Poultry
• Low-or-no-fat dairy products
• Nuts and seeds
• Vegetable oils
The DASH eating plan recommends limiting:
• Fatty meats
• Full-fat dairy products
• Sugar-sweetened beverages
• Sweets
• Salt
Fitness
Being overweight
increases your risk for high blood pressure, as does carrying too much
weight around your waist.
If your
body mass index
is 25 or greater, losing 5 – 10 pounds can help reduce your blood pressure.
Eating more healthily and exercising can help you achieve that.
Exercising also helps strengthen your cardiovascular system so it can more
efficiently pump blood throughout your body. Additionally, it helps prevent
plaque or the hardening of the arteries in your blood vessels.
Experts recommend
adults get two-and-a-half hours of aerobic activity a week. That amounts to
30 minutes a day for five days.
It can include
walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, or dancing. Strength training is also
recommended twice a week.
Stress
Chronic stress can increase your risk for high blood pressure. While it may
be impossible to eliminate stress entirely, there are plenty of way to
manage it, including:
• Focusing on the things you can control
• Acknowledging the positive things in your life, rather than what you don’t
have
• Avoiding stress triggers; for example, giving yourself extra time when
you’re driving somewhere in case you run into traffic
• Taking time to relax and do things you enjoy
• Practicing mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing, or yoga
• Talking to a mental health professional if necessary
Sleep
Not getting enough sleep
can lead to developing high blood pressure. You can improve your sleep by
implementing these healthy sleep habits:
• Stick to a regular sleep schedule.
• Exercise early in the day.
• Don’t take naps longer than a half hour.
• Avoid drinking, eating, smoking, or caffeine close to bedtime.
• Limit mobile devices at your bedside.
• Make your bedroom a restful place for sleeping.
Smoking and drinking
Nicotine causes your blood vessels to constrict, forcing your heart to work
harder to pump blood. Smoking, vaping, chewing tobacco, and dipping snuff
can all raise your blood pressure.
Quitting these unhealthy habits
can lower your blood pressure, improve the overall functioning of your
circulatory and respiratory systems, and lower your cancer risk.
Drinking too much alcohol
can also raise your blood pressure. If you do drink, limit your alcohol
consumption so it’s in accordance with the
CDC’s recommended daily limits.
Take ownership of your health
High blood pressure poses many health risks, but there are many natural ways
to reduce it that benefit your overall health. If you have high blood
pressure, you should work with a health care provider to develop a plan to
address it as soon as possible.