Lower Blood Pressure
Mild hypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure over 140 mmHg and/or a diastolic value over 90 mmHg. There is a gray area before this, where blood pressure is referred to as high-normal. This is systolic between 130 and 139 mmHg and diastolic between 85 and 89 mmHg.
Please note that according to the guidelines of the High Blood Pressure League, a blood pressure of >=135 and/or >=85 mmHg is considered hypertension during home measurements.
Since high blood pressure can be responsible for various diseases such as heart attack, stroke, or vascular diseases, you should definitely lower your elevated blood pressure. The risk of disease for the mentioned conditions increases the higher the blood pressure values are. And it increases disproportionately if you have other risk factors such as smoking, obesity, and high cholesterol levels.
Hypertension, referred to by medical professionals as hypertonia (Hyper = over, Tonus = pressure), can be effectively combated with various methods. Depending on the severity, hypertension is treated either only with a change in diet combined with exercise therapy or additionally with medications. If you are a smoker, you should definitely quit smoking if you have hypertension to reduce the risk of complications.
Simply by refraining from excessive alcohol consumption, significantly reducing weight if overweight, and lowering your salt intake, you can lower your blood pressure. This has been proven in scientific studies.
If you have been diagnosed with hypertension, you should move more. Endurance sports such as jogging, walking, cycling, and hiking are particularly suitable for lowering blood pressure. Gymnastics is also suitable for lowering blood pressure. Less suitable are strength sports, martial arts, and sports that are associated with increased short-term tension and thus increased blood pressure.
Some foods are particularly good for lowering blood pressure. The consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables, and various herbs such as chives, parsley, and wild garlic helps regulate blood pressure. Furthermore, you should minimize your meat consumption - especially fatty pork. Specifically, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and lemons help lower blood pressure. Beetroot is also capable of lowering blood pressure. Please refer to the article "Beetroot and Blood Pressure".
Additionally, the doctor may prescribe certain medications to lower blood pressure. Often, a specific group of medications is used. In severe cases or with existing comorbidities, a combination of different active ingredients may be necessary. The groups of medications for lowering blood pressure include beta-blockers, calcium antagonists, ACE inhibitors, and diuretics. Which of these active ingredients is right for you also depends on your age. The medications work through biochemical processes in the central nervous system or the heart and lead to a reduction in blood pressure.
Through a consistent diet change, weight reduction, and regular exercise, you can significantly enhance the effect of the medications or manage with fewer medications.
Since hypertension is often caused by excessive stress, you should integrate relaxation exercises such as yoga or autogenic training into your daily routine to permanently lower blood pressure.
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By Sabine Croci.
This article is medically reviewed. Last updated (01/2024).
Information on the website and within the app cannot replace a consultation with a doctor, but can certainly complement it.
