Thursday, November 3, 2011

The Top 10 Reasons For High Blood Pressure

By Owen Jones


The percentage of the population in the countries of the West that is suffering from hypertension (aka high blood pressure) is going up all the time. High blood pressure is also called the 'silent killer', because there is no real warning that you have it, but it can kill you stone dead all the same.

When people say that they can feel their blood pressure rising, it is usually merely an expression meaning that they are becoming angry or excited. You cannot know that your blood pressure is high without measuring it.

So, how can you reduce your blood pressure or stop it from going up without resorting to the daily ingestion of tablets? Here are the top 10 causes of high blood pressure.

1] The first thing to do is lose weight if you are too fat. Merely losing ten pounds can have quite a serious effect on your BP.

2] Smoking is a cause of high blood pressure, so you could cut that out.

3] Drinking alcohol to excess frequently also raises BP

4] A desk bound lifestyle or plain lack of exercise will not help either. If you cannot bring yourself to go to the gym, only walk more. A walk of thirty minutes in the morning and in the evening will instigate a lot of difference.

5] Diet. It is critical to eat a healthy diet, which will also help you lose weight. Cut out most junk foods; cut down on meats and greasy foods and consume more fruits and vegetables. Sodium plays a big part in weight gain (through water retention) and is a key factor in hypertension. Decrease your salt intake. (Junk foods have a high sodium content).

6] Endeavor to be cheerful. Easier said than done in most cases, but endeavor to develop a positive attitude. Stress plays a big role in creating hypertension. Exercise is said to alleviate stress as is meditation and yoga. Endeavor a few items and see what helps you.

7] Some illness and sleep disorders raise blood pressure as do some medications. Sleep disorders like sleep apnoea disrupt your sleep, preventing you from getting proper sleep, which increases BP as well. Sleep apnoea can be the result of being overweight, so you know how to deal with that, and if you think that medication is causing high BP, speak to your GP.

8] Age can be a factor and while there is nothing you can do about your age, you can try to be a 'young' whatever you are. individuals more than the age of 55 by and large start developing hypertension rather than younger people. You could try to keep fit and optimistic. See exercise above.

9] Race is another factor about which you have no control, yet Africans and their descendants are more liable to hypertension. If you fit this profile, become aware that you are at risk and check your BP on a regular basis.

10] Fear, anxiety and depression can all have negative influences on BP, so if any of these incapacitating conditions applies to you, seek help.




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