Lifestyle modification is the number one recommendation of all healthcare specialists for people with arterial hypertension. This medical condition has already affected more than 116 million people in the US only. Importantly, only one-fourth of them have their condition under control. This means 87 million Americans still look for an effective solution to hypertension management.
While you may think that the key to healthy blood pressure numbers is taking medications, we will say that the most effective thing to do for hypertension is to implement hypertension management lifestyle techniques into your routine.
What Is Hypertension?
Hypertension refers to a medical condition characterized by elevated or high blood pressure numbers. What is meant by high? Numbers reaching 130/80 mmHg are elevated, while 140/90 mmHg is already high. It’s also worth mentioning that a single episode of high BP cannot be grounds for giving you a hypertension diagnosis. This is a chronic condition, which can be managed.
Types
Depending on the cause of your health condition, it can be classified as primary or secondary hypertension.
Primary hypertension means your BP issues are not related to any other medical condition you may have. Secondary hypertension is a complication of one of the following health issues:
- Heart disease;
- Diabetes;
- Obesity;
- Endocrine disorders;
- Kidney disease;
- Atherosclerosis or other vascular disorders.
Risk Factors
Who is at a higher risk for arterial hypertension? A range of risk factors predetermine this.
- Genetic factors. Hypertension often runs in families, though scientists haven’t found any gene playing a major role in developing this condition.
- Lifestyle factors. A sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits, alcohol consumption, and smoking are the main factors of risk for high blood pressure. Your lifestyle has a huge impact on your vascular health. The arteries and veins become stiff and narrow, thus promoting the growth of your numbers.
- Underlying medical conditions like obesity, diabetes, renal disorder, and sleep apnea can initiate the development of hypertension.
Lifestyle Changes for Managing Hypertension
Lifestyle changes to manage hypertension should be your first step towards a healthier life. While they may be challenging at times, the right motivation can help you overcome all the difficulties.
Healthy Diet
If your goal is lifestyle modification for hypertension management, start with eating healthily. Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, is an eating plan created specifically for people fighting hypertension. The main principles of DASH are:
- Enrich your diet with veggies and fruits (four-five servings a day);
- Limit or exclude junk food, canned food, processed food, and high-fat dairy products;
- Limit sugar consumption;
- Cut back on salt in your meals;
- Enrich your diet with potassium and fiber-rich foods;
- Low-fat dairy products should be on your daily meal plan.
Regular Physical Activity
According to the National Institute of Health, people with hypertension need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week. As the intensity of your workouts grows, you can reduce the time spent on training. Aerobic exercises are the best for heart health and vascular health, in particular.
Lose Extra Weight
Excess body mass is devastating for your heart. The growing mass of fat and other tissues that is characteristic of weight gain brings extra load on your heart. Making it work harder to pump the same amount of blood. This ruins your blood vessels and promotes high BP numbers. Therefore, hypertension lifestyle changes wouldn’t be complete without the requirement to lose weight.
Limit Alcohol and Tobacco Use
Alcohol and cigarette smoking ruin your blood vessels from the inside. What’s more, nicotine triggers various processes in the human body that lead to the growth of blood pressure. The association between nicotine consumption and hypertension was proven scientifically.
By cutting back on alcohol and cigarette smoking, you can reverse the damage done to the blood vessels and improve your health.
Meditation
A range of studies has come to the conclusion that meditation may have a modest blood-pressure-lowering effect. This is due to its calming effect and deep body relaxation that it provides. Also, meditation is a powerful instrument for managing stress, which is among hypertension triggers.
Yoga
Physical activity and breathing techniques presented in yoga make a great combo for people who want to make lifestyle changes to manage hypertension. Every aspect of yoga works positively for normalizing your numbers and keeping your cardiovascular disorder at bay.
Sleep
We’ve already mentioned that sleep apnea is one of the factors provoking hypertension. However, it’s not only this that causes your numbers to go up. In fact, any sleep disturbance can be a triggering factor for high blood pressure. A lack of sleep due to insomnia, frequent night wake-ups, or stress, as well as poor quality of sleep, can ruin your health.
Make sure you spend at least 7 – 8 hours sleeping to give your body and mind time to rest and recover.
Working with Healthcare Professionals
Dietary modifications of hypertension, physical activity, and reduction of stress may not always be enough to resolve your problem and take control of your BP. It’s also important to ask for professional help.
Whenever you notice any symptoms of high blood pressure or get diagnosed with hypertension, make sure you keep in touch with your GP for proper treatment. Taking regular BP measurements and informing your doctor about your progress or its lack is the best way to find an effective preparation and dose that will do the trick and bring your numbers to the norm.
Summary
Hypertension is dangerous. Although you may have it without symptoms, you are walking on the edge with the risk of getting a heart attack or a stroke at any time any day. The modification of your lifestyle can make a huge difference here. And while it may be hard to follow all the recommendations, take one difficulty at a time to reach the big goal.
FAQ
What lifestyle change is recommended to control hypertension?
It’s not about a single change but about a complex approach to changing your life for the better and healthier. Nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management: everything matters here.
Why is lifestyle modification important in hypertension?
This is the only non-medicinal but effective way to control and even cure hypertension. No treatment can do this for you. Only your persistence and effort in changing your lifestyle can help you forget the BP problem.
How does a sedentary lifestyle cause hypertension?
A sedentary lifestyle can cause weight gain, impaired blood circulation, diabetes, and other health conditions that may trigger the development of secondary arterial hypertension.
