High blood pressure or Hypertension is often called the "silent killer". If left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to major cardiovascular diseases, like a heart attack, panic attack or a stroke. No doubt, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death all over the world. People who have high blood pressure are at a higher risk of heart diseases than others. Your arteries carry the blood from your heart throughout your body. Blood pressure is the measure of how hard your blood is pushing against the arterial wall. Although a certain amount of pressure is needed to carry blood through your body, if that pressure is too high, you have high blood pressure, or hypertension. High blood pressure can have daunting effects on your overall health like enlarged heart, kidney damage, eye damage or hardening of the arteries. The only way to know if your blood pressure is high is through regular checkups.
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Some common symptoms of high blood pressure are:
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
- Facial flushing
- Shortness of breath
- Weakness
- Blurred vision
- Blood in urine
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Abnormal heart beat
- Headache
- Nosebleeds
Also read: 5 Herbs You Need If You Have High Blood Pressure
Here's how you can avoid high blood pressure:
1. Stress: Any sort of psychological stress; whether it is financial, work-related or relationship should be avoided. Stress can lead to numerous poor health outcomes, high blood pressure or hypertension being one of them.
2. Diabetes: People who have high blood sugar are at a higher risk of hypertension. It is very important that this is detected and carefully managed. People who are diabetic need to change their lifestyle by developing healthy eating habits, regular physical exercise, avoiding processed food, limiting alcohol, proper medication, adequate rest and reduce salt intake.
3. Obesity: Blood pressure often increases when body weight increases. It is extremely essential to maintain a normal Body Mass Index (BMI) which is 20-25. Having a BMI greater than 25 increases your risk of high blood pressure or hypertension. Weight loss can significantly reduce your blood pressure. Therefore, it is extremely important for us to maintain a healthy body weight.
4. Inactivity: We all know that physical activity is essential for the overall health. Regular physical exercise is important as your heart is also a muscle. Like all the other muscles in your body, it also needs to be exercised regularly in order to keep it strong and healthy. This means it should pump the blood efficiently round the body and your blood pressure is naturally lowered. For this, you should do at least thirty minutes of exercise everyday.
5. Healthy diet: A healthy diet is extremely important in all the stages of life. You should include fresh fruits and dark green leafy vegetables, dairy products, proteins, fibre rich foods, low-fat dairy products, whole grains and foods rich in essential vitamins and minerals in your diet. Eating right is the key to healthy living.
Also read: Avoid These Foods If You Have High Blood Pressure
Foods to eat if you have high blood pressure:
- Berries
- Bananas
- Healthy nuts
- Oatmeal
- Yogurt
- Garlic
- Salmon
- Seeds like flax seeds and chia seeds
Foods to avoid if you have high blood pressure:
- Pickles
- Salt
- Packaged foods
- Processed meat
- Frozen food
- Alcohol
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
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