For a very long time, doctors still do not know the exact cause of hypertension but various risk factors have been established. Samples of the risk factors that were established are physical activity, diet, drinking, smoking, weight, family history, and age. And once you are diagnosed to have hypertension, what can be done to lower blood pressure ?
And since hypertension or high blood pressure is a disease, doctors definitely prescribe different kinds of drugs for treatment. Some common drugs for treatment of hypertension are calcium channel blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, diuretics, and more. Through different mechanisms, these anti-hypertensive drugs have been proven effective in lowering blood pressure. The side effects that are caused by these anti-hypertensive medications are their biggest disadvantage. The different side effects that anti-hypertensive medications can cause are skin rash, heartbeat problems, nausea, vomiting, and more.
Of course, taking anti-hypertensive drugs as prescribed by one's doctor is very important since hypertension can cause life-threatening complications like heart attack and stroke. Aside from the drugs, doctors will also recommend lifestyle changes as these have been proven helpful in lowering blood pressure.
One important lifestyle change that can surely lower blood pressure is having a proper diet. Persons, hypertensive or not, must learn how to eat right. When a person eats right, that means that he or she makes wise food choices and consumes only the right quantity of food. Remember that a person's health is affected by the food that he or she eats.
Furthermore, hypertensive people are advised to lessen their intake of alcohol, salt, caffeine, and sweets. Salty foods, alcoholic and caffeinated drinks, and sweets have all been shown to increase a person's blood pressure. People with hypertension must only consume 1,500 milligrams of salt a day. With regards to alcoholic drinks, men should only limit theirs to two per day while women should only limit theirs to one per day. Intake of sweets, on the other hand, must be limited to only 5 tablespoons each week.
Another lifestyle change that people with hypertension need to undergo is to exercise regularly. If your work makes you sit in front of the computer for 8 hours a day, you must ensure that you put in at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercises into your daily routine. A sedentary lifestyle has been closely related to the development of hypertension. Aerobic exercises include jogging, walking or brisk walking, swimming, biking, and others.
One important lifestyle change that can definitely lower blood pressure is smoking cessation. Indeed, you have to think twice prior to lighting up a cigarette if you want to be able to control your blood pressure or to lessen your risk of having hypertension in the future. Nicotine in smoke can cause elevated blood pressure, decreased oxygen to the heart, and damage to the arteries and blood vessels.
Another method to lower blood pressure is to take supplements. Ion eXtra capsules are dubbed as the best supplements against hypertension. The various benefits of ion eXtra include lower blood pressure , improved heart function, balanced electrolytes, stronger immune system, some anti-aging effects, reduction of skin diseases like eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea, and many more.