Hypertension or in other words high BP is very silent in nature as there are little to no symptoms before a major attack. This condition may go unnoticed yet is a significant risk factor for stroke or heart disease. BP is calculated in mm Hg which is the unit for measuring mercury in millimeters.

Blood pressure that is 120-199/80 mm Hg or lower is said to be normal, while blood pressure greater than 130/80 mm Hg is known to be high. Elevated blood pressure occurs when blood pressure is above 130/80 mm Hg but under 140/90 mm Hg. When the blood pressure crosses 130/80 mm Hg, you’re at the risk of becoming hypertensive, and there are several high BP causes that you should know. 

High blood pressure can be reduced significantly with lifestyle changes, without any need for medication. Use these strategies:

Engage In More Exercise And Movement

Study findings from 2013 predicted that older adults participating in an exercise like aerobics would have lower BP by 3.9% and 4.5%, systolic and diastolic respectively.

Your heart gets more robust and easier to pump as you frequently escalate your heart rate and breathing rate. When this happens, your blood pressure decreases, and your arteries are less stressed. It may still be beneficial to dedicate 40 minutes in segments of 10 to 15 minutes throughout the day if doing the whole exercise at one go is a problem.

Exercise and becoming fit can be accomplished in several ways:

  • Taking the stairs
  • Avoiding driving by walking
  • Chores around the house
  • Planting
  • Riding cycles
  • Participating in a team sport

You can lower your BP by resistance training, aerobic exercises, short periods of exercise during the day, high-intensity training in intervals, or walking 10,000 steps each day.

Overweight Individuals Must Lose Weight

Losing 10-15 pounds lowers your BP when you are overweight, start small by losing 5 pounds as a goal initially. Losing weight will help you stay healthy in many ways, including reducing your risk for other diseases.

An analysis of different studies conducted in 2016 concluded that BP was reduced by people  following weight-loss diets by an average of 3.0 mmHg & 4.5 mmHg of mercury of diastolic and systolic respectively.

Reduce Sugar And Refined Carbohydrates

A few scientific studies show lowering blood pressure and weight loss by reducing or completely stopping refined carbs and sugar. An experiment conducted in 2010 compared low-carb diets and low-fat diets. Weight loss was seen in both diet types, but the low-carb diet was much more effective in high bp causes.

Researchers examined the effects of low-carbohydrate diets on blood pressure in 2012 and found they reduced 3.10 mm Hg diastolic and 4.81 mm Hg systolic on average. Low sugar and carb diets won’t get you hungry soon after you eat or make you feel like snacking, as you consume more fat and protein.

Reduce Sodium Intake And Consume More Potassium

Increase the consumption of potassium and reduce your salt intake to combat high bp by understanding high BP causes.

The double effects of potassium are that it reduces the impact sodium has on your body and that it also eases blood vessel tension. Those suffering from kidney disease may be adversely affected by potassium-rich diets, so speak to your doctor before increasing potassium intake.

Many foods contain naturally high levels of potassium, so it’s easy to eat more of it. Among them:

  • Fat-free
  • Milk and other dairy products
  • Yogurt
  • Anchovies
  • Vegetables,
  • Oranges, bananas, apricots, and avocados

Conclusion

Salt-sensitive people tend to have higher blood pressure when consuming too much salt, and others are not sensitive to salt. Even with high salt consumption, it can be excreted in the form of urinating or perspiring without the rising of one’s BP.