High blood pressure is known by many as a silent killer. You may not know you have it until it is too late, and it has already damaged several organs in your body. It has been estimated that 67% of Americans have high blood pressure, and approximately 30% of men and 39% of women have this alarming problem. More worrying still, people with high blood pressure are often not diagnosed, and many diagnosed patients do not take their prescribed medications.
A quick fact: high blood pressure is the number one cause of stroke and a leading cause of heart failure, kidney disease, and heart attack. It can lead to severe complications if left untreated, so it’s important to know how to prevent it.
In this article, you will find an overview of the preventative steps you can take to help reduce your risk of high blood pressure. And if you already had a high blood pressure reading before, we encourage you to talk to your doctor and follow their recommendations. They will probably be similar to the ones described below:
Healthy Habits to Lower High Blood Pressure
After prescribing your high blood pressure medications, the doctor will probably mention healthy habits to speed up the process. They are almost the same for everyone unless you have severe heart disease. In this case, some recommendations are added, and others are taken out.
Taking your blood pressure meds is excellent, but you probably have to take a decisive and active approach to lower your cardiovascular risk.
What can you do in the meantime? Here are some ideas based on the usual medical recommendations:
1) Stay Active
Exercise is one of the best ways to reduce blood pressure. It not only improves your overall health but also helps to improve your blood flow. Even a modest amount of exercise, such as walking briskly for 30 minutes daily, can help you achieve your treatment goals. You will notice the effects of exercise on your blood pressure levels after a while of maintaining this habit.
Thus, instead of working out excessively, try to make progressive efforts as you get used to living a more active lifestyle.