Most of the experts in the health industry will usually refer to high blood pressure as the silent killer, and this for good reason. This although there are a variety and abundance of other diseases which can afflict your health.
These other diseases will put forth their own strains of aches and pains, but high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is consider one of the more serious since it can strike silently, and there are usually no symptoms while it progressively damages your health.
Hypertension is also the major risk factor and a contributor to coronary heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. High blood pressure also contributes to overall poor cognitive performance.
In North America, it’s estimated that there’s more than 55 million individuals who have high blood pressure, while approximately 32% percent don’t even realize they have it.
There are also more women than men who are afflicted. Symptoms of hypertension can peak in men when they’re in the 45 to 55 age range, while with women, the incidences escalates with age.
Measuring High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is the actual measurement of the pressure of the blood flow in the arteries. What the blood does is it will exert excess force directly onto the walls, which places undo pressure while damaging the vital passageways, which ultimately harms the major organs in the body.
The blood pressure can vary significantly depending on a few factors, such as, body position, stress levels, sudden anger, time of day, and eating patterns, all which can cause unnecessary spikes.
To get an accurate reading, it often requires several readings while seated as relaxed as possible on different occasions. According to heart, lung, and blood experts, healthy blood pressure levels are usually 120/80 or less.
The higher number, 120, referred to as systolic, is the pressure which is generated when the heart beats, while the lower the number, 90, diastolic, is the pressure when the heart is resting between beats.
What’s considered as high blood pressure is usually 140 (systolic) or higher, and 90 (diastolic) or higher. For those who are at the 120-139/80-89 levels, they’re considered pre-hypertensive.
Beginning at the 115/75 level, the risk of cardiovascular disease will double every 20 points in rise systolic, and every 10 points in rise diastolic, as they begin to elevate.
The risk factors will also increase as one ages. Other factors of hypertension include: race, inactivity, obesity, family history, tobacco and alcohol usage, and fluid retention.
Steps To Reducing High Blood Pressure
It’s important that you continuously check your blood pressure levels, and especially if it’s high, keep monitoring it. Doing so will help in preventing its biggest culprit, which is a stroke.
Listed are a few natural ways in bringing your high blood pressure numbers down.
Try Breathing Exercises
It can be as easy as taking two to three minutes of deep breathing sessions several times a day, which can help in reducing blood pressure. There are also respiratory aides which are available on the market which teaches slower and proper breathing techniques by “chiming” when you inhale and exhale.
Getting Adjusted By A Chiropractor
To reduce hypertension, there’s an onetime adjustment which you can get on the Atlas vertebra, which is located near the base of the skull, which has proven to lower blood pressure.
Although researchers can’t properly determine how and why the adjustment reduces one’s hypertension levels, it was found that on the test subjects, that the decrease in pressure was still lower even two months after the chiropractic treatment.
Consumption Of Omega-3
What omega-3 does is it effectively lowers the levels of blood fats while also making your blood less viscous. The result being your heart doesn’t need to work as hard.
So what’s recommended is eating flaxseed, or a variety of other naturally fatty nuts on a daily basis, or getting several servings of omega-3-rich fish, such as fresh salmon.
If you don’t consume enough of these natural fatty foods, then consider supplements in your diet by taking 1200 to 1500 mg of fish oil on a daily basis.
Natural Supplements To Reduce High Blood Pressure
It’s recommended by some practitioners to take 60mg of Coenzyme Q10 on a daily basis, which is a naturally occurring compound that’s usually found deficient in those with hypertension. So taking the supplement may reduce high blood pressure by assisting in the heart contracting more effectively.
Try taking 15mg of lycopene on a daily basis. This is a tomato based extract which provides lycopene along with other antioxidants which can lower blood pressure.
Another supplement for lowering blood pressure is pycnogenol 200mg, which is an extract of natural pine bark that’s known to promote artery health.
Others include Mega Natural-BP, which is a grapeseed extract which helps in keeping “bad” cholesterol levels from building up. Another is L-Arginine, which is a natural amino acid that effectively improves blood flow.
Taking Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium
These supplements are electrolytes which helps in nourishing the heart muscle as well as regulating blood pressure. It’s been suggested you take 1200mg of calcium, 700mg of magnesium, and 4700mg of potassium on a daily basis.
Also, too much consumption of sodium, which is also an electrolyte, will raise your blood pressure as well. So it’s recommended that you moderate the intake of salty or prepackaged processed food by keeping them at a minimum, especially if you have high blood pressure.