Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the measure of the force of blood pushing against blood vessel walls. The heart pumps blood into the arteries (blood vessels), which carry the blood throughout the body. Blood pressure varies depending on the situation, activity, and disease states, and is regulated by the nervous and endocrine systems. Normal resting blood pressure for an adult is approximately 120/80 mm Hg.

           Disorders of blood pressure control include high blood pressure and low blood pressure. Blood pressure that is pathologically higher than the normal range is hypertension. The range for hypertension is approximately 140-159 over 90-99. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is dangerous because it makes the heart work harder to pump blood to the body and contributes to hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, and to the development of heart failure. Blood pressure that is too low is known as hypotension. Some people have a blood pressure level that is lower than normal. A low blood pressure reading is having a level that is 90/60mmHg, or lower. Usually, having low blood pressure is not a cause for concern. However, sometimes your blood pressure can drop to a point where you may feel faint or dizzy.

 

Causes of high and low blood pressure:

 

Causes of high blood pressure :

The exact causes of high blood pressure are not known, but several factors and conditions may play a role in its development, which includes:-

• Unhealthy diet
• Too much salt in the diet
• Lack of physical activity
• Too much smoking and alcohol consumption
• Stress
• Family history of high blood pressure
• Chronic kidney disease
• Adrenal and thyroid disorders.

Causes of low blood pressure :

Some of the causes of low blood pressure include:

• Standing for a long time
• Not drinking enough fluids (dehydration)
• Health problems such as thyroid disease, severe infection, bleeding in the intestines, or heart problems.
• Trauma, such as major bleeding or severe burns.
• Getting up after you sit or lie down. This can cause a quick drop in blood pressure called orthostatic hypotension.

Symptoms of high and low blood pressure

 

Symptoms of high blood pressure:

High blood pressure usually causes no symptoms and high blood pressure often is labeled "the silent killer." People who have high blood pressure typically don't know it until their blood pressure is measured. People with high blood pressure may develop:-

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Nausea and vomiting
• Chest pain and shortness of breath.

Symptoms of low blood pressure: 

Symptoms to watch for low blood pressure include:-

• Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded or faint
• Having a fast or irregular heartbeat
• Feeling more thirsty than usual
• Being confused, tired and weak
• Having cold, clammy skin
• Breathing very fast. 

If you have any of the above symptoms of high or low blood pressure, consult your doctor immediately and start the medication.

 

Natural ways to prevent high blood pressure

 

If you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you might be worried about taking medication to bring your numbers down. Lifestyle plays an important role in treating your high blood pressure. If you successfully control your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle, you may reduce the need for medication. Here are some lifestyle changes you can make to lower your blood pressure and keep it down.  

 

1. Exercise regularly

• Regular physical activity for at least 30 to 60 minutes, can lower your blood pressure by 4 to 9 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). And it doesn't take long to see a difference. If you haven't been active, increasing your exercise level can lower your blood pressure within just a few weeks.
• Hypertensive patients who went for fitness walks at a brisk pace, lowered pressure by almost 8 mm Hg. Exercise helps the heart use oxygen more efficiently, so it doesn't work as hard to pump blood. Get a vigorous cardio workout of at least 30 minutes regularly.
• Slow breathing and meditative practices such as yoga, and tai chi decrease stress hormones, which elevate renin, a kidney enzyme that raises blood pressure. Try 5 minutes in the morning and at night. Inhale deeply and expand your belly. Exhale and release all of your tension.
• Talk to your doctor about developing an exercise program. Your doctor can help determine whether you need any exercise restrictions. Even moderate activity for 20 minutes at a time, such as walking, jogging and light strength training, can help.
• Avoid being a "weekend warrior." Trying to squeeze all your exercise in on the weekends to make up for weekday inactivity isn't a good strategy. Those sudden bursts of activity could actually be risky.

2. Eat a healthy, balanced diet

• Eating a diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and skimps on saturated fat and cholesterol can lower your blood pressure by up to 14 mm Hg. This eating plan is known as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.
• Loading up on potassium-rich fruits and vegetables is an important part of any blood pressure-lowering program. Aim for potassium levels of 2,000 to 4,000 mg a day. The top sources of potassium-rich produce includes sweet potatoes, tomatoes, orange juice, potatoes, bananas, kidney beans, peas, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and dried fruits such as prunes and raisins.
• Reduce the amount of sodium content in your diet. Even a small reduction of salt in your diet can reduce blood pressure by 2 to 8 mm Hg. Avoid processed foods like potato chips, frozen or preserved foods, and outside junk foods.
• Add more foods rich in calcium and magnesium to your diet. The top sources of calcium and magnesium rich foods include white beans, yogurt, banana, kiwi fruit, peaches, broccoli, red bell pepper, sweet potato, avocado etc.  
• Blueberries, as well as raspberries and strawberries, contain natural compounds called anthocyanins that protect against hypertension, according to a recent British and American study of about 157,000 men and women published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
• Having a bowl of cereal, especially whole-grain, high-fiber cereals like oatmeal, oat squares, bran flakes or shredded wheat, can reduce your chance of developing high blood pressure, Harvard University researchers recently found.
• Drinking a glass of beet juice can lower blood pressure within just a few hours, according to a Queen Mary University of London study published last year in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension. The nitrate in the juice has the same effect as taking a nitrate tablet, the researchers found. Other nitrate-rich foods include spinach, lettuce, cabbage, carrots etc.
• Eating a one-ounce square of dark chocolate daily can help lower blood pressure, especially in people who already have hypertension, according to Harvard researchers. Dark chocolate is high in flavonoids, natural compounds that cause dilation of the blood vessels and lowers blood pressure.

3. Limit the alcohol you drink

• Alcohol can be both good and bad for your health. In small amounts, it can potentially lower your blood pressure by 2 to 4 mm Hg. But that protective effect is lost if you drink too much alcohol.
• If you don't normally drink alcohol, you shouldn't start drinking as a way to lower your blood pressure. If you drink more than moderate amounts of it, alcohol can actually raise blood pressure by several points.

4. Avoid smoking

• On top of all the other dangers of smoking, the nicotine in tobacco products can raise your blood pressure by 10 mm Hg or more for up to an hour after you smoke. Smoking throughout the day means your blood pressure may remain constantly high.
• Inhaling smoke from others also puts you at risk of health problems, including high blood pressure and heart disease.

5. Reduce your stress

• Stress or anxiety can temporarily increase blood pressure. Take some time to think about what causes you to feel stressed, such as work, family, finances or illness. Once you know what's causing your stress, consider how you can eliminate or reduce stress.
• If you can't eliminate all of your stressors, you can at least cope with them in a healthier way. Take breaks for deep-breathing exercises. Get a massage or take up yoga or meditation or listen to soft music.

Natural ways to prevent low blood pressure

Depending on the reason for your low blood pressure, you may be able to take certain steps to help reduce or even prevent the symptoms. Here are some suggestions :

1. Drink less alcohol and more water

• Alcohol is dehydrating and can lower blood pressure, even if you drink in moderation. Water, on the other hand, combats dehydration and increases blood volume.

2. Follow a balanced, healthy diet

• Get all the nutrients you need for good health by focusing on a variety of foods, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean chicken and fish.
• If your doctor suggests using more salt, but you don't like a lot of salt on your food, try using natural soy sauce or adding dry soup mixes for dips and dressings.

3. Go slowly when changing body positions

• You may be able to reduce the dizziness and lightheadedness that occur with low blood pressure by moving slowly from a prone to a standing position.
• Before getting out of bed in the morning, breathe deeply for a few minutes and then slowly sit up before standing.
• Sleeping with the head of your bed slightly elevated also can help fight the effects of gravity.
• If you begin to get symptoms while standing, cross your thighs in a scissors fashion and squeeze, or put one foot on a ledge or chair and lean as far forward as possible. These actions will encourage blood to flow from your legs to your heart.

4. Eat small, low-carb meals

• To help prevent blood pressure from dropping sharply after meals, eat small portions several times a day and limit high-carbohydrate foods such as potatoes, rice, pasta and bread.
• Your doctor also may recommend drinking caffeinated coffee or tea with meals to temporarily raise blood pressure. But because caffeine can cause other problems, check with your doctor before drinking more caffeinated beverages.

5. Use more salt

• Experts usually recommend limiting the amount of salt in your diet because sodium can raise blood pressure, sometimes dramatically. For people with low blood pressure, that can be a good thing.
• But because excess sodium can lead to heart failure, especially in older adults, it's important to check with your doctor before increasing the salt in your diet.

6. Consider wearing compression stockings

• The same elastic stockings commonly used to relieve the pain and swelling of varicose veins may help reduce the pooling of blood in your legs.

7. Medications

• Several medications, either used alone or together, can be used to treat low blood pressure that occurs when you stand up (orthostatic hypotension).
• The drug fludrocortisone is often used to treat this form of low blood pressure. This drug helps boost your blood volume, which raises blood pressure.
• Doctors often use the drug midodrine (Orvaten) to raise standing blood pressure levels in people with chronic orthostatic hypotension. It works by restricting the ability of your blood vessels to expand, which raises blood pressure.

 Conclusion
Medications aren't enough to control high blood pressure and low blood pressure. Sometimes changing your lifestyle and following natural ways can make a lot of difference. Make sure the changes you choose to make are ones that you can continue, and don't be disappointed if you don't see results immediately. Continue the medicines prescribed by the doctor and follow some natural ways to control blood pressure.