Manage hypertension with lifestyle changes

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a silent killer.

Hypertension creeps up on you unawares and often without major physical symptoms and when the end comes, it is often unexpected and sudden.

What is hypertension?

Hypertension or high blood pressure, is a chronic medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is higher than it should be. This requires the heart to work harder than normal to circulate blood through the blood vessels.

Even though hypertension is so common in today’s age, there are many myths surrounding this. Some of them include -

• High blood pressure runs in my family. There is nothing I can do to prevent it.
• I am a pure vegetarian so I can’t have high BP.
• I don’t use table salt, so I’m in control of my sodium intake and my blood pressure.
• People with high blood pressure have nervousness, sweating, difficulty sleeping and their face becomes flushed. I don’t have those symptoms so I’m good.
• I exercise a lot so I will not have hypertension.

Low blood pressure is also something that people don’t take seriously, but as it turns out it is equally as dangerous if not more dangerous than hypertension.

some of the most common symptoms of low blood pressure include, dizziness or lightheadedness, unsteadiness, fainting and blurred vision.

The dangers of hypertension

High blood pressure, is dangerous because it makes the heart work harder to pump blood out to the body and contributes to hardening of the arteries, kidney disease, and to the development of heart failure.

Worldwide, raised blood pressure is estimated to cause 7.5 million deaths, about 12.8% of the total of all deaths.

Most dangerous aspect of hypertension is that, it’s symptoms do not manifest until it reaches life threatening levels. Nearly one third of the people who have hypertension are unaware because they have no symptoms.

The following people are more likely to develop hypertension -

• People with family members who have high blood pressure
• Smokers
• People over the age of 35
• People who are overweight or obese

Hypertension can have devastating effects on you both mentally and physically, so it’s crucial to treat its management like a lifelong commitment

You can cure or prevent hypertension by making the following lifestyle changes –

1. Diet — Having a plant-based diet has always proven to be one of the best ways to maintain hypertension, especially a diet which is rich in spinach, red beets and berries.
2. Exercise -Making exercise a habit can help lower your blood pressure. It also gives you more energy, and it’s a great way to ease stress and feel better.Check in with your doctor first about duration and intensity of exercise.
3. Alcohol — For a patient suffering from hypertension, It is better to limit their alcohol consumption as it can damage the heart as well as kidneys
4. Tobacco products — hypertension patients need to stay away from tobacco as well as second-hand smoke as it can lead to damaging the arteries.
5. Monitoring Medications — Monitoring your medications and taking them in the right doses can help reduce hypertension by a great extent, all which has to be done in consultation with your physician.
6. Lifestyle changes — High blood pressure is a consequence of living the modern lifestyle. Changing some of our behaviors can drastically alter our blood pressure. This includes sleeping seven to nine hours a night, limiting our intake of processed foods, exercising, and managing our stress and joining support groups for hypertension.

Advantages of using online support networks for management of hypertension

In the day and age where the whole world has merged with the internet, finding support from people suffering from the same condition hasn’t been more easier.

By joining or creating a support community (for high blood pressure) on online forums or online communities like the one on the CareSpace app you will be able to meet people from different walks of life and who will help you in managing your blood pressure.

1. Carespace has a news section where it displays the latest developments and research in the medical field relating to hypertension
2. You will also be able to get guidance from other members, some of whom are professional doctors.
3. Since the community will have others who are going through the problem as you are, they can also provide you practical tips on daily management.
4. You can also attend local events (through the contact of some of the members of that community) which aims at lifestyle changes such as meditation or yoga events.
5. The members of BP support group can provide you with doctor recommendations in case you seek professional help.
6. You can also provide your valuable suggestions to others who need guidance.

Come, create or join the hypertension support communities on the CareSpaceapp to find others managing hypertension, and get suggestions from members who will help you get your life back on track!