How to Prevent High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, affects about 75 million people in the United States alone. That is a third of adults over the age of 20. More people are dying from hypertension-related diseases than from the next three deadliest diseases combined.
It is predicted that 1.56 billion people will be affected worldwide by hypertension by 2025 if something serious isn’t done to solve the problem. It is often referred to as the “silent killer” since people do not often experience symptoms until it’s too late.
What Is Hypertension?
Our heart pumps blood throughout the body to deliver nutrients and oxygen to each part of the body. The blood pressure is a measure of the force required for blood to circulate through the blood vessels and pump blood throughout the body. Hypertension is when there is too much pressure in the blood vessels. This excessive chronically high pressure damages the blood vessels and cause major health problems. Some of the complications include:
An enlarged or weakened heart which fails to pump enough blood through the body and eventually causes heart failure.
An aneurysm, an abnormal bulge in the wall of the artery. When an aneurysm bursts, it causes severe bleeding, and possible immediate death.
Narrowing of the blood vessels causes kidney failure, heart attacks, or a stroke. In the legs narrowing of the blood vessels leads to necrosis of the bones and soft tissue and possible need for an amputation.
Blood vessels in the eye can rupture and bleed, causing vision problems and even blindness.
Causes of Hypertension
Hypertension is mainly caused by lifestyle and diet choices. Some of the most common causes of hypertension are:
Regular consumption of alcohol (more than 2 drinks per setting for men and 1 drink per setting for women)
Regular tobacco use
Physical inactivity
Regular consumption of processed or pre-packaged ready-made food
Regular consumption of fatty food, excess sugar, and animal protein
Chronic sleep debit
Chronic stress
Being overweight or obese
Medications like birth control pills and hormone therapy
Chronic diseases like diabetes, kidney disease, and sleep apnea
Family history of hypertension
Age over 60
Ethnicities such as African-Americans and Hispanics have a higher risk versus Caucasians.
Diagnosis and Tests
There are two important numbers when blood pressure is taken using a sphygmomanometer: systolic pressure and diastolic pressure.
Systolic pressure is the first number and also the higher number. This reading is taken when the heart contracts.
Diastolic pressure is the second number and also the lower number. This reading is taken when the heart relaxes and fills up with blood.
Normal readings are around 120 mmHg systolic over 80 mmHg diastolic
Blood pressure can increase with age since the arteries become stiffer and narrower from plaque build-up. Spikes in blood pressure are normal. For example, blood pressure can be temporarily elevated when we’re excited, acutely stressed, and after intensive exercise. Blood pressure is lower when we sleep and just upon awakening.
High blood pressure is diagnosed when the blood pressure is persistently elevated on at least three separate days.
Treatment and Prevention of High Blood Pressure
The best way to treat or prevent hypertension is by making some lifestyle and diet changes. These include:
50% of the daily diet consists of fresh vegetables, especially greens.
25% of the diet consists of beans and seeds. Wild small fish, grass-fed poultry, and eggs are consumed twice a week or less.
25% of the diet consists of whole grains (i.e., brown rice, millet, buckwheat, quinoa, and amaranth) with little intake of wheat and refined flours.
Snacks primarily consists of fresh fruit, seeds, and nuts.
Little intake of processed and pre-packaged ready-made food, frozen food, fast food, fried food, and red meat.
Restricting sugar intake to 10 grams per day or less.
Restricting salt intake to less than 5 grams per day or less. Replace salt with herbs and spices where possible.
Exercising regularly. Do at least forty minutes of moderate intensity cardio exercises like walking, jogging, swimming, and cycling at least five days a week.
Get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep every day. Sufficient sleep helps reduce stress.
Learn healthy coping skills to better manage stress.
Do not use tobacco.
Keep alcohol intake to 1 drink per setting only once to twice per week.
Maintain your ideal weight relative to height.
If you suspect that you many suffer from hypertension, reach out to Dr. Payal Bhandari M.D. She will determine the cause(s) of the hypertension and devise a personalized treatment plan. By optimizing your lifestyle and assessing if blood pressure medication are necessary, Dr. Bhandari will keep control and/or resolve your hypertension.
AUTHOR
Dr. Payal Bhandari M.D. is one of U.S.'s top leading integrative functional medical physicians and the founder of SF Advanced Health. She combines the best in Eastern and Western Medicine to understand the root causes of diseases and provide patients with personalized treatment plans that quickly deliver effective results. Dr. Bhandari specializes in cell function to understand how the whole body works. Dr. Bhandari received her Bachelor of Arts degree in biology in 1997 and Doctor of Medicine degree in 2001 from West Virginia University. She the completed her Family Medicine residency in 2004 from the University of Massachusetts and joined a family medicine practice in 2005 which was eventually nationally recognized as San Francisco’s 1st patient-centered medical home. To learn more, go to www.sfadvancedhealth.com.