Alcohol And High Blood Pressure

Drinking And Blood Pressure: A Recent Perspective On The Major Causes Of High Blood Pressure

admin — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 04:02:53 +0000

Most people who find themselves drinking alcohol excessively are ignorant of what it might lead them to. There are many consequences of drinking too much alcohol which are very dangerous to your health. One of the biggest threat of excessive drinking is high blood pressure. Although there are other major causes of high blood pressure, experts were able to discover that too much drinking of alcohol greatly increases your blood pressure.

It is therefore very important for you to understand that when you drink alcohol excessively, it will affect your blood system. You must know that your health is determined by your blood pressure. Perhaps you may be wondering how does drinking alcohol affects your blood pressure. I want you to know that your drinking alcohol continously will lead to other health problems in your body which in turn affects your blood pressure.

Let us see how alcohol affects your blood presssure. Do you know that drinking alcohol affects your kidneys? When you drink alcohol excessively, it exacts pressure on the your arteries, causing the blood to flow at high pressure. This is one of the causes of high blood pressure in your body. So the more you drink, the more pressure you exact on your arteries and the more your blood pressure increases.

It is also very important that if you are a woman, you must stop drinking alcohol because your level of tolerance to high blood pressure is minimal compared to that of men. Therefore you must avoid drinking alcohol excessively as it will be very risky and dangerous to your health.

Another negative effects of drinking alcohol is overweight. When you drink more alcohol, you add more weight because alcohol itself contains more calories. You must know that when you increase weight, you are also increasing the level of fat in your body. This fat usually add unnecessary pressure to your blood arteries, causing less blood to flow at high pressure. So, each time you drink more alcohol, you are increasing your blood pressure.

Finally friend, I want you to understand that drinking alcohol is one of the major causes of high blood pressure because it has a direct negative effect on your blood stream. As you drink alcohol excessively, you are exposing your health to more dangers in addition to high blood pressure. Therefore you must begin to address your drinking addiction if you must keep a good health. I also recommend you to your doctor for more professional advice if you must stop drinking alcohol now. Also see your doctor if you are already developing a high blood pressure today.

Mild Medications for High Blood Pressure – Understanding the Available Medications

admin — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:28:18 +0000

Many individuals are put on medications to control their high blood pressure. Depending greatly on the severity of the blood pressure you might be able to discontinue using the medications with some modifications to your lifestyle and diet. Many doctors will begin a medicinal treatment with mild medications for high blood pressure and sometimes it might be necessary to start off with a more vigorous medication and slowly work down to a mild one.Understanding the different types of medications and how they actually treat and benefit the condition is important. Throughout this article you will learn the medications that are used for treating high blood pressure and gaining control over it. Generally, all of the medications that are currently being used for the successful treatment of high blood pressure fall into one of five categories.The category or type of medication your doctor will put you on will greatly depend on a few factors. Among them are the level of high blood pressure you have, existing medical conditions, current medications you take as well as family medical history. Here are the categories:* Vasodilators* Diuretics* Angiotensin II receptor blockers and ACE inhibitors * Calcium channel blockers* Beta-adrenergic blocking agentsLet’s start off by discussing the Vasodilators. These are designed to make the veins and the arteries wider, thus allow the blood to flow a bit more freely. In some circumstances a doctor might prefer to combine another medication with a Vasodilator to get your blood pressure to the ideal level and maintain it.ACE Inhibitors is the next medication we will briefly discuss. These are among the most popular medications prescribed for treating and stabilizing blood pressure. These are designed to successfully relieve the stress of blood vessel contraction as well as regulate the blood flow and decrease the blood pressure. ACE inhibitors will then convert the hormone that is usually inactive into an active hormone.The next medication is the Calcium Channel Blockers. These decrease the blood pressure because they relax the blood flow and the vessels themselves. The blood generally is able to flow with ease once the medication gets into the individuals system. The relaxation enhances the flow of the blood without stressing the heart.Beta blockers or Beta-adrenergic blocking agents are often the first choice for many doctors in treating high blood pressure. Basically, this type of medication will minimize the stress on the heart by limiting the work that is needed to be done by the heart. The number of beats the heart has to do to make sure the blood is pumping is lowered because the heart no longer has to work as hard. This also decreases the intensity of the heartbeats, thus combining all of this the blood pressure is often successfully modified and reduced to a healthy level.Mild medications for high blood pressure will be determined generally on an individual patient basis. The prescribing doctor will take into consideration several other health related issues before prescribing the best medication for your blood pressure. Be sure you are giving as much information to your doctor as you can about your medical history and your family medical history.

Alvin Hopkinson is a leading health researcher in the area of natural remedies and high blood pressure treatment. Discover how you can lower high blood pressure naturally using proven and effective home remedies, all without using harmful medications or drugs. Visit his site now at http://www.minusbloodpressure.com

Obesity, Diabetes, Heart Disease, High Cholesterol, And High Blood Pressure: Can They Really be Prevented, Managed or Reversed?

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:12:21 +0000

They are the biggest killers in America: Diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease. The most common causes of these deadly conditions are: Physical inactivity, fattening snacks and beverages, obesity, stress, and smoking. The shocking news is that these diseases are so easily preventable.
A frequent cause of blame is the unhealthy food choices people make regularly. It’s okay to splurge once in a while, but it is the habits you follow daily that will determine your overall health. Constantly consuming chips, bacon, cakes, sugary drinks, candy, sausage, and cigarettes will get you nothing but poor health, deadly diseases, and a ticket straight to heaven prematurely.
According to the CDC over 63% (that’s over 180 million) of the US population is overweight or obese and is physically inactive, resulting in tens of millions who have chronic deadly, but preventable, conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and pre-diabetes. Recently the CDC reported that more than 70% (over 1.7 million) of all causes of death in America are caused by only three preventable factors: obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and smoking. The very fact that these factors are easily preventable is heartbreaking.
One of the major contributors to poor health is the excessive consumption of cholesterol. The body produces over 85% of the cholesterol we need and the sugar stores in our liver and muscles remain saturated due to physical inactivity. Because we are largely a couch-potato society and the food we consume every day is loaded with animal-based fats, the extra fat gets dumped into our arteries, belly areas, and under the skin all over our bodies.
Another major contributor to deadly diseases, poor health, and premature aging and death is physical inactivity. Most of us sit throughout an entire workday then go home and sit in front of the TV for another 5 to 6 hours while consuming large fatty meals, snacks, and sugary or alcoholic beverages that are rich in saturated fats, salt, and sugar, all of which contribute to increased belly fat. Shockingly, belly fat is the most dangerous kind because it causes inflammation in the arteries contributing to plaque build up in the arteries and insulin resistance leading to heart attacks and diabetes.
Yet another common issue is that people are unaware of how unhealthy the foods they consume are. When people don’t read nutrition labels they tend to consume very dense food and sugary beverages that are nutrient deficient. These foods are readily available in fast food restaurants and vending machines and contain loads of sugar, fat, and unwanted calories. Sugary soft drinks (which alone contribute to over 33% of all US obesity), sugary lemonade, sweetened iced tea, smoothies, lattes, and frappucinos, which contain loads of sugar and fat that further contribute to the accumulation of belly fat, make you more of a magnet to all sorts of deadly, but preventable, diseases. One of the worst mistakes people make as well is skipping meals which makes the body more efficient at storing and gaining fat weight.
Fortunately there are important steps to help you make balanced food and activity choices and help you start a lifestyle makeover process which will be your shield against deadly diseases as you age gracefully:
If you have any chronic disease(s) take your medications as prescribed.
Eat 3 main balanced meals, reduce your portion sizes, and raise your fiber intake.
Consume 2 fruit and nuts snacks between meals.
Switch all sugary drinks to water or diet soft drinks. Sweeten all other hot or cold beverages with artificial sweeteners or sugar-free flavoring powders. Limit all non-water beverages to a couple a day.
Increase your daily walking activity to over 10,000 steps a day by making more frequent trips at home, the office, while shopping, and anywhere else.
The good news is that diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic diseases can be prevented, managed, and reversed with your own choices, actions and a lifestyle makeover. Now is the time to start putting these tips to good use and begin feeling better and living healthier right away!

Adopting a Better Diet for your High Blood Pressure

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 07:13:35 +0000

Hypertension, Stroke, Heart Disease are common throughout the United States of America and indeed large parts of the Western World. Epidemiologists attribute much of this down to the Western diet.

Sad to say, after years of much research, Scientists have reached the conclusion that the typical Western Diet (USA & UK especially) is a recipe for a disaster waiting to happen as far as Hypertension and other associate Cardiovascular issues are concerned. Too much Salt, too much of the wrong types of fat (saturated not unsaturated), too many calories, not enough fruit and vegetables, too much alcohol and tobacco; basically, whether we like it or not, living life to the full too much.

Depressing or what?

However amidst all of this “doom and gloom” lies the fact that the good news hidden away in all of this is that in fact as far as the above potential problems are concerned, we can in fact do an awful lot about it. Our fat can actually lie in our own hands. You can take an active role in preventing and controlling high blood pressure by watching what you consume.

What can best be described as the watershed approach to the understanding of all of this came about in 1997 with the publication and results of the first Dietary Approaches to stop Hypertension study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Amongst a great many of the findings published in this study came the first real confirmation that we can actually positively influence our diet and through this help to control our Blood Pressure.

The DASH Diet

The results of this study were in fact so positive that the JNC (Joint National Committee on Health) guidelines now recommend most Americans (and others interested) follow the dietary guidelines of what has now become known as the DASH Diet – the key recommendation here is that all people not just those suffering from Hypertension should follow these dietary principles.

The diet proposes a regime that is low in Fat, and rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. Apparently the results of this plan were so impressive that those who were part of the initial study group quickly experienced a significant lowering in the levels of their Blood Pressure.

The initial volunteers on this study group were chosen from a random population of people suffering from Hypertension ad were randomly assigned three various dietary programmes to follow. The first was based on the conventional American diet that was 37% of the calories provided from fatty products. The second group was allocated a programme largely the same but with the additional benefits of added fruit and vegetables. The third group was allocated to the programme that later become known as the DASH Diet. This was 27% of the calories from fat, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, low fat or non fat dairy products and finally small amounts of meat, fish, poultry and nuts.

No prizes for guessing which group came out on top with the DASH participants experiencing an average reduction of up to 11.4 mm Hg in Systolic Pressure and a 5.5 mm Hg drop in Diastolic Pressure levels.

These results were actually favourably comparable to results obtained form similar trials but using Medication and Drugs. Not bad eh?

So the jury is back in, you are what you eat and if you decide and plan carefully what you eat you can do yourself some benefit!

Home Based Remedies For High Blood Pressure

admin — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 15:29:29 +0000

Poor diet, lack of exercise, intense weight training and some simple activities like public speaking can make your blood pressure jump. The cause for concern arises if it goes up and remains up. It is one of the most important indicator or cardiovascular problems after the age of 65 and hence needed to be treated. So if you are suffering from high blood pressure, it is vital that you should be under constant medical supervision. But there is no need to worry. You can take care of this problem without using drugs by making simple diet and lifestyle changes. Go for regular exercise, stop smoking, manage stress and change diet to reduce alcohol, fat and salt intake.

You can also follow the following home remedies to treat your blood pressure problems:

• Eat celery: Since centuries, people have used celery and its oil to cure blood pressure. It contains a compound which lowers the blood pressure by relaxing the muscles lining the arteries. This allows the muscles that regulate the blood pressure to dilate. Just by eating 4 celery stalks a day, you can enjoy the potent benefits of this vegetable.
• Consume garlic: You can easily lower blood pressure by eating just one clove of garlic a day. You can eat the clove either raw or in capsule form. Besides it also helps to lower cholesterol and triglycerides.
• Talk softly: It has been shown that talking loudly and rapidly increases your blood pressure during the normal conversation. But if you do this during angry conversations when you are at your emotional best, the pressure can shoot up still higher. This spikes in the blood pressure if chronic, puts you at the risk of coronary heart disease. However, speaking softly and slowly even when you are angry will eliminate the stress on your cardiovascular system.
• Speak the truth: Always speak the truth. Lying has been shown to spike the blood pressure since it takes a lot of brain effort to lie. The more you lie, the more you are stressed and the higher your blood pressure shoots.
• Go for aerobic not isometric exercise: Though exercise has been shown to lower the blood pressure, it is important for you to choose the right one. In isometric exercises where you clench and hold like weight training should be avoided. This is because when you hold your breath while lifting will cause the blood pressure to go up temporarily. Choose aerobic exercises in place of isometric exercises.
• Laughter is the best medicine: To relax yourself completely, choose laughter. When you laugh, your adrenaline and cortisone levels go down, since these are the main compounds which have an adverse reaction on the blood pressure. It is the cheapest therapy that has benefited everyone greatly but more so the people who are angry, frustrated or unhappy.

An Introduction to Treatment for High Blood Pressure

admin — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 05:30:33 +0000

At one point, Doctors hesitated to prescribe medication for patients with a blood pressure reading of less than 159/99 Hg. This was described as “mild hypertension” and as such not deemed at the time to be dangerous.

The rationale behind this that Doctors felt that the adverse side effects of the medication used at the time would possibly be of more danger to the patient than the high blood pressure readings.

Times have changed however and this line of thinking is no longer in use. Both of the above perceptions relating to the danger of the side effects and the mild nature of the blood pressure readings have lead to the discontinuance of this practice.

Recent research has firmly established the value of treating “stage 1 Hypertension” (a reading of between 140/90 – 159/99 Hg) with medication if necessary. It is now also considered prudent to treat patients who also suffer from Diabetes and High Blood Pressure if their readings are as low as 130/80 Hg. The sensitivity of medication nowadays is such that blood pressure levels can be controlled with much lower dosages meaning that the danger of side effects can also be reduced.

There has never been a greater variety of medication for High Blood Pressure available to Doctors from which to choose. These “antihypertensive drugs” also include many types of medication where there is a combination of several different types of drug. The newer types of medication quite often have a different chemical makeup and structure compared to the older ones but quite often produce nearly identical effects on the human body.

The range and sophistication of medication is such now that Doctors can produce care plans and treatment programmes tailored to the individual patient and in most cases prescribe medication that have little or minimal side effect to the patient and protect against possible further complications down the line.

On of the most important aspects of where treatment differs nowadays is that Doctors can quite possibly provide one single course of medication that can treat conditions like Hypertension and accompanying medical problems like congestive Heart Failure.

The generally accepted initial approach to Hypertension Treatment nowadays is to start slow & low and then build gradually where possible gradually increasing the dosage of the medicine prescribed until the blood pressure level sinks to a normal level. If this is not shown to work or causes troublesome side effects then a wide number of replacement medications are available for use.

The presently accepted course of treatment for Stage 1 Hypertension is to start with one drug and add a second if the blood pressure reading does not respond or decrease to normal levels. The target levels here are 140/90 Hg. For those with diabetes or chronic kidney disease then the ideal targets are reduced to 130/80 Hg. For “Stage 2 Hypertension” (the old levels of conventional High Blood Pressure) then the accepted treatment programme is to start with at least 2 drugs. Again if the response to this is not within an acceptable timeframe then the introduction of a third drug may occur.

Just when you think that Hypertension can be controlled with purely medication. There is a marked improvement to all of these programmes when the medication is accompanied by the introduction and implementation of lifestyle changes such as a well balanced diet, reduction in the consumption of alcohol, increased exercise and a complete cessation of smoking.

‘Nuff said really.

Natural Ways To Get High Blood Pressure Down – 11 Easy Tips Anyone Can Do

admin — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 03:33:37 +0000

More individuals are seeking alternative methods for treating their high blood pressure. This includes natural ways to get high blood pressure down. As you begin researching the many natural methods you might begin to wonder why everyone is not using these methods. You might also realize there are numerous ways you can lower your blood pressure naturally, without having to take medications. Eliminating the need for prescriptions and controlling your blood pressure naturally is a great way for you to be able to avoid possible side effects from the drugs. Here is a list of things you can do to lower your blood pressure.1. Reduce weight if necessary. Losing the extra weight can often decrease high blood pressure and keep it at a healthy level.2. Increase physical activity. This doesn’t mean you need to join a gym and workout for 10 hours a day. Simply go for a brisk 20 minute walk every day or go for a bike ride. Basically, anything that will get your heart pumping is ideal for lowering blood pressure.3. If you are a smoker it’s time to quit. Tobacco raises the blood pressure levels substantially in individuals, putting the addiction to an end is a great way for you to naturally lower your high blood pressure.4. It’s essential that you put the salt shaker away.5. Avoid consuming any foods that are high in sodium.6. Increase your daily fiber intake. You can do this by incorporating fresh veggies and whole grains into your daily diet.7. Overall healthier eating is important. Discontinue eating bacon, desserts, red meats, cheese and gravy. Eat skinless chicken, turkey and white fish more often.8. Take a daily multi vitamin to ensure you are receiving adequate vitamins daily.9. Increase your daily milk intake. The majority of adults do not drink enough milk daily and this seems to be linked to blood pressure. Increasing your ‘moo-juice’ consumption could very well be the best way for you to increase your calcium intake.10. According to study, results drinking carrot juice can clean the arteries.11. Cook with some spices that do more for your body than just give your taste buds a good time. Here is a list of some of the spices that you should include in your cooking:- Cayenne- Parsley- Ginger- Basil- Black pepper- Chili powder- Cinnamon- Cloves- Dillweed- Curry- Fennel – Dillseed- Horseradish- NutmegUsing natural ways to get blood pressure down is increasing in popularity among individuals everywhere. You might still have to take blood pressure medication until you gain control over your high blood pressure. However, with your medical care providers approval you should be able to switch to a natural method for maintaining control over your blood pressure and soon be medication free.

Alvin Hopkinson is a leading health researcher in the area of natural remedies and high blood pressure treatment. Discover how you can get rid of your high blood pressure for good using proven and effective home remedies, all without using harmful medications or drugs. Visit his site now at http://www.minusbloodpressure.com

How To Deal With High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)?

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 17:42:20 +0000

With the increasing age you may find your blood pressure touching the skies too. It may be due to some of the many reasons like being overweight, poor diet, lack of exercise and many other things. It is very important to take care of your health in such condition. Stress also increases your chances of high blood pressure

- Home Remedies for High Blood Pressure

• Chewing celery can bring down your high blood pressure level. It helps in lowering your blood pressure by relaxing the muscles, lining the arteries. Having at least four stalks a day can bring a major difference in lowering the blood pressure.

• Eating one clove of garlic either raw or in one of the meals also helps in reducing blood pressure.

• Being stress free is very important. Cuddling your pet or playing with it can bring down your pressure in minutes.

• Have a great exercise routine to be followed everyday. Aerobics is the one of the ways to deal with it. Avoid isometrics exercises such as weight lifting.

• Join a laughter club, get your frustration out and enjoy laughs with your friends. Being unhappy, frustrated or angry can make things worse.

• Keep a good eye on your weight; being over-weight just makes things harder for you.

• Turn vegetarian as it may ease your problem of high blood pressure.

• Have nutmeg or sarsaswat powder in warm milk.

• Lessen your salt-intake.

• Avoid alcohol too.

• Increase calcium and potassium intake to help the high blood pressure problem. Some of the fruits and vegetables with high potassium and calcium content are apricots, prunes, bananas, pumpkin, milk, stewed tomatoes, dry peas and beans, orange juice, peaches, spinach, broccoli, turnip greens, cheese, salmon, yogurt and many more.

• Eat one papaya every morning on empty stomach daily for a month. After eating this do not eat for next two hours.

• In a 1:1 proportion, mix onion juice with honey. Have two tablespoon of this mixture once a day for 1-2 weeks.

• Powder 100 gm each of melon and poppy seeds. Mix these together and store it. Have it twice a day with water.

• Have a mixture of one teaspoon honey, one teaspoon ginger juice and one teaspoon cumin powder twice a day.

• You can have juices made of garlic, basil, wheatgrass, carrot, beetroot, cucumber or orange.

• Practicing asanas like shavasan, padmasan, vajrasan, dhanurasan, paschimottasan, konasan, mataysana and matsyendrasan on regular basis can make a lot of difference in your high blood pressure level.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Steps to Prevent High Blood Pressure

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:03:52 +0000

High blood pressure also referred to as High B.P or hypertension is a chronic health problem. There are solutions to this problem also. The U.S Department of Health and Human Services offers the following solution of high blood pressure or reduces the blood pressure if it is an existing problem whose pinch you are feeling. Be fit in your weight concerns: Healthy weight maintenance will definitely help you to prevent high blood pressure. Getting a normal weight is not a difficult task as it appears. The beginning can be initiated by cutting down the size of your meal and snacks, and it is important that you take particular care regarding the consumption of high calorie food. Your weight can be maintained if you can burn calories equivalent to the proportion of your consumption of your food. In case you are interested in losing your weight than you need to burn more calories than the amount of food you consume. As you progress in losing weight you can expect a reduction in your blood pressure levels.Eat a healthy diet: When you are choosing on selecting your diet choose a diet that has plenty of fruits and vegetables. Avoid food stuffs which have high fat content and cholesterol. If you initiate practices to keep your heart fit, then you can definitely keep your blood pressure levels in control. Keep a control on salt and sodium levels: Excessive consumption of salt and sodium levels can increase blood pressure. So it is vital that you read the food labels. The U.S guidelines indicates that the consumption of sodium can be restricted to not more than 2400 mg and the intake of salt should not be more than 1 table spoon per day. If you are in the practice of eating canned, processed and convenience foods then choose the brands that have low sodium content. In case you are in the practice of salting your food at the time of consumption then be in practice that you use very less salt or it would be best if you do not use salt at all. However this practice will take little time to get used to food without a pinch of salt. But in due course of time you will realize that the food tests better with less salt. Junk items are made with lot of sodium and salt content, so select items with less salt and sodium content. Less consumption of salt and sodium will help you to prevent high blood pressure.If you are into alcoholic consumption then as per the guidelines the intake should not be more than 2 drinks for men and 1 drink for women.Exercise is an important criterion that helps you to maintain a stable blood pressure. Brisk walking and bicycling are good modes of exercising.Incase you are smoking then an immediate action has to be taken to give up smoking. These are some of the steps which can help you to bring your blood pressure levels to bring it to moderate levels.

High Blood Pressure – A Dangerous Problem With An Often Simple Solution

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:18:20 +0000

In recent years changes in diet and lifestyle in many western societies have led to an increase in the number of people suffering from high blood pressure.
High blood pressure (otherwise known as hypertension, or more correctly arterial hypertension) is a serious condition which rarely carries any symptoms and which, if not detected and treated, can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, arterial aneurysm or renal failure – all of which are series life-threatening conditions.
So just what is high blood pressure and what causes it?
The arteries of your body and constantly filled with blood which exerts a normal “background” pressure on the walls of the arteries. As the heart pumps freshly oxygenated blood around the body it forces this blood into the arteries momentarily raising the pressure exerted on the walls of the arteries during each beat of the heart. These two pressures are known as the systolic pressure (the higher pumping pressure of the heart) and the diastolic pressure (the lower “background” pressure).
Normal levels of blood pressure vary from individual to individual but, on average, systolic pressure should be around 120 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury measured on a manometer) and diastolic pressure should be about 80 mm Hg. This is ordinarily expressed as a blood pressure of 120/80.
If your blood pressure starts to rise and remains at a level above 120/80 then you are described as being “prehypertensive” and, while this is not serious in itself, it is an indication that you may be at risk of developing hypertension and the problems associated with it. Once your blood pressure reaches, and maintains, a level of 140/90 or above you are said to be suffering from hypertension and action needs to be taken to reduce your blood pressure.
But what causes your blood pressure to rise and remain elevated?
Well, there are several factors at play here and the first is a group over which you have little, if any, control. This group includes a low birth weight, a variety of genetic factors, certain forms of diabetes (in particular type 2 diabetes) and your age (as we grow older our arteries tend to become fibrous and lose their elasticity, resulting in a smaller cross-sectional area through which the blood can flow).
The second group of factors is much more within your control and includes leading a sedentary lifestyle, high levels of salt and/or saturated fats in the diet, being overweight, smoking, alcohol abuse, stress and working in certain occupations such as flying or motorway maintenance, which involves exposure to long periods of high level roadway noise.
The vast majority of these factors are of course treatable and, in many cases, a simple adjustment to your diet and the addition of some form of exercise into your daily routine is all that is needed to solve the problem. The difficulty however is that, without any real symptoms, most people simply don’t know that they are suffering from high blood pressure in the first place.
So how do you solve the problem?
Fortunately the answer to this question is very simple. All you need to do is to pop into your doctor’s office on a regular basis (for most of us a couple of times a year will do the trick) and ask the doctor, or practice nurse, to check your blood pressure. The whole process is painless, simple and fast and will give you peace of mind and possibly save your doctor a lot of time, work and expense later on when you are forced to present yourself at his office once hypertension has set in.
If, like most people, you are not so keen on visiting your doctor then an excellent alternative today is to simply monitor your own blood pressure at home. A wide range of easy to operate and relatively inexpensive monitors are available today, allowing you to keep an eye on your own health, and that of your family, in the comfort and privacy of your own home.