03 Sep Creative Ways of Tackling Hypertension
Hypertension is sometimes known as high blood pressure. It is a condition in which your blood pressure is higher than normal. People of all ages may suffer from this, but it is more common among people below the age of 55, people who are obese, and men who are more likely than women to develop the condition known as hypertension. It is also important to know that women above 55 years are more likely to have the condition than their male counterparts.
The disease causes one’s blood pressure to change following the activities you do. So if you are involved in very strenuous activities, you don’t eat well, or you are under a lot of stress, your blood pressure may shoot up.
Symptoms of Hypertension
Like every other disease, hypertension has its symptoms, although it is not always obvious. They are simple mild conditions that you may consider as just a simple problem at first, but we advise that if you continually experience these problems, it is important to check yourself out. The symptoms include:
1. Vomiting
2. Nosebleeds
3. Inability to breathe
4. Headaches
5. Fainting
6. Tiredness
7. Chest pains
8. Blurry vision and so much more.
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How To Prevent Hypertension
The first thing to do is to maintain a healthy lifestyle by indulging yourself in exercise. The main aim is to keep yourself active and not dormant. You need to move around but be careful not to get involved with too many rigorous activities like lifting weights(you can still do them but don’t go and overdo it.) Your heart needs stimulation; it doesn’t need to be overstimulated. We advise that you do the following things to prevent hypertension.
1. Avoid Obesity: The best way to do this is to engage in an aerobic exercise like brisk walking. These exercises will not only help you maintain a healthy heart, but they will also lower your risk of high blood pressure, which is also known as hypertension. You should get about 2 hours, 30 minutes of exercises like brisk walking in a week, and if you want to engage in physical activities like mountain climbing, you are advised to get 1 hour, 30 minutes of such exercises in a week. (Remember to seek professional recommendations that suit you most)
2. Avoid Smoking: You know the saying that goes, smokers are liable to die young. Yeah, that saying is right on the money. When you indulge in smoking cigarettes, you are raising the chances of having a heart condition. It may not be hypertension, but it may be a stroke or a heart attack. This is so because smoking raises your blood pressure and is just waiting for the slightest provocation that will push the blood pressure over the edge and lead to these heart conditions. So if you are not smoking, we advise that you stick to not smoking. But if you are already smoking, there are a lot of methods you could use to quit. So book an appointment with your doctor and discuss the various ways you could help quit smoking.
3. Limit your intake of alcohol: In as much as you shouldn’t smoke, you should also limit your intake of alcoholic drinks. Did you know that drinking too much alcohol can lead to obesity? Yes, that rock-hard abs you want to get and that curvy shape you love to attain wouldn’t be achievable because your body will be gaining a lot of calories from the alcohol you are taking. It is advised that men should take only two drinks per day and women should take one. But not only does alcohol
increase your calorie level, but it also increases your blood pressure which could lead to hypertension.
4. Manage your stress level: We know how difficult it may be for you to relax, especially when you have a very busy schedule. Human beings need 6-8 hours of sleep every day. This will help to improve your emotional and physical health, thereby leading to a reduction in the increase in your blood pressure. Some ways you can relieve stress are by listening to music, doing yoga, meditating, or spending some time with nature by maybe gardening or fishing.
5. Maintaining a healthy diet: If you want to avoid high blood pressure and other heart diseases, we advise that you eat healthily. You have to choose a good diet plan and maintain a good snacking habit. Even if you are not a veggie; you must eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Eat foods that are higher in potassium and protein.
Examples
Foods rich in potassium – bananas, avocados, beans, yams, potatoes, goat meat, tomato paste, and fibre like corns, rice, wheat bread, cassava, pasta, oats, breadfruit(Ukwa), garden eggs, apples, carrot, etc.
Foods rich in protein – beans, fish, milk, egusi soup, Akara, Moin-Moin, groundnuts, turkey, chicken, cashew, etc.
Reduce the intake of salt, which is rich in sodium and saturated fat.
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