How Can I Prevent Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Before we look at ways to prevent hypertension (High Blood Pressure) we need to understand what hypertension is.

What is Hypertension?

Hypertension is a condition which arises when blood is putting a higher than normal pressure on the arteries which in turn puts more stress on the body. Your heart has to work harder now to get the blood pumped through those arteries, causing your heart to enlarge which over time damages it and leads to heart attacks, stroke, aneurysm and other heart related illnesses.

A normal blood pressure level is below 120/80. Blood pressure between 120/80 and 139/89 is called prehypertension and a blood pressure level of 140/90 or above is what is considered hypertension. Hypertension is categorized as either essential or secondary.

Essential Hypertension is a term that is used when the cause of high blood pressure is unknown.

Secondary Hypertension is a term used when the cause of high blood pressure is known such as a direct result of kidney disease or birth control pills.

Over 90% of High Blood Pressure Sufferers including minors have Essential Hypertension.

How Can I Prevent Hypertension? How can I manage stress?

There are many things which you can do to prevent high blood pressure, amongst them being a healthy diet, losing weight if you are overweight, limiting your alcohol intake and exercising. Managing Stress is what we are going to look at into more detail in this article. It is important to keep yourself on the healthy path once you have successfully managed to bring down your blood pressure and controlling stress is a sure way of achieving this.

One of the best ways to prevent hypertension is to control stress. All of us have stress in our daily lives, it is something that we cannot prevent but it is something that we can manage and control. There are hundreds of studies done that accurately show that lowering our stress levels will keep our blood pressure low. One method of doing that is through exercise – because not only does it strengthen your heart, it has the dual effect of reducing your stress levels.

Begin an exercise routine today and stick to it daily, whether this is a 25-30 minute walk, or bicycle ride or even running. Another helpful technique to control stress and thus preventing hypertension is through YOGA or Tai Chi. All of these concentrate on proper breathing combined with mild muscle exercising which can help us relax and distress our bodies.

Any chance you get to play with your kids or chasing your pet around your backyard – it all helps relieve stress from our bodies. Did you know that generally pet owners have a low blood pressure? That’s because pets have a magical way to help lower your blood pressure – even the act of petting an animal can help lower your blood pressure.

The main thing for you to find is a productive method that manages your stress levels. If you bottle up stress it will lead to serious illnesses such as heart attacks and other related heart problems. Find a way to relieve stress today, whether it is through a daily exercise routine, a hobby (gardening, painting, reading etc), talking and sharing your troubles with a close friend, a family member or your therapist, whatever method works for you and you will noticeably see the positive effects it has on your blood pressure in the space of just a few weeks.