Learn how to prevent, control, and treat high blood pressure

High blood pressure or hypertension (HT) is when the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated above normal levels, which are 140 mmHg and 90 mmHg, minimum.

Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by the blood on the wall of the arteries, which is essential for blood to flow and transport nutrients to the cells. In addition, blood pressure helps red blood cells carrying oxygen to reach the tissues and provide the body with energy. The maximum pressure is obtained in each contraction of the heart and the minimum with each relaxation.

This condition has no noticeable symptoms in 90% of cases, so patients are only diagnosed when the complications become severe. This means it can cause serious damage to vital organs such as the kidneys, eyes, the brain, or heart.

Recommendations for preventing high blood pressure

According to the Spanish Heart Foundation, the best way of treating high blood pressure is to prevent it from appearing. To do this, you must adopt a series of heart-healthy habits:

1. Don’t smoke: Smoking increases blood pressure and heart rate. What’s more, smokers with hypertension are even more seriously harmed by smoking. Quitting smoking is far more effective than any anti-hypertension medication.
2. Avoid alcohol: moderate consumption of alcohol (one glass of wine a day with meals), may not be harmful, but drinking too much alcohol increases blood pressure and causes other changes that damage the heart and other organs.
3. Maintain a healthy weight: being obese or overweight is a cause of high blood pressure. As you lose weight, your blood pressure will go down, and so will your risk of cardiovascular problems and diabetes.
4. Exercise: exercise is an effective, non-pharmacological method of reducing blood pressure. Brisk walking, dancing, cycling, and swimming are recommended exercises. Exercise for at least 45 minutes, five days a week. Exercise also increases muscle mass and capacity, helps to keep weight under control and reduces cardiovascular risk.
5. Eat well: people with high blood pressure must restrict their salt intake, and stay away from processed meats and ready meals. Your foods of choice should be potassium-rich vegetables like potatoes, peaches, peas, bananas, and courgettes. Other essentials are peppers, carrots, strawberries, oranges, mandarins, and kiwis, which contain vitamin C. Lastly, use olive oil and eat poultry and fish rather than red meat.
6. Take your medicine properly: take exactly the dose prescribed by your doctor, and don’t skip any doses.
7. Manage stress: People who suffer from anxiety are likely to suffer from high blood pressure. Try to avoid stress, be less demanding on yourself, and try to prioritise the things that really matter.
8. Take your blood pressure regularly: People diagnosed with hypertension should take their blood pressure at least once a month. Everyone else should check it at least once a year.

Did you know that moderate consumption of plain chocolate helps to reduce blood pressure and improve blood flow?

This post is also available in: Portuguese (Portugal)