Hypertension or high blood pressure is split into two groups referred to by doctors as stage 1 high blood pressure and stage 2 high blood pressure. Stage 2 is the more serious level where the systolic reading is consistently found to be 140 or above and the diastolic reading is 90 or over.

We are all aware that being obese and eating food which contains high levels of salt are two common causes of high blood pressure. There many more however which are perhaps less common knowledge and for this reason more of a problem. Some of these causes of high blood pressure are anxiety, depression, too much alcohol and kidney problems, it is possible to that it can be hereditary. There are thousands of deaths each year due to strokes and heart attacks, if high blood pressure is left untreated it can be fatal. Once you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure it is likely that some form of medication will be prescribed by your doctor. There are however a vast number of things that the individual can do in a bid to keep their blood pressure under control for example; reduce alcohol intake, change of diet, take up some for of exercise, stop smoking at the same time it may be worth trying some alternative treatments such as magnesium supplements or garlic capsules and there are many more. Most of these are fairly simple, others may not be so easy to achieve but it is important that you try!

One of the major causes of high blood pressure is poor diet. If you regularly eat ready meals and takeaway food the chances are you are taking in amounts of sodium found in salt hugely in excess of the recommended daily intake figure of 1500mg. These meals also tend to hide large quantities of saturated fat and cholesterol which only serves to clog the arteries making the heart work extremely hard just to pump blood round the circulatory system thus causing blood pressure levels to rise. Before you eat your next ready meal, have a look on the label, it may be enough to make you change your mind about eating it!

Stress is another one of the big factors in the causes of high blood pressure, and it also has a detrimental effect on our general health. We are all placed under more and more pressure to perform well at work and to provide for our families at home. This raises the blood pressure in a similar way to the intake of large amounts of saturated fats, it makes the heart rate increase to enable it to pump the blood round the system.

If you are unfortunate enough to have a history of high blood pressure in your family you do have a greatly increased chance of developing it at some time in your life. Changing your lifestyle now to include a healthy diet low in salt and saturated fats, regular exercise, giving up cigarettes etc. can mean that you reduce the risk substantially. Reducing stress levels can also be hugely beneficial find some time to do something you enjoy.

Your life is in your own hands, a few changes now could extend your life by many years. If you do recognise any of the symptoms in this article please seek medical advice and treatment immediately – your life could be in danger!

reduce high blood pressure

reduce high blood pressure

The fact of the matter is that approximately 95% of people with high blood pressure can reduce their blood pressure readings even although a definite cause of the high blood pressure is unknown. It has to be said however, that if this condition is not treated for a prolonged period the consequences can be catastrophic. It is extremely important that you monitor blood pressure readings carefully through out the process of trying various alternative methods. It is possible that you can lower your blood pressure without prescription drugs but you must proceed with caution.

Where do I start? There are a vast number of treatments and therapies available which all become a little confusing after a while, so here are a few very simple methods for how to lower blood pressure that you can try:

Obesity is probably the biggest cause of high blood pressure. By over eating and becoming over weight you will increase your chances of developing this life threatening condition. Simply by changing your diet to a healthy well balanced diet with freshly prepared food and taking some gentle exercise it is possible to loose weight and reduce high blood pressure without the need for drugs. A bit of effort can go a long way, and surely it must be better in this instance than taking medication for ever more as well as suffering the side effects associated with them.

Another tip on how to lower blood pressure is to increase the amount of water you drink. By increasing your water intake and eliminating fatty, salty fast food from your diet significant reductions in your blood pressure readings will be seen. A week of fasting with only water is an option for those who are really serious, results have show blood pressure readings down by as much as 60 points. Personally, I would urge great caution, fasting in this way can be harmful to health.

Increasing your consumption of certain foods can help with lowering blood pressure. Two which immediately come to mind are celery and garlic. Take celery, this works in reducing blood pressure by acting as a natural diuretic. It increases the amount of extra water which the body expels and with the water excess sodium – from salt is also expelled.

These are only a few of the most simple tips on how to lower blood pressure. The is mountains of information available on numerous different methods but I would recommend these as a starting point. You can make a huge difference to your own health and blood pressure by taking every measure available to you. Make the medication for life a real last resort.

reduce high blood pressure

reduce high blood pressure

The cost of having to use prescription drugs all the time is increasing constantly and many people also suffer from rather unpleasant side effects. For these reasons the use of natural remedies to reduce blood pressure is becoming an area of great interest to many high blood pressure sufferers. The choice of alternative remedies can be very confusing so here are 6 which I have found to be most effective.

1. Magnesium – As part of a healthy, well balanced diet magnesium has been shown to help reduce blood pressure. It has additional advantages in that it also gives extra support to the nervous system and heart and aids in strengthening bones and teeth. It is recommended that we intake 500mg per day. If this target is not realistic to obtain purely with your diet it is possible to obtain magnesium in supplement form.

2. Potassium – Once again this mineral should be readily available in a healthy diet but can be found in supplement form. It Is very important to ensure the proper functioning of the heart muscle and also the nervous system.

3. Garlic – This is an ingredient which many of us use in cooking everyday without giving its health benefits much thought. It is however extremely successful in the helping reduce blood pressure. It works by reducing the risk of developing atherosclerosis there by reducing the risk of strokes and heart attacks. It also helps the blood to maintain the correct viscosity and keeps the circulatory system healthy. The one massive disadvantage which garlic has is the smell that your are left with on your breath. For this reason the prospect of cooking with increased amounts regularly is most likely not too pleasing. There is a simple solution however, garlic comes in supplement form which is odour free! It also comes with an added health benefit by increasing your intake of garlic you can also reduce your risk of developing certain cancers.

4. Hawthorn – Found mostly in the northern regions of Europe this plant is seen as on of the most useful and successful natural treatments to reduce blood pressure. For this reason you will find that it is also one of the most popular. This remedy is often given to patients who have had a mild heart attack because it has been found to strengthen the heart muscle. The best use for hawthorn supplements however is to prevent heart disease rather than try to cure it.

5. High blood pressure is widely attributed to increased stress and anxiety levels which many of us are placed under in our daily lives. A herb called Valerian is a proven remedy which can help in cases of this nature. Valerian calms the nerves and there by helps to reduce the heart rate and quells the feeling of anxiousness. All this put together helps reduce blood pressure. Available in many forms this remedy can be taken as a tea or the more conventional capsule.

6. L-Argine is an amino acid which is found mainly in meat and foods which contain wheat. This helps to reduce blood pressure by maintaining the circulatory system and ensuring that cholesterol is kept within acceptable limits.

Hopefully these remedies will give you some idea of what is available and who they help to reduce blood pressure. I have only covered 6 of the most popular with proven track records. To reduce your blood pressure anything is worth trying, just consult your doctor first!

reduce high blood pressure

reduce high blood pressure