Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure.
One in three adults worldwide, according to the 2012 WHO World Healh Statistics report, has raised blood pressure – a condition that causes around half of all deaths from stroke and heart disease.
In low and middle income countries, it often does not get diagnosed and treated.
Can hypertension be prevented
Once high blood pressure develops, it usually lasts a lifetime and has to be managed with medication. You can try to prevent high blood pressure from developing or delay its onset by addressing the risk factors of Hypertension taking the following steps:
Eat healthily - For an overall healthy eating plan, follow the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. The DASH eating plan includes whole grains, poultry, fish and nuts and has reduced amount of salt, fats, red meat, sweets and sugared beverages.
Eat less salt - The current recommendation is to consume less than 2.3g (2,300mg) of sodium a day. That equals 6g (about 1 teaspoon) of table salt a day.
How to control your salt intake
Lose weight if you need to - Being overweight increases your risk of developing high blood pressure.
How to lose weight the healthy way
Exercise regularly - This is one of the most important steps you can take to prevent or control high blood pressure. Exercise also helps reduce your risk of heart disease. Start by doing 30 minutes of moderate level activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. Brisk walking, swimming, cycling and gardening are some examples. The 30 minutes can be divided into short intervals of 10 minutes each.
EBook for Yoga for Hypertension
Limit alcohol intake - Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure. It also can harm the liver, brain, and heart. Alcoholic drinks also contain calories, which are a problem if you are trying to lose weight. If you are at risk of developing high blood pressure, do not drink or drink in moderation. A moderate amount is considered to be one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men.
What counts as a drink?
- 12 ounces of beer (regular or light,150 calories) or
- 5 ounces of wine (100 calories) or
- 11/2 ounces of 80-proof whisky(100 calories)
Quit Smoking - Smoking injures blood vessel walls and speeds up the process of the hardening of the arteries. This applies even to filtered cigarettes. So even though it does not cause high blood pressure, smoking is bad for everyone, especially those with high blood pressure.
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Reduce stress - Stress is believed to increase blood pressure, so take up activities that de-stress.
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