A person needs to lower their blood pressure if their blood pressure exceeds 130/80 mmHg. There are several ways to lower blood pressure, ranging from living a healthy lifestyle, special diets, to taking medication.
Normal blood pressure is around 120/80 mmHg or slightly lower. If a person's blood pressure is above this number, then he is said to have increased blood pressure. When blood pressure rises to more than 130/80 mmHg, this condition is called high blood pressure or hypertension.
There are several things that can cause a person to experience high blood pressure, namely:
- Elderly.
- Hereditary factors, or having a biological family with a history of high blood pressure.
- Rarely exercise, or have excess weight (obesity).
- Often eat unhealthy foods, including consuming a lot of salt.
- The habit of smoking or consuming alcohol.
- Often stressed.
- Certain diseases, such as diabetes, kidney disease, thyroid disorders, and sleep apnea.
By changing a healthier lifestyle, managing or lowering blood pressure is not impossible. However, if hypertension is caused by a disease, then the disease needs to be treated first to the doctor.
How to Lower Blood Pressure
The following are some easy steps to help lower blood pressure:
1. Lose weight
Being overweight can make the heart work harder and lead to hypertension. Therefore, losing weight is an effective way to control and lower blood pressure.
If you are overweight or obese, it is advisable to lose weight until you reach your ideal weight.
2. Live a healthy diet
Eating healthy foods, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products, and reducing your intake of saturated fat and cholesterol can help lower blood pressure.
In addition, don't forget to eat foods that contain potassium, such as bananas, potatoes, oranges, carrots, grapes, and spinach. Potassium is one of the nutrients that can help lower high blood pressure. The recommended intake of potassium that needs to be fulfilled is around 4500-4700 mg per day.
3. Limit salt consumption
Sodium (sodium) is contained in a lot of salt, be it salt in cooking, snacks, canned foods, and soft drinks. If the amount of sodium in the body is excessive, then this can increase blood pressure.
Therefore, people with hypertension are recommended to reduce their consumption of foods containing salt or undergo a low-salt diet. Please note that adults are only recommended to consume sodium as much as 1500-2000 mg per day.
4. Exercise regularly
The recommended exercise to reduce blood pressure is exercise that is done for 30-60 minutes, 3-5 times a week. Regular and consistent exercise can reduce blood pressure by 5-8 mmHg.
How many good examples of exercise to lower blood pressure are walking, jogging, cycling, gymnastics, and swimming.
5. Reduce stress
Prolonged stress or too often can increase the body's blood pressure. Come on, control stress so that high blood pressure comes down. You can control it by doing relaxation, yoga, meditation, or activities that you enjoy. You can also try reiki therapy to reduce stress.
6. Quit smoking and alcohol consumption
These two bad habits are one of the most common causes of high blood pressure. People who smoke frequently are said to be more at risk for complications of hypertension, such as heart disease and stroke.
So, let's start quitting smoking and consuming alcohol to lower blood pressure.
7. Taking drugs
To reduce high blood pressure, antihypertensive drugs are often needed. Especially if the above methods have not succeeded in lowering blood pressure after more than 6 months.
However, the use of this drug should not be arbitrary and must be with a doctor's prescription. Your doctor will adjust the type and dose of antihypertensive medication according to your age, your body's response to the drug, and your history of other illnesses.
Some types of antihypertensive drugs that can be used to lower high blood pressure are:
- ACE inhibitors, as captoprillisinopril, and ramipril.
- Angiotensin-2 receptor blockers (ARBs), such as candesartan, irbesartan, losartan, valsartan, and olmesartan.
- Diuretics, such as furosemide and hydrochlorothiazide.
- calcium channel blockers, as amlodipine, felodipine, nifedipine, diltiazem, and verapamil.
- Beta-blockers or beta-blockers, such as propranolol, atenolol, bisoprolol, and metoprolol.
If you have been diagnosed with hypertension, you need to check your blood pressure regularly. You can do this yourself at home, using a sphygmomanometer.
By living a healthy lifestyle, you can lower high blood pressure and avoid its complications. Don't forget to regularly check with your doctor to monitor your health condition.