Top tips for healthy blood pressure
Controlling your blood pressure is important, as it indicates how much pressure the blood is putting on your artery walls. If the pressure is too high, it can make you vulnerable to heart attack and stroke.
Blood pressure is represented by two numbers, which show the highest and lowest pressure the blood exerts during the heart beat cycle:
- systolic pressure is the highest force the blood exerts against the arteries when the heart contracts
- diastolic pressure is the lowest force the blood exerts while the heart is resting between contractions.
What is a healthy blood pressure measure?
Ideally, your blood pressure should be 120/80 or less. If it is higher than this, but below 140/90, then it is still considered normal, but your cardiovascular risk increases and you should try to lower it. Blood pressure is considered too high ‘high ‘ if it runs consistently over 140/90
What happens if your blood pressure is too low?
Low blood pressure is usually measured at 90/60 or less, but unless you often feel faint or dizzy, it’s usually nothing to worry about. Some conditions, such as diabetes and Parkinson’s can also lead to low blood pressure.
Blood pressure and your health
High blood pressure puts you at risk of developing cardiovascular disease, as it puts the heart under strain and damages the interior linings of your arteries, which makes it easier for layers of fatty cholesterol to build-up. If you then have a short-term increase in blood pressure when you are stressed, this can cause blood clots, which can lead to a stroke or heart attack. It’s therefore very important to not only have a healthy resting blood pressure but also good blood pressure control during times of emotional and physical stress.
Controlling your blood pressure
There are medicines available to help control blood pressure, but you can also make lifestyle changes which will help.
- Watch you weight: Being overweight and having a large waist measurement and a high waist girth can increase your blood pressure. Try to stave off excess weight with exercise and by maintaining a healthy diet.
- Watch your drinking: Too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure, so be careful and don’t binge drink
- Exercise makes your heart work more efficiently and this helps regulate your blood pressure. Just half an hour a day of activity will help, but check with your doctor before startng any exercise, if you have not done any for a while. If your blood pressure is consistently over 140/90 then you should check in first with your doctor for further advice.
- Stop smoking, as it raises your blood pressure with the first drag due to the effect of the nicotine. Smoking also damages the walls of the arteries, which makes you more susceptible to high blood pressure in the future.
- Cut out salt: Salt can mean you retain fluid in the blood, which can increase your blood pressure. Many ready meals and other pre-prepared food contains a great deal of salt, so try not to add more.
- Eat bananas: Bananas contain potassium, which is good for the heart, as well as providing high energy boosts without simple sugars
- Manage stress: stress drives your blood pressure up, so try to manage it through exercise, sleep and relaxation techniques, such as mindfulness.
