Blood pressure can be lowered naturally without prescription medication. Read on to learn about why lowering blood pressure is important, and learn how to lower your blood pressure naturally.
What Is High Blood Pressure?
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, refers to elevated pressure in your arteries. Environmental and genetic factors usually cause high blood pressure. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of three U.S. adults has high blood pressure. Many factors put people at risk for other health conditions, which is why lowering blood pressure is so important. When blood pressure is too high for too long, it may lead to other serious health conditions.
Why Is Lowering Blood Pressure Important?
Lowering blood pressure is important and preventative against the "silent killer." High blood pressure is often called the silent killer because there are little or no symptoms before significant damage is done. High blood pressure is dangerous because it can gradually increase over time while simultaneously going undetected and causing damage. Damage may already be done by the time you realize you have high blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure can prevent serious health conditions like heart attack, stroke, or kidney disease.
Is It Possible To Lower Blood Pressure Naturally?
You can lower blood pressure naturally by making conscious choices for a healthy lifestyle. Some ways to lower blood pressure naturally are by maintaining a healthy weight, eating less salt, getting quality sleep, and being able to cope with stress.
Being obese or overweight increases your risk of developing high blood pressure. The increased weight on your organs, joints, and muscles adds pressure within your blood vessels and can cause damage due to the decrease in blood flow to vital organs. Studies have shown that losing 5% to 10% of your body weight has significant health benefits and provides improvements in blood pressure.
Eating a diet high in salt increases blood pressure by making your body hold onto water on a cellular level. More fluid in your bloodstream results in increased blood pressure. Low salt diets help reduce high blood pressure naturally by reducing the amount of fluid within your body. The American Heart Association recommends 1.5 to 2.3 grams of salt intake daily, especially if you have high blood pressure.
High-quality sleep reduces hypertension naturally because your body is able to balance and repair itself during sleep. During normal sleep, your blood pressure naturally goes down. If you have disordered sleeping or poor sleep hygiene your blood pressure will be higher for longer periods of time. Getting enough sleep also normalizes hormones that can otherwise increase your blood pressure.
Utilizing healthy coping mechanisms can reduce high blood pressure when caused by stress. Stress can trigger the "fight, flight, or freeze" response. During this time, your body produces and releases a surge of hormones which increase your heart rate and narrows your blood vessels, both causing increased blood pressure. It's important to identify and reduce daily stressors to maintain healthy blood pressures.
10 Ways To Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally
Anyone can practice the following methods to help lower blood pressure naturally. Now that you've learned why lowering high blood pressure is important, here are 10 ways you can naturally lower your blood pressure.
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Eat less salt
- Get quality sleep nightly
- Utilize healthy coping mechanisms for daily stress
- Avoid alcohol
- Avoid caffeine
- Avoid smoking tobacco or vaping nicotine
- Stick to a DASH diet
- Add probiotics and potassium to your diet
- Exercise daily
Even if you follow natural remedies to reduce blood pressure, It is important to know that genetic factors coupled with prolonged hypertension may not be enough to bring down your blood pressure to healthy levels. Some people are more at risk to develop high blood pressure no matter how many healthy lifestyle choices they make.
Sometimes prescription medication is needed to reduce blood pressure. Your treatment plan may include natural remedies as well as medications prescribed by your doctor to decrease blood pressure. Talk to your doctor about natural remedies and other options to reduce high blood pressure.
Read more: Low Cholesterol Diet
Blood Pressure FAQs:
How low is "too low" for blood pressure?
Low blood pressure, called hypotension, is defined as anything less than 90/60. Low blood pressure is too low when you begin to feel certain symptoms. Symptoms of low blood pressure include dizziness, racing heart or palpitations, vision loss (tunnel vision), hearing loss (whoosh sound), dehydration, clammy skin, confusion, or fainting.
However, you may feel symptoms with blood pressures higher or lower than the average. For example, one person may feel symptoms at 110/70 while another at 90/50. It is important to be in tune with your body so that you can identify low blood pressure.
Which is the most important number in blood pressure?
Both numbers, the top and bottom, are important pieces of information. Your doctor uses each number to determine causes and provide treatment. The top number is called the systolic number and measures the force of blood against your artery walls when your heart beats. The bottom number is called the diastolic number and measures the force of blood against your artery walls in between heartbeats. The differences between the top and bottom numbers can help doctors determine the stage and severity.
Can young people have high blood pressure?
High blood pressure can happen at any age, even in young people. The CDC reports the prevalence of hypertension increases with age. Those 18-39 years old have a 7.5% prevalence, while those 60 and older have a 63.1% prevalence. High blood pressure does not discriminate, which is why checking your blood pressure once a year during your physical is advised, or more often if you have high-risk factors.
High blood pressure is a common, preventable, and treatable illness. Many people are unaware that they have high blood pressure. If you have blood pressure questions or want ways to prevent hypertension, talk to one of our doctors today.
Sources
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American Heart Association. (2022). Get the scoop on sodium and salt. Accessed on August 14, 2022 from American Heart Association
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Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). High Blood Pressure. Accessed on August 14, 2022 from CDC Blood Pressure
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Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). High blood pressure in kids and teens. Accessed on August 14, 2022 from CDC Blood Pressure in Young People.
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Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Losing weight. Accessed on August 14, 2022 from CDC Losing Weight.
