Lowering Your Blood Pressure - Part 1

It is necessary to lower blood pressure as high blood pressure is harmful to cardiac health. Blood pressure can be lowered with the help of medicines and lifestyle changes.

Let us first examine why you need to lower blood pressure if you are a patient of hypertension. High blood pressure is bad for overall health of the body; it is also capable of putting excessive pressure on the heart and effecting cardiac health negatively.

Lower blood pressure can be achieved with the help of blood pressure control medicines alone or lifestyle changes but in most cases by a combination of these factors.

**I've decided to include the following information on blood pressure medications as it is really important. I don't want anyone who needs to lower their blood pressure significantly, and quickly, thinking that the natural way is the right way. If you absolutely need to have doctor prescribed medications, then GO GET THEM! Do not hesitate!**

The main medicines for lower blood pressure are Diuretics, Beta Blockers, ACE Inhibitors, Angiotensin Antagonists, Calcium channel blockers, Alpha blockers, Alpha beta blockers, nervous system inhibitors and Vasodilators, each of these medicines lower blood pressure in different ways.

Diuretics flush out extra water from the body and lower blood pressure while Beta Blockers, Alpha blockers and Alpha beta blockers reduce nerve impulses to blood vessels allowing blood to pass easily lowering blood pressure. ACE Inhibitors and Angiotensin Antagonists work on the hormone called angiotensin II and prevent it from narrowing the blood vessels.

Calcium channel blockers prevent calcium from entering the muscles in the heart and the blood vessels. The absence of cacium relaxes the blood vessels and lower blood pressure results. Vasodilators help to open blood vessels and thus lower blood pressure.

Medication is however just one way of achieving a lower blood pressure. Lifestyle changes are much more popular and necessary to maintain the new levels. Lifestyle changes that lower blood pressure start with a proper diet. Diet for lower blood pressure is essentially one with limited or no use of sodium, limited use of sugar, even limiting fats and oils is necessary to lower blood pressure.

At home, while cooking food it is relatively easy to remember these guidelines, it is while purchasing ready-made edibles from the market that we should be all the more conscious of these factors. For lower blood pressure, it is necessary that we read food labels and know what they mean. Readymade food that read “salt free’ are the best suited for lower blood pressure.

Maintaining a healthy weight is also necessary for lower blood pressure. This can be achieved by the combined effect of the high blood pressure diet and regular exercise. Even walking in the mornings and evenings has been found to lower blood pressure.

For those who are overweight and need to lose fat significantly, aerobics or weight training is also good options. Lower blood pressure is easier achieved and maintained by people who are in their optimum weight range.

Over consumption of alcohol and smoking are again lifestyle habits that deter lower blood pressure. Alcohol also works against people who are trying to lose weight. For women with high blood pressure who wish to achieve lower blood pressure one drink per day is enough while men should try and restrict it to maximum 2.

Smoking injures the blood vessels and hardens the arteries. Therefore for lower blood pressure smoking must also be avoided. Stress is also a contributor to hypertension and must be avoided to lower blood pressure.

Thanks for reading part 1. Part 2 will be discussing particular foods that will help lower blood pressure naturally.