The numbers surrounding hypertension (high blood pressure) are alarming — 103 million people have high blood pressure, and this number is expected to rise thanks to an aging population.
At Humble Cardiology Associates, Dr. Madaiah Revana and our team understand the very serious complications that can develop because of high blood pressure, including heart attack and stroke. While there are steps we can take medically to lower your blood pressure, the work you do on your own is equally as important.
With that in mind, here are 5 steps you can take to lower your blood pressure.
One of the biggest contributors to high blood pressure numbers is the increasingly sedentary lifestyles we lead. Consider that Americans spend a whopping 11+ hours in front of screens daily, and you begin to see that we’re not moving as much as we should.
One of the first steps to lowering your blood pressure is to increase your activity levels. We recommend that you devote an hour a day to moving around, and this doesn’t mean that you need to go out and run for an hour.
You can increase your activity levels by going for a walk after a meal, parking your car a little farther from where you’re going, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Each of these small steps can help you maintain adequate activity levels to lower your blood pressure.
If you’re carrying extra pounds, your blood vessels are working harder to deliver nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood throughout your body. To improve your cardiovascular health, we recommend that you make every attempt to shed excess weight — even just 5-10% of your body weight can make a big difference in your health.
We offer customized weight-loss plans that are tailored to your unique goals so that you can take charge of your health and your body, once and for all.
Americans love convenience, but when it comes to food, this convenience comes at a cost — processed foods that are full of salt and chemical additives along with sugar and other refined carbs. Not only do these foods cause you to gain weight, they can lead to coronary artery disease and high blood pressure.
Instead of processed foods, put your dietary emphasis on whole foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and lean proteins — foods that haven’t spent time inside a processing plant.
We know you’ve heard it before, but we feel compelled to underscore this point: If you’re a smoker, you’re far more likely to have high blood pressure and serious cardiovascular problems.
If you’re struggling to quit, we invite you to talk to us so we can point you in the right direction to get the resources you need to ditch your tobacco habit for good.
Let’s face it, life is very stressful these days thanks to the monumental shifts we’ve seen in our country in the past few months. Now, more than ever, is a time to find activities or practices that can help relieve your stress.
The impact that stress has on your heart health is direct — stress raises your heart rate, which can lead to high blood pressure.
We urge you to take care of yourself during these times by finding activities that relax you, whether it’s spending time with family or friends or engaging in a meditation practice.
If you’d like to explore more techniques for lowering your blood pressure numbers, please call one of our two offices in Humble or Houston, Texas, or click “request appointment” at the top of the page to select a day and time for your appointment.
