How To Treat High Or Low Blood Pressure

High blood pressure if left unchecked results in increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and leads to target organ damage such as LVH, retinal changes and vascular changes. The main objective in the management of hypertension is prevention of target organ damage and reduction of cardiovascular risk. The management requires a multi-prolonged approach. Although it is widely accepted that drug therapy is essential for optimal Blood pressure control, it should not be forgotten that nonpharmocological measures are also important in the management of hypertension.

What are the foods to be avoided in high blood pressure? This is very common question my patients often ask me. On one hand, it is exceedingly complicated and complex and has been the continued focus of research by doctors and physicians. On the other hand, the vast majority of dietary recommendations for hypertension have resemblance and similarities to general healthy diet recommendations.

Following Foods should be avoided if you have High blood pressure:

1. Alcohol

The association between alcohol and high blood pressure is well documented both in population and clinical studies. An Alcohol intake of about 80 g/day (Equivalent to four pints of beer) has been shown to raise Blood pressure particularly in patients of hypertension. Blood pressure tends to fall when alcohol is stopped or reduced and remains low in patients who continue to abstain. Patients with hypertension should avoid Alcohol. As alcohol can raise blood pressure directly, is also an important factor in damaging walls of blood vessels, which can elevate the blood pressure further and make it more difficult to treat, while at the same time increasing the risk of complications. Limit consumption of Alcohol to no more than two drinks per day in most men and one drink per day in women and lightweight men.

2. Salt

A restriction in dietary sodium intake can reduce the incidence of hypertension. Studies have shown that there is a clear relationship between dietary salt intake and Blood pressure and people who consume less salt have a smaller rise in Blood pressure with advancing age. Salt restriction to about 100mmol/day (2.4 gm sodium or 6 gm sodium chloride) has been shown to produce a significant reduction in systolic Blood pressure to about 8-14 mm Hg in several randomized placebo-controlled studies. In some people, eating too much salt can make blood pressure much worse and In other cases the same salt consumption may have no effect.

More salt intake will result in more retention of fluid by kidneys and this will lead to more preload on heart, that will result in more blood pressure. You should avoid salt in your diet if you really want to control your blood pressure. If you are already a patient of hypertension, then reduce salt in your diet as it just accentuates the problem. You can lower your blood pressure to a great extent if you reduce salt consumption in your diet. You should not have more than 6 grams (100mmol/day) of salt per day. Pizza, canned foods, frozen diners, broths, canned soups and salad dressings have high sodium so try to avoid these foods. If you are non-vegetarian then make sure you are including white meat like chicken and fish rather than red meat in your diet.

3. Fats

Food that is rich in fats should be avoided. Foods High in Fat are as follows

Fats and oils (like margarine, vegetable oils, butter, lard, salt pork, meat drippings, gravy, and fat back)

Cream, ice cream, Whole milk, 2% milk.

Most pies, pastries, cakes.

Most cheeses (like cream cheese, cheddar, American)

Many snack foods (like nuts and chips)

Fatty meats (like corned beef, regular ground beef, ribs, sausage, hot dogs, bacon, bologna, salami,)

Fried foods (like French fries and fried chicken)

Most cookies contain high fat content

Many fast foods are also rich in fats

Saturated fats are not good for heart and blood vessels. Low density lipoprotein LDL is main factor which causes thickening of blood vessels so causing extra strain on blood vessels in patients of high blood pressure. The balanced high blood pressure diet should include mild amounts of saturated and trans-fats (red meat, fast food), and moderate amounts of other fats (olive oil and canola oil).

4- Caffeine Intake: The evidence from the literature is rather conflicting and the effects of caffeine seem to depend on multiple variables such as daily dose, preexisting Blood pressure and coffee drinking habits. The ingestion of 250mg of caffeine has been shown to cause an increase in systolic blood pressure ranging from 6mm of hg in normal individuals to 10 mm hg in patients with hypertension and an increase in diastolic blood pressure of 5 mm hg in normal individuals to 8.5 mm Hg in patients of hypertension.

To Know more about Food for High Blood Pressure and cardiovascular diseases High blood pressure symptoms treatment, please visit our site. http://www.highbloodpressuremed.com

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Controlling blood pressure is the easiest thing to do, provided you know the fundamentals. It has to do much with your eating and drinking habits.

Look into the mirror. Do not see only your face. Look at your entire figure. There lies your future. How long do you think your body can go on accepting all that you stuff in, without applying any thought, just because your taste-buds like it? Do you know that overweight people have a higher chance of suffering from a stroke? Do you check your weight at regular intervals?

When you saw the weighing machine marking a fat gain of 16 pounds within a period of two months, why did you simply ignore it? It should have shocked you into action. The least you can do is find out what your weight is now and what your weight should be!

You need to be careful about what you eat as it is directly and proportionately related to your blood pressure. I agree that ‘one has to be true to the salt,’ but this does not hold true for you. You have to cut down on your intake of salt drastically, before your doctor tells you – no more salt! Avoid salty, and fried food. Adopt a diet that is low in saturated fat.

Two local remedies well known, to control high blood pressure are butter milk and lemon. Take butter milk regularly. It is good for both – low as well as high blood pressure. Lemon peel is also equally effective in high blood pressure. A shredded lemon peel may be added to soups and stews or sprinkled over your salads.

And tell me, have you stopped drinking or are you still contemplating the decision? If you have already made that decision, then let me congratulate you. But, if you think that you can not do it all at once, reduce the intake of alcohol. Just take a drink a day. If you are already under the watchful care of your family doctor, please follow their instructions sincerely. Let there be no holidays for the medicine and please keep sufficient stock in advance. If your doctor has called you this Sunday for a check up, then make sure that you reach there this Sunday itself and not, the next Monday.

Also, the doctor must have given you certain indications about the schedule of exercise that is necessary for you, such as, morning walk, light stretching exercises or light aerobics. Follow the schedule strictly. Your doctor treats hundreds of patients like you everyday. He has more practical wisdom about high blood pressure, than you. Go as per his advice and understand his treatments.

Regular check up of blood pressure is a must. You need to have such an arrangement at your home. Charts of your regular checkups will help your doctor tremendously in treating you. Let all the members of your family, your wife, and your children go for the check up, along with you, even if they do not have this ailment.

If you are taking basic precautions like controlling your diet and doing proper exercises – keep aside all imaginary worries and live a normal, relaxed life!

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