High pressure kills. And this is not a metaphor. In the US alone, this cardiovascular problem kills over a thousand lives a day.High Blood Pressure Facts will help us in this regard.

High Blood Pressure

What is high pressure and why is it dangerous?

Increased pressure is called a silent killer, and for good reason. Hypertension often has no pronounced symptoms, but dramatically increases the risk of developing dangerous cardiovascular disorders and stroke .

Blood pressure is measured in the format of two numbers. For example, 120/80. Or 200/140. Or 90/60. This is what these numbers mean:

  • The first, systolic pressure, indicates how much (in millimeters of mercury) blood is pressed against the walls of blood vessels during heartbeat.
  • The second – diastolic pressure – fixes blood pressure at the moment when the heart is resting between beats.

In general, vessels are elastic pieces. But if the blood pressure gets too big, they can not stand it. The rupture of the vessel in any of the important organs leads to serious consequences – up to a lethal outcome.

What pressure is considered too large? There is a definite answer to this question. Not long ago, the American Heart Association lowered the bar of the concept of “high pressure” to 130/80. Previously, 140/90 figures were considered dangerous.

If you fix your pressure at this level or higher, you are in the risk zone. It is necessary to take urgent measures.

How to quickly reduce the pressure at home

Let us say at once: if health is dear to you (and we believe that it is expensive), you should contact a therapist with complaints of hypertension. Depending on the level of blood pressure, your lifestyle and other factors, the physician will select an individual prevention and treatment plan for you and, most likely, prescribe medications that will help bring pressure indicators to a normal level.

But if for some reason you have not yet reached the medic, here are some ways that will help reduce the pressure. Choose one that seems more comfortable to you, or combine several to achieve the maximum effect.

1. breathe deeply

As show studies (HEART HEALTH Breathe: Breathing Exercises to Lower Blood Pressure), proper deep breathing – one of the most effective ways to quickly reduce blood pressure.

  • Relax, cover your eyes. This will help reduce stress levels – one of the main provocateurs of hypertension .
  • Take a deep breath, counting to 5. Inhale not with the chest, but with the stomach. To control, place your hand on it – you should feel your stomach rising.
  • Then exhale and again count to 5.

Such deep breathing for 3–5 minutes will increase the flow of blood to all the tissues of your body, including the limbs. Due to this, the pressure in the vessels will decrease.

You can try to hold your breath after expiration for 8-10 seconds – choose the version of the exercise, which seems to you more comfortable.

2. Make a hot bath

Pour water in a basin with a temperature of about 45 ° C and immerse hands or feet in it for 10 minutes. Hot water will cause the vessels in the limbs to expand, blood will flow to them, and the blood pressure will decrease slightly.

3. Hold your hands under cold running water.

Cool (not icy!) Water will reduce the heart rate, and this, in turn, will reduce pressure.

Details are given in the following article:

Scientific Evidence-Based Effects of Various Systems of the Body

4. Drink warm tea with mint.

Brew a sprinkle of mint leaves with boiling water for 10 minutes, let cool and drink tea in slow sips. In this form, peppermint can reduce arterial pressure.

5. Make a compress with apple cider vinegar

Moisten cheesecloth in apple cider vinegar and apply a damp cloth to your feet for 10–15 minutes. This is an old folk way, the effectiveness of which has some evidence.

Thus, apple cider vinegar contains substances that can reduce pressure (at least in rats, it works). Research has not yet been completed, but they clearly have prospects as mentioned in Article Below:

Using Apple Cider Vinegar to Help Lower Blood Pressure 

6. Accept Valerian

Or drugs based on it, such as Corvalol. Valerian is a powerful sedative that helps the body cope with stress. The heart will begin to beat faster, blood pressure will drop. Important: when taking do not exceed the dose specified in the instructions!

How to permanently lower blood pressure without medication

We recall once again: the above methods to reduce the pressure at home are emergency measures. It is only necessary to fight the “silent killer” with the help of a doctor, carefully following his recommendations.

But there is good news. The level of pressure is greatly influenced by lifestyle. It is enough to change it in a healthy way, and hypertension or retreat altogether, or your need for medication will decrease significantly.

The experts of the reputable research organization Mayo Clinic have compiled a list from 10 necessary life changes as given in following article:

10 ways to control blood pressure without medication.

We can Summarize them as:

  1. Get rid of excess weight . Each lost kilogram will reduce your pressure by about 1 point.
  2. Exercise regularly . Your choice is aerobic exercise: long walks, jogging, cycling, swimming, dancing. Devote these classes to at least 30 minutes a day. In this case, you will be able to reduce the pressure by another 5–8 points.
  3. Eat healthy foods. More fruits, vegetables, cereals (porridge), less fat, convenience foods, pastries. Revision of the diet will help you “subtract” from the level of blood pressure up to 11 points.
  4. Reduce the amount of salt in the diet. At least a little bit. This will help reduce the pressure by 5-6 points. Remember: WHO and other reputable sources recommend How Much Sodium Should You Eat Per Day? consume no more than 1,500–2,300 mg of salt per day, which is less than a teaspoon!
  5. Limit the amount of alcohol . It is enough to reduce the consumed dose to one drink per day for women or two for men. One drink in this context is equal to 350 ml of beer or 150 ml of wine. Do not exceed this dose, and your pressure will drop another 4 points.
  6. Tie with smoking . Each cigarette adds a bit of blood pressure to you.
  7. Drink less coffee. However, this is a slightly controversial issue, because scientists are still discussing the effect of coffee on the level of pressure. The fact is that in some people caffeine causes a rise in blood pressure, in others this effect is not observed. If you belong to the first category (check: measure the pressure before the coffee break and 30 minutes after it and compare the figures), it is better to refuse the drink.
  8. Try to reduce stress . Chronic stress is one of the main provocateurs of high blood pressure.
  9. Monitor your blood pressure at home and consult your doctor regularly. Home monitoring will help you better understand which lifestyle changes work and which changes are ineffective.
  10. Seek support from family and friends. Let them know about your problem and ask for help. Caring for loved ones will make your struggle easier and reduce stress.