From Stress To Lack Of Physical Activity, Know About The Everyday Things That Can Lead To Hypertension

On May 17, World Hypertension Day is celebrated globally to highlight the importance of monitoring blood pressure and bringing global awareness to the one billion people living with high blood pressure worldwide.

This year's on World Hypertension Day, the theme is 'Know Your Numbers'. Currently, many people between the age group of 20-40 complain of mental health issues and unfortunately, this number is only increasing.

What Is Hypertension?

High blood pressure (hypertension) is a common condition where the long-term force of the blood against artery walls is high enough that it may eventually cause health problems, like heart disease.

It can happen due to unhealthy lifestyle choices, including not getting enough regular physical activity. Some health conditions, like diabetes and obesity, can also increase the risk of developing high blood pressure.

When symptoms occur, they can include early morning headaches, nosebleeds, irregular heart rhythms, vision changes, and buzzing in the ears. Severe hypertension can cause fatigue, nausea, vomiting, confusion, anxiety, chest pain, and muscle tremors.

With schedules getting busier and lifestyles getting worse, many everyday things cause hypertension, including:

Obesity: According to an article by the University of California, the more people weigh, the more blood flow they need to supply oxygen and nutrients to the tissues. As the blood volume circulates through your blood vessels increases, so does the pressure inside your arteries.

Stress: High levels of stress can lead to a temporary but dramatic rise in blood pressure. From school kids to working older adults, everyone is under particular pressure and feels stressed. Stress causes the adrenal glands to pump out blood pressure increasing hormones. The body's natural fight to flight response causes blood vessels to contract. The longer people are stressed, the more they put their hearts at risk.

If people try to relax by eating more, drinking alcohol or consuming tobacco, they may only exacerbate problems with high blood pressure. Meditation and relaxation techniques effectively lower blood pressure.

Too Much Salt & Little Potassium In Diet: Too much sodium in the diet can cause your body to retain fluid, and lead the arteries in the body to constrict. Both factors increase blood pressure.

Potassium helps balance the amount of sodium in human cells. It also causes the smooth muscle cells in arteries to relax, lowering blood pressure.

Not Being Physically Active: According to The Times of India article, people's nine-to-five desk job is the primary reason they are at the risk of developing high blood pressure. Sitting for more extended hours promotes fat storage and weight gain, leading to high blood pressure.

Your heart is like a muscle, the less you get it working and pumping, the less effective it will become over time.

Exercise increases blood flow through all arteries of the body, leading to the release of cytokines and natural hormones that relax blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure. In addition, a lack of physical activity increases the risk of being overweight.

Family History Of Hypertension: If either of the parents has high blood pressure, there are chances of children getting it a lot higher. Heart ailments and blood pressure have a significant role to play when it comes to genetics.

While genetics can't be changed, one can talk to a doctor and take precautionary steps before the problem arises.

Lack Of Fruits, Vegetables And Vitamins: People are what they eat. And not feeding the body enough vegetables and fruits can make them prone to multiple health problems, including hypertension. The antioxidants from fruits and vegetables can help treat specific health problems naturally.

It's uncertain if having too little vitamin D in diet can lead to high blood pressure. Researchers say that vitamin D may affect an enzyme produced by kidneys that affect blood pressure. More research is necessary to determine vitamin D's exact role in the issue.

Too Much Alcohol: Having more than two drinks a day can cause hypertension, probably by activating the adrenergic nervous system, causing constriction of blood vessels, and increasing blood flow and heart rate.

How To Live a Healthy Lifestyle?

Weight Loss: Weight loss is one of the most effective lifestyle changes for controlling hypertension. Losing even a small amount of weight if one is overweight or obese can help reduce blood pressure.

Regular Exercise: Regular physical activity, like 150 minutes a week, or about 30 minutes most days of the week, can lower your blood pressure.

Examples of aerobic exercise you may try to lower blood pressure include jogging, walking, swimming, cycling or dancing. One can also try high-intensity interval training, involving alternating short bursts of intense activity with subsequent recovery periods of lighter activity. Strength training also can help reduce hypertension.

Eat Healthily: Eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and skimps on cholesterol and saturated fat can lower your blood pressure.

Even a slight reduction in the sodium in your diet can improve your heart health and reduce blood pressure.

Reducing Stress: Take some time to think about what causes you to feel stressed, such as work, finances, family or health issues. Once you know what's the exact reason, consider how you can reduce or eliminate stress.

If one can't eliminate all stressors, at least they can be coped with more healthily.

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