Do you have hypertension?
With stress, anxiety and mental health issues sky rocketing, it’s no surprise to read that hypertension or high blood pressure is on the rise too across the UK.
Around one in three adults in the UK has high blood pressure, so thats 31% of men and 26% of women. What is even more worrying is that half of people with high blood pressure are not diagnosed or receiving treatment.
Blood pressure UK suggest that in England alone, there are more than five million people that are undiagnosed.
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is when the pressure in your blood vessels is unusually high. It can be incredibly serious if not treated.
Left undetected or uncontrolled, high blood pressure can lead to a heart attack.
High blood pressure damages arteries and they can become blocked and prevent blood flow to the heart muscle. This could also cause a stroke. High blood pressure can cause blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the brain to become blocked or even burst.
What makes high blood pressure difficult to diagnose, is that it does not usually have any symptoms. The only way to find out if you have it is to get your blood pressure checked. Regular health checks are recommended as we get older.
There are however some warning signs if your blood pressure is extremely high, you may suffer with severe headaches, nose bleeds, vision problems and possibly an irregular heartbeat.
There are some easy lifestyle changes that we can make to improve our health and reduce our blood pressure
Keep your weight at a healthy level. You can accomplish this by a combination of healthy eating and regular exercise
Eat a healthy diet. This includes eating only the amount of food your body needs and choosing foods high in nutrients and low in fat, sugar, and salt.
Limit how much salt you eat. Most of the sodium you eat is in the form of salt. It may be salt that you add at the table or salt added to processed foods you consume. Start to shift away from processed foods by simply adding fresh vegetables to every meal.
Limit how much alcohol you drink. Alcohol increases blood levels of the hormone renin, which causes the blood vessels to constrict. This means that they get smaller in diameter.
Don't smoke, smoking raises your blood pressure and heart rate, narrows your arteries and hardens their walls, and makes your blood more likely to clot.
Get moving and often! Regular exercise is key to reducing blood pressure. Try to get at least 30 minutes of activity each day, at least five days a week. Exercise also relieves stress and helps you control your weight.
Don't let stress build up. The chemicals your body makes in response to stress make your heart beat harder and faster and your blood vessels tighten. With clients we work on all of these areas and find ways to build a healthier lifestyle.
If you are all concerned about your blood pressure levels, a trip to your GP will allow you to check and make changes. Starting today you can improve your health with just small tweaks to your lifestyle. I have recently written a free Ebook “The ultimate guide to improve your health” Its free if you sign up to my mailing list.
Sarah x