Your arms should be supported on a flat surface. To prepare for the measurement, you should be relaxed with your feet on the floor and legs uncrossed, and your back supported for at least five minutes. It's best to avoid caffeine, exercise and, if you smoke, smoking for at least 30 minutes. So it's important to measure the blood pressures in the arm with the higher readings. Many people have a slightly higher blood pressure in one arm versus the other. Measuring your blood pressure at home is a straightforward process. What is the best way to measure my blood pressure at home? And I'm here to answer some of the important questions you might have about hypertension. Leslie Thomas, a nephrologist at Mayo Clinic. For all these reasons, reducing stress should be a priority if you're looking to lower your blood pressure.Hi. These might include overeating, poor sleep, and misusing drugs and alcohol. In addition, over time, stress can trigger unhealthy habits that put your cardiovascular health at risk. Stress hormones constrict your blood vessels and can lead to temporary spikes in blood pressure. Relieve stress with daily meditation or deep breathing sessions Limit alcohol to one drink per dayĭrinking too much, too often, can increase your blood pressure, so practice moderation. Women lose muscle mass steadily as we age, and weightlifting is an often-overlooked part of an exercise plan for most women," says Fisher. "Add some weightlifting to your exercise regimen to help lose weight and stay fit. "For some that means dancing for others, biking or taking brisk walks with a friend." Even everyday activities such as gardening can help. "Make sure you're doing something you love, or it won't stick," says Fisher. Aim for a half-hour at least five days a week. It doesn't take much exercise to make a difference in your health. Beware in particular of what the American Heart Association has dubbed the "salty six," common foods where high amounts of sodium may be lurking: "It is very difficult to lower dietary sodium without reading labels, unless you prepare all of your own food," says Dr. Weed out high-sodium foods by reading labels carefully. There's half of that amount of sodium in one Egg McMuffin breakfast sandwich. It doesn't take much sodium to reach that 1,500-mg daily cap - just 3/4 of a teaspoon of salt. Read labelsĪmericans eat far too much dietary sodium, up to three times the recommended total amount, which is 1,500 milligrams (mg) daily for individuals with high blood pressure, says Dr. Even losing as little as 10 pounds can lower your blood pressure. And it doesn't require major weight loss to make a difference. Lose weightīy far the most effective means of reducing elevated blood pressure is to lose weight, says Fisher. Here are six simple tips for actions you can take to help get your blood pressure back into the normal range. You don't have to embark on a major life overhaul to make a difference in your blood pressure. How lower your blood pressure with small changes More than one woman has woken up in the morning committed to healthy eating only to be derailed by a plate of cookies on a table in the office or a dinner out with friends. "It is well documented that lifestyle changes can lower blood pressure as much as pills can, and sometimes even more," says Dr. The goal of the new guidelines is to encourage you to treat your high blood pressure seriously and to take action to bring it down, primarily using lifestyle interventions. If you are in this 130/80 range, reducing your blood pressure can help protect you from heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, eye disease, and even cognitive decline. They may seem drastic, but in putting the knowledge we've gained from large trials into clinical practice, they will help thousands of people," says Dr. "These guidelines have been long anticipated and are very welcome by most hypertension experts. The change, however, should spur you to take your blood pressure seriously. Naomi Fisher, director of hypertension service and hypertension innovation at the Brigham and Women's Hospital Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "Obviously, nothing happened overnight inside a woman's body or to her health with the release of the guidelines," says Dr. While you shouldn't shrug off the change, there's also no need to panic. The guidelines lowered the definition for high blood pressure to 130/80 from 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), meaning more people now meet the criteria for stage 1 hypertension. If you suddenly find yourself with high blood pressure (hypertension) under the new guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, you might be wondering what to do. Small changes can make a big difference in your blood pressure numbers.
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