High blood pressure can be prevented by good lifestyle choices, such as following a healthy diet. Some people are born with higher risk factors for high blood pressure, but for the most part, the condition is preventable.
Ways to prevent and lower high blood pressure
High blood pressure can lead to many health complications such as heart attack or stroke and can also impact your heart, kidneys, and eyesight.
How cutting back on salt can lower blood pressure and avoid heart disease
Salt increases the pressure on your veins, so it's important to reduce your intake of it for your health. Instead of eating processed foods and junk food, use spices to stimulate flavor and stay away from anything salted.
Mayo Clinic reports that even a small reduction of salt in your diet can improve heart health and lower the high blood pressure by 5 to 6 mm Hg.
Learn how to reduce stress
Studies show that when you're nervous, it can increase your heart rate and lead to higher blood pressure. To combat this, one may work on lowering their stress levels by exercising or practicing mind-body techniques.
What you can do to lower your blood pressure and avoid heart disease
Too much weight around your waist can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure. Men are at risk if their waist circumference is greater than 40 inches, and women are at risk if their waist circumference is larger than 35 inches.
Increased high blood pressure causes heart disease
Atherosclerosis is mainly a clinical term that most typically refers to the hardening of the arterial walls through atherosclerotic plaque deposits which tend to cause restriction of blood flow to various organs and tissues. High blood pressure is one of the leading factors in this.
Atherosclerosis caused by high blood pressure can cause stroke or heart attack due to blockage, and there are effective treatment options that aim to maintain normal blood pressure levels as well as medications that may slow the acceleration of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a condition involving the accumulation of plaques in the wall of the arteries that can lead to stenosis, or blockage, and reduced blood flow.
The main symptoms of cardiovascular atherosclerosis are as follows.
- Patients may experience muscle pain, spasm, and weakness in these areas.
- This can include facial drooping, speech or vision problems, headaches, and dizziness, which are signs of a stroke.
- Chest pain is a common sign of heart problems, but it does not always imply that chest pain is serious. If you are experiencing chest pain that also ends up in your shoulder, neck, or jaw, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, and stiffness or numbness in the neck, these may be signs of a heart attack.
High blood pressure often plays an important role in atherosclerosis development, especially due to the causative agent which is hyperlipidemia. This includes cholesterol levels and many other causal factors for high blood pressure.
How does high blood pressure affect pregnancy?
High blood pressure during pregnancy can lead to vomiting, urinary frequency, and swelling. Pregnant women with high blood pressure are at a higher risk of premature birth, low birth weight, placental abruption, and other complications for the baby.
High blood pressure is responsible for 4% of maternal deaths in people around the world. In high-risk populations, 2% of women suffer from high blood pressure after childbirth. Proper management can reduce these high risks through pregnancy and after delivery.
Can high blood pressure affect the chances of becoming pregnant?
Having high blood pressure can not only affect the person who has it, but also their partner. High blood pressure also affects fertility because one study revealed that females with high blood pressure have greater difficulty conceiving, and the risk of losing a pregnancy, or miscarriage, increased by 18% for each 10 mm Hg increase in diastolic blood pressure in a person.
A common cause of poor egg quality is chronic high blood pressure before pregnancy. When estrogen levels are too high, there's a risk of miscarriages or problems with fertility, even if the embryo manages to implant.
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