Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, or the silent killer is a major problem all over the world. Unless you are checking your blood pressure on a regular basis, there is really no way to detect high blood pressure. Every time you go to the grocery store, you should stop in at the pharmacy and have your blood pressure check out. They have those handy little machines that you can sit down on and put your arm into the cuff.

Blood Pressure Controlling Factors

Everyone\’s blood pressure reacts a little differently but a normal reading for most everyone is 120/80 or 120 over 80. The top number is your systolic pressure. This is the heart during a contraction. The second number, called diastolic, is your heart at rest. There are several things that can affect your blood pressure, including age, smoking, emotions, pain, and activity. In fact, many people are unaware that gender, race, age, and sex have an influence over your blood pressure and what risk you run towards problems with blood pressure, especially later in life.

Things That Affect Blood Pressure

You should have your blood pressure checked on a regular basis. You can purchase a blood pressure cuff and a stethoscope at almost any pharmacy. They are easy to use and come in handy if you have someone at home with hypertension issues. There are many things that can affect your blood pressure, including cholesterol, diabetes, your family\’s history with hypertension, and your age. The worst part of high blood pressure is that it is so closely linked to heart disease. Fortunately, we can often make a huge difference in our bad blood pressure by tweaking our lifestyles just a little bit.

– A little exercise never hurt anyone. You should exercise every day or so to help keep your blood pressure down, however, it is wise to consult with your family physician before beginning any serious exercise routine.

– If you are overweight, this can greatly influence your high blood pressure. Getting control of your weight is not as hard as everyone makes out. If you are a big, hearty eater… eat less. If you eat a lot of junk food… eat healthier foods. All it takes is some common sense and a tiny bit of will power and you are on your way to a healthier weight.

– Keep your intake of salt to about a teaspoon per day or less. This is about 2,400 mg. It should include the sodium that is already in the foods we eat that are prepackaged. Grab your calculator and do some math. It will not kill you to try but it might kill you if you do not.

– If you love to drink recreationally, drink less. Two ounces of any alcoholic beverage per day or less will help your blood pressure out tremendously.

– STOP SMOKING

The Internet As A Tool

If you follow these simple ideas and eat healthy food, you can control your blood pressure. Keeping your BP, or blood pressure under control goes a long way to preventing other diseases and could even make some of your diabetic problems go away. The Internet is filled with information about what foods are good for you.

Author Bio: For more information please visit our HIPAA HITECH website.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: alcoholic beverage ,heart disease,pharmacy,high blood pressure,Hypertension,silent killer