Learn to live healthily to avoid high blood pressure

Blood pressure is the pressure necessary to ensure regular blood flow and normal blood circulation through arteries and veins.

We speak of high blood pressure when the pressure is above 140/90 mmHg. This phenomenon is a cardiovascular risk factor. There are generally no symptoms, or when there are, the damage caused to the heart and, therefore, to other organs like the kidneys, is considerable.

What causes your blood pressure to rise?

In 90% of cases, the cause is unknown but there are a series of factors that predispose you to having high blood pressure, such as age, family history, overweight, high blood cholesterol levels, a sedentary lifestyle or diabetes. Normally, blood pressure rises as a result of the combination of several of these.

Is there anything I can do? What are the keys to preventing this from happening?

If not a result of a particular illness, the solution to high blood pressure may be in your hands. And it is much easier than you think. Take heed.

1. Reduce salt in your meals. Just by not having the salt cellar within reach will stop you from adding more salt to your dishes. The WHO recommends not having more than 5gm a day.
2. Give up There is a direct relationship between smoking and an increase in blood pressure. Start by cutting down on the number of cigarettes you smoke a day. Look for help if you are not able to do it alone.
3. Try not to gain too much weight. When your weight is above normal, your heart has to make a greater effort to pump and your blood pressure rises sharply.
4. Do regular exercise. Especially aerobic exercise. We have already said on more than one occasion that physical exercise improves the working of your heart because it increases its pumping and blood flow, and this reduces blood pressure.
5. Control your blood cholesterol Consult your doctor and have tests every 6-12 month. You know you must not be above 200 mg/dl. A proper diet and exercise will help you bring it down immediately.
6. Watch your diet. Apart from salt, reduce your intake of tinned food, cold meats and precooked food or pickled food, as they have a lot of sodium, and avoid greasy food, such as red meat, oily sauces, shop-bought confectionery, full fat dairy products or cured cheese.

Go for all kinds of fruit and vegetables, skimmed or low fat milk and dairy products, wholegrain cereals, pulses, wholegrain pasta and rice, white meat like turkey, or rabbit, oily fish and nuts, and use olive oil in your cooking.

Look after yourself, move around and you will see how your blood pressure becomes stabilised in no time.