Some cheap ways listed to lower your blood pressure

High blood pressure usually has no symptoms. You can have it for years without knowing it. During this time, though, it can damage the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other parts of your body.

By DOROTHY COX
The Trucker Staff

11/30/2008

It’s estimated that one in three adults in the U.S. has high blood pressure, a condition that can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure and other health problems.

“Blood pressure” is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood. If this pressure rises and stays high over time, it can damage the body in many ways.

High blood pressure usually has no symptoms. You can have it for years without knowing it. During this time, though, it can damage the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other parts of your body.

This is why knowing your blood pressure numbers is important, even when you’re feeling fine.

Blood pressure numbers include systolic (sis-TOL-ik) and diastolic (di-a-STOL-ik) pressures. Systolic blood pressure is the pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood. Diastolic blood pressure is the pressure when the heart is at rest between beats.

You will most often see blood pressure numbers written with the systolic number above or before the diastolic, such as 120/80.

Normal is considered less than 120 systolic and less than 80 diastolic.

Pre-hypertension is considered 120–139 over 80–89.

High blood pressure stage 1 is 140–159 over 90–99, while stage 2 is 160 or higher over 100 or higher.

A U.S. News & World Report article says there are five “cheap ways” to lower your blood pressure:

1. Take a diuretic. A study found that commonly prescribed medications were not as effective as diuretics. However, they advised talking to a doctor before trying a diuretic, as many require a prescription.

2. Cut back on salt. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute states that healthy adults should eat no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium a day (about a teaspoon of table salt), and that people with high blood pressure should eat about half of that. The article suggests substituting spices such as garlic, oregano, curry powder, bay leaves or nutmeg, for salt.

3. Use the DASH diet or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy foods.

4. Drink less alcohol. Even cutting back to one or two drinks a day can lower systolic blood pressure and avoiding alcohol also can help one avoid unwanted calories, and

5. Need we say it? Exercise. Regular physical activity, 30 minutes “for most days of the week,” is shown to reduce blood pressure.