How to Manage Your High Blood Pressure

If you have high blood pressure, you will need to make certain lifestyle adjustments to help you manage your condition. Successfully controlling your blood pressure through a healthy lifestyle could even help you delay, avoid, or decrease the need to take maintenance medications to reduce your high blood pressure. Besides regular visits to one of our cardiologists here at Gilbert Cardiology in Gilbert, AZ, Dr. Zaki Lababidi and Dr. Khaled, Albasha, here are essential lifestyle adjustments to help you reduce and maintain your blood pressure.

Shed Those Excess Pounds and Extra Inches Off Your Waistline

As your weight increases, so does your blood pressure. Losing excess weight if you’re obese or overweight and reducing inches off your waistline could help decrease your blood pressure.

Eat a Well-Balanced Diet

Your diet should be rich in vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, healthy fats, and fruits. You should likewise watch your salt intake. Generally speaking, aim for 1,500mg to 2,300mg of sodium daily.

Get Moving and Keep On Moving

Regular exercise of around 30 minutes daily or 150 minutes weekly could help decrease your blood pressure. However, you will need to be consistent since your blood pressure could rise again once you stop working out.

Stop Smoking

Did you know that every single cigarette your smoke elevates your blood pressure for several minutes even after you’ve finished smoking it? Aside from reducing your blood pressure, quitting smoking will also minimize your risk of developing all kinds of health problems such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, and lung diseases among others.

Keep Your Stress Levels Under Control

Studies have shown that being chronically stressed may increase blood pressure. To find out what’s stressing you out and take the necessary steps to deal with them.

Keep Track of Your Blood Pressure Levels and Visit Your Doctor Regularly

Monitoring your blood pressure at home can help you determine whether or not your lifestyle adjustments are working. It will also help warn you of potential complications early on. Routine visits to your cardiologist in Gilbert, AZ, will also help keep your blood pressure in check.

Limit Your Alcohol Intake

You can help reduce your blood pressure by drinking moderate amounts of alcohol, about two drinks for men and one drink for women daily. However, drinking more than these amounts could elevate your blood pressure and decrease the effectiveness of your maintenance medicines.

For Help Managing Your High Blood Pressure, Give Us a Call

Arrange your appointment with one of our cardiologists, Dr. Zaki Lababidi or Dr. Khaled Albasha, here at Gilbert Cardiology in Gilbert, AZ, by calling (480) 786-9100.