Heart is an important organ among the vital organs of the body . It pumps oxygen rich blood to the organs of the body and deoxygenated bloo...
Heart is an important organ among the vital organs of the body . It pumps oxygen rich blood to the organs of the body and deoxygenated blood to lungs to get oxygenated. However, even if we know this , we are very negligent towards out own heart. To pump blood to the organs it needs pressure, this pressure exerted on the wall of the artery is known as blood pressure.
Nowadays, people are suffering with heart problems and it has become very common even in young people. It starts with high blood pressure and progresses to heart artery block and eventually heart attack.
This article focuses on these heart conditions and how some easy practices at home can reduce the changes for you to get heart attack and heart blockage.
Blood pressure is the amount of pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of blood vessels. It is very common today . Especially , among people with obesity and other lifestyle oriented stress and lack of exercise.
Normal blood pressure that is ideal for proper functioning of body is between 90/60mmhg and 120/80 mmHg. High blood pressure is above 140/90 mmHg and low blood pressure is below 90/60mmHg.
The blood pressure has two pressure measurements . The systolic pressure and the diastolic pressure.
What is systolic pressure?
When heart squeezes , it pushes the blood into the arteries. This force creates a pressure on the vessels , this is known as the systolic pressure. Normal systolic blood pressure is 120mmHg.
What is diastolic pressure?
Diastolic pressure is the lower pressure exerted by the heart on the blood vessel when it is resting.
You can maintain normal blood pressure by maintaining an active lifestyle.
Causes of hypertension or high blood pressure:
They are differentiated on their causes.
Primary blood pressure:
Sometimes , in most adults there is no cause for high blood pressure. It develops over the years . This is known as primary hypertension.
Secondary hypertension:
In this type, an underlying condition develops eventually into hypertension. Moreover, the problem of hypertension appears suddenly. The blood pressure is much higher than in primary hypertension.
There are various conditions that develop into secondary high blood pressure. These are:
- Kidney problems.
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Adrenal tumors
- Thyroid issues.
- Certain defects you are born with , these are known as congenital effects.
- Illegal drugs.
Risk :
There are some people who are at high risk of developing hypertension . These are some people at risk:
Age:
The more you age the higher is the risk of developing hypertension. Especially in men and women above 64 years of age.
Race:
Hypertension develops earlier in people with African heritage. However , the risk is less for white people. There are serious complications like stroke, heart attack in people who are African by origin.
Family history:
If you have your blood relatives suffering from hypertension, you might have higher risk.
Being overweight:
When you are obese, your heart requires to pump blood with high pressure. In addition to that , obese people have high cholesterol levels . This cholesterol deposits on the walls of the blood vessels and causes obstruction in the flow of blood. This creates a pressure on heart to pump blood with high pressure than required.
Tobacco:
If you are a smoker or chew tobacco, you are most likely to develop hypertension. Tobacco instantly raises the blood pressure . Moreover, in long term it damages the lining of the blood vessels. Second hand smoke also increases the risk of hypertension.
Having too much salt in the diet:
Salt retains fluid in the body. This increases water load in the body. This increases hypertension.
Too little potassium in diet:
Potassium balances the amount of sodium excretion. If there is less potassium in the body then there is increase in sodium levels. This increases pressure in the veins because there is increase in fluid load.
Stress:
If you experiencing immense amount of stress or anger in your life. These emotional responses increase blood pressure of the body temporarily. However, if this is coupled with any other risk factors it increases risk of developing hypertension.
Sometimes pregnancy also causes hypertension . But this is temporary.
It is common in adults . However, it can also develop in kids . This is due to congenital defects of heart or kidney.
Complications with high blood pressure:
High blood pressure is like an invitation card for all the other heart disease. This is if you don't follow dietary restrictions and maintain an active lifestyle.
Uncontrolled blood pressure can lead to the following complications:
- Heart attack
- Aneurysm: formation of bulged vessels.
- Heart fail
- Kidney problems
- trouble with memory and dementia: This happens due to narrowed arteries to the brain. The brain does not function efficiently.
Causes of heart blockage and symptoms:
Causes include:
- Smoking
- Hypertension
- Cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Sedentary lifestyle
If you have heart blockage then you may notice these symptoms:
Chest pain:
The chest pain or angina is pain which makes you feel tightness in the chest and this pain travels to the rest of the body. Angina is triggered by emotional or physical stress.
Shortness of breath:
In this condition you may notice shortness of breath. This is because the heart cannot pump enough blood to the body.
Heart attack:
When the coronary veins become blocked , there is less blood to the heart. This leads to damage of the heart tissues . In this case the heart becomes weak and you suffer from heart attack.
Home remedies to manage blood pressure and heart blockage :
Blood pressure is known as a 'silent killer'. This is because it doesn't seem as serious but if not managed properly leads to various serious conditions like heart fail in extreme cases. However, if you can control it in the initial cases, it can be manageable.
Here are some tips and home remedies to treat this effectively at home. Although, it does not mean that you should stop medications. These tips should be followed along with the conventional therapies to give a good effect. These will help with its treatment.
Exercise for blood pressure:
Whenever you are free just get moving. Do some walking ,cycling and yoga for at least 30-40 minutes per day.
When you sweat , your body experiences boost in good mood, strength and balance. It also helps in other chronic conditions such as diabetes.
However, when you start exercising , consult with your doctor before hand. Try to avoid rigorous exercises at first. Initially, start with slow pace exercises and then gradually build your pace.
Instead of going to a gym, it is better if you workout in the outdoors as it provides fresh oxygen to the body.
The DASH diet for blood pressure:
The DASH diet - Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. If you follow this diet your pressure could lower up to 11mm Hg systolic.
This diet consists of :
- Fruits ,vegetables and whole grains
- Low fat dairy products
- Eliminating saturated fats. They are present in full fat dairy and fatty meat.
- Reduce the amount of sugar in the diet.
Avoid salt:
As mentioned previously , increase in amount of sodium causes hypertension . When you eat salty food, body retains a lot of fluid. This increases the load on heart to pump . Hence the heart pumps with more pressure leading to hypertension.
it is recommended that if you are suffering from hypertension , you should have salt more than 1/2 teaspoon per day.
Stop smoking or having tobacco for improvement in blood pressure:
As discussed above , the nicotine present in tobacco increases blood pressure for several minutes when you take it.
Smoking continuously keeps your pressure high throughout the day. This is not good for your body.
Nicotine addiction is a very serious issue. Overtime , nicotine also damages the walls of the blood vessels .
Go easy on yourself:
we live in a fast world where everything can change in matter of days. This comes with increased work load and stress. Emotional responses that are negative like stress and anger increase your pressure instantly for that time period.
So go easy on yourself and others too. Stressing about problems wont take you anywhere near solving them.
5 yoga poses for blood pressure treatment:
Yoga is essential for lowering stress and these yoga poses will help keep you healthy . these yoga poses will reduce the risk of hypertension from getting worse .
1. Standing forward bend pose for blood pressure:
This pose calms down your nerves. This yoga pose calms you down .It stretches the muscles of the arms and hamstrings.
Steps:
Stand upright. Then take a deep breath and bend down. Bend down in such a way that your palms are flat on the ground . Keep this position for as long as you can and slowly exhale as you come back to standing upright.
2. Legs up the wall pose :
It is a peaceful pose. It increases blood circulation to your upper body. This pose calms you down .
Steps:
As the name of the pose suggests, lie down on the floor and place your legs straight up against the wall. The soles of your feet should be facing upwards taking support of the wall . Your butt should be a little away from the wall and your legs in a right angle to the floor.
3. Downward facing dog pose:
It relaxes and calms down your body.
Steps:
It is a very easy pose.
Come down on all fours with your feet flat on the floor ,palms flat and hips upward in a triangular position. Hold this position for a few minutes and then relax back to the normal position.
4. Seated forward bend pose:
It is the best yoga pose for anger, stress and anxiety relief.
Steps:
Sit upright and keep your legs straight in front of you. Then inhale and bend downward in such a way that your fingers touch the toes of your legs. Be in this position and then come back to initial position.
5.Bridge pose:
This yoga pose is a stress reliever.
Steps:
Lie down on your back so that your hands are sideways, palms facing down. Then lift your hips and back up such that the strain is on your neck and your back. Hold this position and then return back to laying down.
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