17th May is globally celebrated as World Hypertension Day. Its a day dedicated towards understanding this silent killer better. High BP is one of the biggest health risks that faces the global population today. Some would say it’s almost an epidemic. High blood pressure can cause countless problems like diabetes, stroke, heart disease, kidney failure and even death!

Hypertension is an unusual condition which has almost no symptoms. The only way to catch it is to get your blood pressure checked regularly. If studies are to be believed, only one-third of all people know they suffer from high blood pressure. Blood pressure is measured in ‘millimetres of mercury’ (mm Hg) and is written as two separate numbers. The first number or the systolic number measures the pressure inside the arteries when heart muscles contract. The second number measures the pressure in the arteries when the muscle is resting between heartbeats.
How high should your blood pressure be?

According to the American Heart Association, 120/80 is considered to be the normal limit. The range between 120/80 – 140/90 is referred to as ‘pre-hypertension’ and anything over 140/90 should be addressed. It’s important to note that one reading does not indicate that you suffer from high blood pressure. The numbers need to be steady overtime.

Possible Causes for High Blood Pressure

While the exact cause of hypertension remains unknown, a few facts have been identified by health experts are: excess consumption of salt, lack of exercise, an unhealthy diet and genetic predisposition. Other factors that increase the odds are: cigarette smoking, binge drinking, obesity and stress. A recent study pointed out that processed or canned food and drinks might also be contributing to this increase.

How to Control High Blood Pressure
Over time, unaddressed elevated blood pressure can have catastrophic consequences on your health. So here’s a checklist of things you can do to keep it under control:

1. Eat less salt – We’ve been told over and over again that too much salt can cause a spike in blood pressure.While a massive majority of research shows that with a drop in sodium consumption you may say a drop in blood pressure, it can differ from a person to person.

2. Stressful situations pump up the blood pressure so keep calm: Stress does elevate your blood pressure and for those suffering from hypertension, stress can also cause some kind of cardiovascular damage.

3. Exercise to stay fit and to keep your BP within recommended levels. Indians are used to snacking, especially on fried food and. So some form of exercise is recommended.

4. Sleep: If you don’t want to lose sleep over high blood pressure, then get at least 6-7 hours of sleep every night. Studies have found that the fewer hours of sleep you get, the higher your blood pressure is.

5. Quit or reduce your alcohol intake. Quit smoking because nicotine is said to increase blood pressure.

6. Say goodbye to your caffeine fix. According to Mayo Clinic, caffeine can cause a short but dramatic increase in your blood pressure.

source: https://u2gossip.com/top-6-natural-ways-you-must-include-to-normalize-high-blood-pressure/