Apart from cutting down on your salt intake, here are good ways to help lower your blood pressure.
High blood pressure (also known as hypertension) is the most common chronic disease in South Africa, affecting one in four people between the ages of 15 and 64. The statistics are alarming, but have you ever wondered what high blood pressure means for your health, and why it is so dangerous?
If you have hypertension, your heart works harder than it should to pump blood to distant tissues and organs. If this pressure is not controlled, your heart enlarges and your arteries become scarred, hardened and less flexible, explains Cape Town general practitioner Dr Raymond Haramis.
Eventually, your overworked heart may not be able to pump and transport blood properly through stiff arteries. This can result in heart disease, kidney disease, hardening of the arteries, eye damage and stroke, he says.
The good news is that there are lifestyle changes you can make to help lower your blood pressure. Heres how to get started:
If you have high blood pressure, it may be worthwhile investing in a home testing kit so that you can monitor your pressure at home, and track your progress as you adopt new, healthy habits.
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