Nearly 116 million Americans suffer from hypertension, but only 24.3 million people are advised to take up lifestyle modifications to keep things under control. Hypertension is a medical condition where the blood pressure remains higher than normal, even on regular days.

Hypertension is classified into two stages: Stage 1 is when you have a blood pressure of 130/80 mmHg or higher, and Stage 2 is when you have a blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg or higher. Hypertension is usually caused when the person is overweight, consume a diet rich in sodium (salt), has a sedentary lifestyle, smokes, doesn’t get enough sleep, or consumes too much coffee or alcohol.

People suffering from high blood pressure are generally prescribed a daily medicine that helps keep their blood pressure under control. However, apart from depending on medicines, you can do many other things to manage it.

Losing Weight

Weight increase is one of the biggest contributors to high blood pressure. When you’re obese, your heart has to work harder to supply blood to your body, resulting in higher blood pressure. That’s why one of the most effective ways of managing high blood pressure is to lose weight.

Men with a waist greater than 102 cm and women with a waist of more than 89 cm are usually at high risk of developing high blood pressure.

Regular Exercise and Walk

Regular exercise and walks can reduce your high blood pressure by 5 to 8 mmHg. If you suffer some rising blood pressure now and then, going for regular walks needs to be your priority. Moderate physical activity of 30 minutes is enough to control your high blood pressure. However, if you substitute it with walks, you should adopt a fast-paced walking routine of 45 minutes to an hour.

You can also consider swimming, jogging, cycling, dancing, or any other physical activity that gets your body moving.

Low Sodium Diet

Salt is generally unhealthy for us; however, a moderate amount doesn’t hurt anybody. But if you’re a high blood pressure patient, you need to decrease salt consumption by opting for a low or no sodium diet. Even the slightest reduction of sodium can improve blood pressure by 5 to 6 mmHg.

Check the food labels and opt for low-sodium versions of your favorite food item, reduce the consumption of processed food, and try not to add salt to your meals unless necessary.

Higher Blood Pressure Can Lead to Higher Medicine Bills

The higher your blood pressure gets, the more medicines you’ll need to incorporate into your daily routine to manage it. However, once you cross the age of 65, in most cases, high blood pressure is inevitable.

If you need financial assistance to fill prescriptions, contact Advocate My Meds today. We’re a full-service prescription assistance organization with a wide range of full-service prescription assistance programs for illnesses of all types.

Contact us now to learn more.