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    High Blood Pressure
    1234 · 20 min read

    How to lower your blood pressure

    High blood pressure is a common condition that is caused by a number of factors such as age, weight and other pre existing medical conditions. And although it may not cause any serious symptoms or side effects in the short term, it can increase your risk of heart attack or stroke in the future.

    Because of this, it’s important to try and bring your blood pressure down to a healthy level (between 90/60 and 140/90). There are a number of effective ways in which you can lower your blood pressure:

    Exercise more

    Your blood pressure is an indicator of how hard your heart has to work to pump blood around your body. The harder it has to work, the higher risk you are of putting it in harm's way (like with a heart attack). So one good way of ensuring it doesn’t have to work as hard is to make it stronger.

    Regular exercise can make your heart stronger, meaning that it can pump blood around your body more easily. You should be aiming for around half an hour a day of moderate activity. So you don’t need to start running marathons, but taking the stairs, walking to the shops or getting your energy up while you do the chores are all good ways to strengthen your heart.

    Eat less sodium

    Foods high in sodium (salt) typically increase your blood pressure, as this adds extra fluid and extra strain on the delicate blood vessels leading to the kidneys. So in order to reduce your blood pressure, you can start by reducing your salt intake.

    There may be more salt hidden in processed foods and sauces than you realise, so take extra care reading the labels, make your own things where you can and consider opting for low sodium versions of some of your salty favourites.

    Stop smoking

    Smoking is bad for your health in so many ways, so stopping for good will improve way more than just your blood pressure. Not only can quitting decrease your blood pressure and heart rate, but it can also lower your risk of certain cancers, reduce your risk of gum disease, improve your sense of smell and taste and even save you money!

    We offer a wide range of effective stop smoking aids from prescription medication to nicotine replacement therapy products.

    Lose weight

    Being overweight can significantly increase your blood pressure, and losing only a few pounds can begin to reduce this. It can also lower your risk of other weight related health problems and improve your overall wellbeing.

    If diet and exercise alone haven’t helped you to lose weight and you have a BMI of 28 or more, then Orlistat may be prescribed to you. Orlistat is a weight loss medication that blocks your body from absorbing 30% of the fats that you consume, and can help you lose up to 10-20% of your body weight.

    Get a good night's sleep

    As you sleep, your blood pressure tends to dip while your body rests. However, if you’re not getting a restful night’s sleep then this can have a knock-on effect on your blood pressure.

    Getting a good night’s sleep is sometimes easier said than done though, so if you find yourself struggling with insomnia then you benefit from sleeping tabletsNytol and Nytol Herbal can induce drowsiness and help you to drift off faster.

    Reduce stress

    Not only is stress bad for your mental health, but it can also be detrimental to your physical health and it can spike your blood pressure.

    Try to work out what it is that’s causing you stress, practise meditation or yoga, find an activity that relaxes you and consider taking a Passion flower supplement to treat symptoms.

    Drink less alcohol

    Alcohol is fine in moderation but it can increase the blood pressure of even healthy people so it’s important you’re aware of how much you’re drinking and the possible effects of it.

    Consider cutting down on alcohol if you drink fairly often, or alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks as an easy way to reduce your consumption.

    Take prescription medication

    If you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure by a doctor then you may have been prescribed medication to try and control your condition. There are a number of different medications used to treat high blood pressure and you can buy these from UK Meds following an online consultation with a prescriber.

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    Related Products

    preview
    From £15.99
    • ACE inhibitor medication
    • Prevents the blood vessels from tightening
    • Reduce blood pressure
    preview
    From £16.99
    • Diuretic medication for high blood pressure
    • Reduces the fluid retention in your body
    • Helps blood to flow more easily
    preview
    From £14.99
    • Calcium channel blocker medication
    • Relaxes blood vessels
    • Effective treatment for high blood pressure

    Blog author

    Scott Weaver

    Scott is an experienced and professional content writer who works exclusively for UK Meds.

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