10 Ways to Lower Blood Pressure

Those who have hypertension usually have to take medication regularly to control blood pressure. But by making lifestyle changes, blood pressure is too high can be controlled and reduced. With a capital of determination and discipline, not impossible that this lifestyle modification efforts can help remove the dependency on drugs.

"Anyone who has hypertension should be encouraged to cooperate with their doctors and try various things that may help lower blood pressure without the use of pharmacologic agents (drugs)," said Matthew Burg, PhD, a professor from Columbia University Medical Center in New York .

Here are 10 inexpensive and natural ways to lower blood pressure without having to use drugs:

1. Sports By exercising 30 minutes a day, you can lower blood pressure significantly, said Gerald Fletcher, MD, a cardiologist from the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla., as well as spokesman for the American Heart Association.

"Try aerobic exercises to reduce your systolic blood pressure," said Fletcher. He added, people who are physically active can usually reduce the consumption amount of intake of hypertensive medication. To support it, choose the type of activities that you like such as, walking, running, swimming or cycling.

2. Eating bananas you probably know that eating too much salt can increase blood pressure, but most people do not realize the benefits of potassium - a substance that can counteract the adverse effects of sodium.
According to the study of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, those with hypertension should be sufficient for the amount of potassium in their diet. Adults should get at least 4,700 milligrams per day. As for the few food sources rich in potassium such as banana (422 milligrams), a baked potato with skin (738 milligrams), orange juice (496 milligrams per cup), and nonfat yogurt or low fat (531-579 milligrams per 8 ounces).

3. Reduce your intake of salt People with normal blood pressure, high enough, and hypertension can substantially reduce their blood pressure by cutting salt intake. Dietary guidelines recommend that people with hypertension should limit their salt intake of less than 1,500 milligrams (600 milligrams of sodium) a day.

4. Stop smoking Smokers are the groups most at high risk for hypertension. The content of tobacco and nicotine in cigarettes can cause a temporary spike in blood pressure, although the cigarette itself is not the sole cause of chronic hypertension. Quitting smoking can help you lower your blood pressure slightly. And, of course, other health benefits are countless, says Fletcher.

5. Lose weight Consistently studies show that, just a little weight loss, can have a big impact on your blood pressure. Excess weight makes the heart work harder. This extra pressure can eventually lead to hypertension. Meanwhile, with the weight cut the heart's workload will be much lighter.

6. Reduce alcohol consumption alcohol in moderation - no more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men - has heart health benefits. But in some people, drinking too much can increase blood pressure. Research shows that consuming alcohol more than two drinks a day can increase the risk of hypertension for men and women.

7. Manage stress
Effectively manage stress can help reduce blood pressure, but unfortunately, there is no research that offers step by step to reduce stress levels in all people, said Burg.
"There are a number of ways that have been developed as a practice to induce a state of relaxation. But how good and true, it remains to be answered in clinical trials," he said.However, Burg recommends that people with hypertension should be able to conduct stress management and practice consistently.

8. Yoga Yoga is the best way to cope with stress. A new study in India found that yoga breathing exercises reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension - where the work affects the autonomic nervous system effects - by regulating heart rate, digestion, and other functions.

9. Stay away from caffeine coffee has some health benefits, but not to lower blood pressure. In the short term caffeine can trigger a spike in blood pressure, even in people without hypertension.

If you have high blood pressure, the best thing to do is to limit intake of caffeine (about two cups of coffee per day). You can check if you are sensitive to caffeine or not by checking the blood pressure before and half an hour after consuming caffeinated beverages. If it increases by 5 or 10 points, you mean sensitive to caffeine.

10. Meditation Meditation - whether it involves singing, breathing, visualization - can be an effective stress management tool for many people, said Burg. Once again, the important thing is that it makes you feel good, and you can commit to do it consistently.

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7 Signs You Have Migraine Pain

One type of migraine headaches that many complained. Migraine attacks was tortured because the symptoms are not just a regular headache. It is not yet known exactly what causes migraines.

Migraine attacks may be unique and different for every individual. There are some signs or symptoms that usually occur a few days before the migraine attack. According to Robert Cowan, MD, a neurologist from Stanford University School of Medicine, the key to determine the cause of migraine is concerned about the environment and understand what can trigger headaches.

Here are some common signs of a migraine attack that you should be aware of:

1. Evaporate
One or two days before a migraine attack, you may be more frequent than usual evaporate. For most, this condition is often annoying, but this can be a signal or warning to you to initiate the treatment of migraine. Early warning signs of another that generally coincided with yawning is fluid retention, food cravings, fatigue, thirst, and personality changes, says Dr. Cowan.

2. Aura
Aura is a kind of effect that causes impaired vision. Migern Patients usually experience visual disturbances in the form of black dots, lines, dizzy, and flashes of light. Vision disturbances (blurred vision) as a sign would be wary of the emergence of a migraine attack.
In premenopausal women, the aura should be even more wary. The reason, experience an aura before a migraine may increase the risk of stroke. "We advise women not to smoke or take birth control pills or doing anything that may increase the risk of heart disease," said Cowan.

3. Nausea
Some of the signs and symptoms in migraine sufferers generally mixed. Nausea is a key component of a migraine trigger. "If you have a headache without nausea, you do not have a migraine," said Cowan. In addition to nausea, other gastrointestinal disorders such as vomiting and diarrhea should be wary.

4. Pain on one side of the head
Tension headaches or other types of headaches tend to cause headaches overall, or at least evenly on both sides. Pain on one side of the head accompanied by nausea is a sign you are not the type of migraine and other headaches.
Generally more severe migraine pain when added to physical activity. Migraine sufferers may also experience pain as throbbing, feeling beaten, drawn-tensile, fatigue, making it difficult to carry out daily activities.

5. Sensitive to light
People who have migraines often complain of headaches are accompanied by an acute sensitivity to noise or light. For some people, light, sound, and certain smells can trigger a migraine. Cowan explained that people who have migraines tend to have an overactive brain stem.

6. Changes in sensation
Changes to feel sensations such as tingling in hands or feet, or numbness in the arms, legs, or parts of your face, all related to the migraine. This condition usually lasts for a migraine attack occurs. Types of physical sensation is quite alarming and can increase anxiety and stress due to migraine.

7. Blurred vision
Visual sensation of a vague or glare may occur in one phase of a migraine aura or migraine during pain itself. A small percentage of migraine sufferers experience aura symptoms such as blurred vision and other neurological changes, but not accompanied by headache. Changes in vision due to blood flow changes in your brain.

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