As the weather gets warmer in Louisiana, you might spend more time in your yard. That could mean dragging the hose around to make sure your plants get the water they need. After the winter season, you might discover that your older hose has sprung a leak.
Sometimes, that happens from external forces, such as accidentally hitting the hose with your mower. Other times, too much water pressure causes the leak, gradually wearing down the walls of the hose.
Your blood vessels aren’t so different. And that’s why doctors warn against high blood pressure, or hypertension. They often call it the silent killer because it typically doesn’t cause symptoms, but it increases your risk of heart attack, kidney failure, stroke, and more.
At Louisiana Heart and Vascular Institute, we want to help you avoid hypertension and its risks. Our providers offer dedicated care at our offices in Covington, Franklinton, and Hammond, Louisiana.
That might mean taking medication to lower your blood pressure. It always means making some lifestyle changes. Here are a few key ones to help you reduce the pressure on your blood vessel walls.
Experts recommend Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or the DASH eating plan. That means eating more:
Use those healthy blood pressure-supporting foods to replace ones that contribute to hypertension, like:
Also, moderate your alcohol intake. Drinking too much increases your blood pressure.
Smoking puts you at a higher risk of hypertension. If you’re looking for extra motivation to quit, use this knowledge.
Stress is also a major risk factor. While stress can be hard to control, it’s not impossible. Regular exercise, sufficient sleep, and deploying stress management techniques, such as focused breathing and yoga, all help.
Even in younger adults, researchers see a direct link between excess weight and high blood pressure. That ties back to points 1 and 2: Adopting a healthier diet and more regular exercise and sleep routines all make it easier to reach a weight that doesn’t stress your blood vessels.
All of the above is obviously easier said than done. For support in making lifestyle changes to reach and maintain healthy blood pressure levels, call Louisiana Heart and Vascular Institute or schedule an appointment online today.
