Less Salt and 5 Other Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a significant health issue affecting about 75 million Americans. Many people are unaware they have it since it often presents no symptoms.

Hypertension can be effectively managed through medication and lifestyle changes, such as a healthy diet, regular physical activity, and stress reduction. Cutting back on salt and making other healthy lifestyle choices can improve heart health.

Why Control Blood Pressure

Your heart pumps blood throughout your body, supplying organs and tissues with oxygen and nutrients. Hypertension occurs when the force of blood against your blood vessels is too high, which can lead to heart attacks or strokes.

Lose Weight to Improve Blood Pressure

Being overweight or obese increases the likelihood of high blood pressure. Losing even a small amount of weight, such as 10 pounds, can significantly lower your blood pressure numbers.

At Palm Desert Urgent Care, Manzoor Kazi, MD, can help you determine your target weight and work with you to create a manageable plan for both diet and exercise.

Get Moving

A sedentary lifestyle contributes to hypertension. Incorporate more physical activity to strengthen your heart, enabling it to pump blood more efficiently and reduce pressure on your arteries.

Exercise can lower blood pressure immediately and over the long term. For instance, 30 minutes of cycling can reduce blood pressure for an entire day. Walking, jogging, and dancing are also effective forms of exercise.

If you’re new to exercise, start slowly and build your stamina over time. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week.

Eat Right

Dietary changes are one of the most effective ways to manage blood pressure. Sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars negatively impact blood pressure and heart health.

Focus on eating whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits, lean meats, beans, legumes, and unsaturated fats. Dr. Kazi can help you manage your intake of red meat, saturated fats, sodium, and added sugars to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range.

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet promotes heart-healthy eating and is proven to lower blood pressure.

Keep Alcohol Intake to a Minimum

Excessive alcohol consumption raises blood pressure, so it's important to drink in moderation. Women should limit themselves to one drink per day, while men can have up to two.

Making changes in your daily habits is the first step toward achieving and maintaining healthy blood pressure. If these lifestyle adjustments aren’t enough, medications are available to help regulate your blood pressure.

Dr. Kazi and our friendly staff at Palm Desert Urgent Care are committed to helping you achieve optimal heart and blood pressure health. Call our office in Palm Desert, CA, or book an appointment online to have your blood pressure evaluated and take steps to maintain it in a healthy range.