High Blood Pressure - reducing using diet and exercise

ayse

growstuff

I haven't added salt when cooking for years. I don't even notice it now, but my mother always used to complain about my food and pour loads of salt on everything. I think it helps too.

Just an aside. I rarely have salt and ok blood pressure. In hospital just before Christmas my blood pressure was far too low! They told me off for not having enough salt!

When I was in my 30s, I regularly had high blood pressure. I definitely had WCS and I was in denial about the high BP. Then I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes in my mid 30s, despite not being overweight, so the cause was a mystery. I read a lot about diabetes and blood pressure and discovered that both are risk factors for heart problems. I also found out about salt, stress and lots more besides. I was reluctant to take medication, so I was determined to do all I could to change my lifestyle. I stopped adding salt to my cooking, started being very careful with carbs and cut down how much alcohol I drank. It wasn't a fad diet and 40 years later I still eat in the same way - and enjoy food. I did take a low dose of blood pressure medication until a couple of years ago (mainly because it's recommended after a heart attack), but now I don't take anything for BP and it's always in the 110-120/70-80 range.

Exercise is another matter! I'm lazy and don't enjoy sport. I have painful feet and hip, so can't walk very far. Nevertheless, I took up swimming. I still don't do enough exercise and I expect my BP would reduce if I did, but I'm not too worried about that.

They class my husband’s high BP as Resistant Hypertension. It has been as high as 250/ 110 on many occasions. The nurses all panic when they test him at the surgery and make him wait until the GP looks at him. He just says “oh that’s Mr X, quite normal for him.”

The other day in hospital they said his BP was rather low and we couldn’t stop laughing, never heard that before. They say he must drink more.

I don’t believe BP has much to do with stress or anxiety because he is so laid back and it’s very high. Mine is always low but I am more of a worrier than him.

Just for a bit more info. I am 67 and still working full time. I work in admin so it isn't too stressful. I should have retired last year but feel like I can't afford to.

There always seems to be stuff (outside of work) that I need to do.

As well as the WSC, I am sure this is contributing to my high BP

PinkCosmos using a home BP monitor will show you what your normal BP is. If it shows a high result then you will probably need medication but you will know you genuinely need it and it's not white coat syndrome.

It's no good me telling you not to worry because that's not helpful if you're an anxious person. I do wonder if the amount of alcohol you have been drinking has affected you.

Cressida

growstuff I'm not convinced it is psychological because like cornergran having my BP taken has never worried me.

So what else causes it if not anxiety?

growstuff

I haven't added salt when cooking for years. I don't even notice it now, but my mother always used to complain about my food and pour loads of salt on everything. I think it helps too.

Just an aside. I rarely have salt and ok blood pressure. In hospital just before Christmas my blood pressure was far too low! They told me off for not having enough salt!

Can anyone recommend an good (free) app that I can put on my phone to help with relaxation.

I need to have a look on YouTube as there must be something on there. I heard about Radio 3 Unwind so I might give that a go.

Once I am stressed out I find it really hard to calm down.

My dear old Mum used to sprinkle salt on her food , with gay abandon. She lived till 93 , with LOW BP, and slight age-related memory loss. Now , you tell me !!!

growstuff I'm not convinced it is psychological because like cornergran having my BP taken has never worried me.

Primrose53

My husband has extremely high blood pressure for decades. I think he is on about 6 meds for it currently. He is not overweight, he is very fit and active, he neither smokes nor drinks, we eat a healthy diet, we don’t use salt and he is not a stressy or WCS person. Consultants say he can do nothing to help himself as the above are the main causes!

He has had a truly rotten time the last few years.some meds make his ankles and feet swell so he can hardly get his shoes on, others give him pounding headaches, another makes his legs feel like severe sunburn.

9 weeks ago he had a haemorrhagic Stroke caused by high BP and is very lucky to be alive. He cannot stand, use his right arm or leg and his speech is poor. He is still in hospital. Since then his BP has come down after all these years.

I am sorry to here about your DH Primrose. Do you think it is hereditary.

PinkCosmos

Kate1949

I would be interested to know what your readings were.

At the hospital they were 210 over 120 which his very high.

I am worrying myself to bits about this now

Telling somebody to stop worrying is futile.

I stopped worrying about my health when I had a heart attack. I remember being in the ambulance on the way to hospital, thinking I wasn't going to make it. Since then, I've had two cancers (breast and skin). I guess my attitude is that I've had a glimpse of the worst outcome and everything now is better than that, so I try to look after my body but don't worry about it.

Sorry Katie1949 I have just seen that you drink one cup a day. Do you drink it at a specific time - morning, afternoon, evening??

Kate1949

Try hibiscus tea. I have been drinking this for about a month, one cup a day. My BP has been as high as 230/110, today it was 139/67. May be coincidence but worth a try.

Hi Katie1949 - I have been reading about hibiscus tea. What brand do you buy and where from. Also, how often do you drink it. Thanks

Cressida - I have ordered a home BP monitor but I am nervous about using it because I am worried about the result.

I am in a terrible anxiety spiral about my health at the moment. I have never had any illness before. I also have a few other things going on in my life at the moment that are quite stressful.

Cressida

Skydancer growstuff if you suffer from White Coat Syndrome you have it so it's something you have to accept. It's not going to go away if you practice controlled breathing or mindfullness although it might ease stress.

Hmmm ... not so sure about that. I used to have terrible WCS too, but it is psychological and I've found over the last few years that I'm much calmer generally, including when I have my BP taken.

Kate1949

I would be interested to know what your readings were.

At the hospital they were 210 over 120 which his very high.

I am worrying myself to bits about this now

Glad to hear that he's still alive and his BP has reduced Primrose53 (hope he's on the mend generally too). Does anybody know why his BP has reduced?

So sorry Primrose

Skydancer growstuff if you suffer from White Coat Syndrome you have it so it's something you have to accept. It's not going to go away if you practice controlled breathing or mindfullness although it might ease stress.

There's loads about Mindfulness and breathing online, but what I do is very simple. I find somewhere comfortable, close my eyes and breathe in for a count of five and breathe out for seven. I have to concentrate on the breathing, so there isn't room in my mind for anything else.

My husband has extremely high blood pressure for decades. I think he is on about 6 meds for it currently. He is not overweight, he is very fit and active, he neither smokes nor drinks, we eat a healthy diet, we don’t use salt and he is not a stressy or WCS person. Consultants say he can do nothing to help himself as the above are the main causes!

He has had a truly rotten time the last few years.some meds make his ankles and feet swell so he can hardly get his shoes on, others give him pounding headaches, another makes his legs feel like severe sunburn.

9 weeks ago he had a haemorrhagic Stroke caused by high BP and is very lucky to be alive. He cannot stand, use his right arm or leg and his speech is poor. He is still in hospital. Since then his BP has come down after all these years.

I haven't added salt when cooking for years. I don't even notice it now, but my mother always used to complain about my food and pour loads of salt on everything. I think it helps too.

Try hibiscus tea. I have been drinking this for about a month, one cup a day. My BP has been as high as 230/110, today it was 139/67. May be coincidence but worth a try.

I’ve used lo salt very infrequently for the last 12 years fancythat still taking the BP meds.

growstuff

I think you already know the answers PinkCosmos - cut down the alcohol, lose weight and eat less. I agree with cornergran about relaxation exercises. Since I retired, my blood pressure has reduced significantly, but every so often I get stressed. I don't follow a Mindfulness regime in its entirety, but I find controlled breathing really helps.

Growstuff is right. If you read the British Heart Foundation website (I think this is where I saw it) there is an explanation of how, when you lose weight, your BP lowers. Also controlled breathing really does help.