Understanding Blood Pressure Readings
Dr Eric Berg Recommends 60-second Practice To 'significantly' Lower Your Blood Pressure
Dr Eric Berg has revealed a simple home remedy to bust your high blood pressure levels. "It's very, very cheap. In fact, it'll cost you nothing," the doctor said on his YouTube channel.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is the precursor to serious health problems, including heart attacks and strokes. Therefore, it's crucial to keep your reading in check.
According to Blood Pressure UK, around one in three adults in the UK suffer from high blood pressure. Worryingly, the charity adds that there are more than five million people that are undiagnosed in England alone.
While cutting back on your salt intake is one of the best-known ways to keep hypertension in check, Dr Berg warned that a low-salt diet could actually "worsen" your blood pressure. Instead, he recommended "a very simple thing" you can do right now.
The doctor's tip for lowering your blood pressure isn't diet- or even exercise-related. All you need is your breath. "Just try it out, it will work," he said.
Dr Berg recommended a technique called paced breathing to "significantly" lower your blood pressure reading.
He explained that the frequency of six breaths per minute is synchronised with baroreceptors - receptors in your arteries that are connected to the nervous system - in a way that is going to bring your blood pressure down.
The doctor said: "This method of breathing is going to significantly reduce your blood pressure, especially in people with cardiac heart failure. It has the ability to increase oxygen saturation, to increase exercise tolerance.
"On top of all that, it's one of the best things to decrease the sympathetic nervous system - the fight or flight dominance that so many people have. It's cheap, it's fast, it's something anyone can do."
To do paced breathing, you just need to slow down your breaths to six breaths per minute.
He noted that people with hypertension, especially if they have diabetes or they are overweight, are not breathing at six breaths per minute. "They are breathing pretty rapidly," the doctor said.
While you don't need to do paced breathing constantly, the doctor recommended finding a time each day to practice this method.
He recommended breathing through your chest and slowing down to get it right.
Dr Berg said: "You don't want to strain or do it with a lot of effort because you are going to activate the sympathetic nervous system.
"You want to slowly just breathe through your nose… into your chest.
"It's a five-second inhalation slowly and then a five-second exhalation. So that's how you do it.
"That will give you six complete breathing cycles per minute, which will synchronise to this baroreceptor, start affecting your autonomic nervous system, bring your pressure down, your pulse rate will come down and you will feel very calm."
High Blood Pressure Treatment
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. There are a variety of treatments that can help you manage your blood pressure, including lifestyle changes and medications.
A normal blood pressure reading is less than 120/80 mm Hg. When you have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, your reading is consistently in a higher range.
High blood pressure treatment typically involves a combination of medication and lifestyle changes to help you manage the condition and prevent or delay related health problems. The goal is to get your blood pressure below the high range.
If normal is less than 120/80 mm Hg, what's high? When the systolic blood pressure — the top number — is between 120 and 129, and the diastolic blood pressure — the bottom number — is less than 80, this is considered elevated blood pressure.
Elevated blood pressure doesn't necessarily raise your risk for heart attack or stroke. But without attention, it will often progress to high blood pressure — which definitely does raise your risk. Hypertension (or high blood pressure) is present once the systolic pressure is 130 or higher, or the diastolic pressure is 80 or higher.
A healthy lifestyle is the first line of defense against high blood pressure. Habits that help control blood pressure include:
Some people find that lifestyle changes alone are enough to control their high blood pressure. But many also take medication to treat their condition. There are many different types of blood pressure medications with different modes of action.
If one drug doesn't lower your blood pressure enough, another might do the job. For some people, a combination of two or more drugs may be needed to keep their blood pressure under control.
Hypertension medications can be divided into the categories listed below, based on how they work. The drugs in each section are just a sampling of what's available.
DiureticsDiuretics, sometimes called water pills, help the kidneys get rid of excess water and salt (sodium). This reduces the volume of blood that needs to pass through the blood vessels. As a result, blood pressure goes down.
There are three major types of diuretics defined by how they work. They include:
Diuretics in the thiazide group generally have fewer side effects than the others, particularly when taken at the low doses commonly used in treating early high blood pressure.
Beta-blockersBeta-blockers help the heart to beat with less speed and force. The heart pumps less blood through the blood vessels with each beat, so blood pressure decreases. There are many drugs within this classification, including:
Alpha-beta-blockersAlpha-beta-blockers have a combined effect. They're a subclass of beta-blockers that block the binding of catecholamine hormones to both alpha and beta receptors. They can decrease the constriction of blood vessels like alpha-1 blockers, and slow down the rate and force of the heartbeat like beta-blockers.
Carvedilol (Coreg) and labetalol hydrochloride (Normodyne) are common alpha-beta-blockers.
Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitorsACE inhibitors help the body produce less of a hormone called angiotensin II, which causes blood vessels to narrow. These medications decrease blood pressure by helping blood vessels expand and let more blood through.
Some ACE inhibitors include:
ARBs block the action of angiotensin II directly on the blood vessels. It attaches at the receptor site on the blood vessels and keeps them from narrowing. This causes blood pressure to fall.
ARBs include:
Movement of calcium into and out of muscle cells is necessary for all muscle contractions. Calcium channel blockers limit calcium from entering the smooth muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels. This makes the heart beat less forcefully with each beat and helps blood vessels relax. As a result, blood pressure decreases.
Examples of these medications include:
Your body produces types of hormones called catecholamines when under stress, or chronically in some disease states. Catecholamines, such as norepinephrine and epinephrine, cause the heart to beat faster and with more force. They also constrict blood vessels. These effects raise blood pressure when the hormones attach to a receptor.
The muscles around some blood vessels have what are known as alpha-1 or alpha adrenergic receptors. When a catecholamine binds to an alpha-1 receptor, the muscle contracts, the blood vessel narrows, and blood pressure rises.
Alpha-1 blockers bind to alpha-1 receptors, blocking catecholamines from attaching. This keeps them from narrowing blood vessels so blood is able to flow through the blood vessels more freely, and blood pressure falls.
Alpha-1 blockers are primarily used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men, but are also used to treat high blood pressure.
These drugs include:
Alpha-2 receptors are different from alpha-1 receptors. When an alpha-2 receptor is activated, the production of norepinephrine is blocked. This decreases the amount of norepinephrine produced. Less norepinephrine means less constriction of blood vessels and a lower blood pressure.
Methyldopa (Aldomet) is an example of this type of drug. It's a common choice for high blood pressure treatment during pregnancy because it generally poses few risks to the mother and fetus.
Other examples include:
Since alpha-2 receptor agonists can work in the brain and central nervous system, they're also known as "central agonists." This makes these medications useful for treating a large range of medical conditions beyond high blood pressure.
VasodilatorsVasodilators relax the muscles in the walls of blood vessels, especially small arteries (arterioles). This widens the blood vessels and allows blood to flow through them more easily. Blood pressure falls as a result.
Hydralazine hydrochloride (Apresoline) and minoxidil (Loniten) are examples of these.
Treatment for high blood pressure includes ongoing care, as well as individual treatments tailored for specific situations and younger age groups, including children and teens.
Ongoing medical careTo make the most of your treatment, it's vital to get regular medical checkups and blood pressure tests. Regular checkups allow your doctor to monitor how well your treatment is going and make any necessary adjustments to your treatment plan.
If your blood pressure starts inching back up, your doctor can respond promptly. Doctor's visits also give you an opportunity to ask questions and bring up any concerns.
Treatment for specific situationsAdditional treatment options may be needed in certain situations like resistant hypertension or secondary hypertension.
Resistant hypertension refers to blood pressure that remains high after trying at least three different types of blood pressure medication. Someone whose high blood pressure is controlled by taking four different kinds of medication is considered to have resistant hypertension.
Even such hard-to-treat cases can often be managed successfully in time. Your doctor might prescribe a different medication, dose, drug combination, or more aggressive lifestyle changes.
Getting a referral to a heart or kidney specialist may also be useful in treating resistant hypertension.
Secondary hypertension is high blood pressure that's directly caused by another health condition or drug side effect. Blood pressure often drops substantially or even goes back to normal once doctors diagnose and treat the root cause.
Treatment options for children and teensThe first line of treatment for children and teens with high blood pressure is a healthy lifestyle. This includes:
Children may take the same blood pressure medications as adults when necessary. For children with secondary hypertension, blood pressure often returns to normal once the underlying condition is treated.
High blood pressure treatment usually involves a combination of lifestyle changes and medication. Sometimes, lifestyle changes are enough to return your blood pressure to normal levels. These changes may include diet, exercise, and weight loss.
If your high blood pressure continues, be sure to consult a doctor who can prescribe the appropriate medication.
Drinks To Lower Blood Pressure And Which To Avoid
Drinks that may help lower blood pressure include certain fruit juices and low sodium vegetable juices. Other beverages, such as caffeinated and sugar-laden soda, can raise blood pressure.
High blood pressure is widespread, affecting almost half of adults in the United States. It can lead to significant health issues if left untreated.
Hypertension treatment involves medication and lifestyle changes. Dietary changes include lowering sodium and alcohol intake, but people may be unsure which drinks to choose.
This article suggests some drinks people can choose or avoid if they wish to manage their blood pressure.
A 2017 meta-analysis provided evidence that pomegranate juice may lower blood pressure.
The analysis examined eight randomized placebo-controlled trials with a total of 574 participants. Pomegranate juice treatment duration ranged from 2 weeks to 18 months.
The analysis found that pomegranate juice reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and the reduction in systolic pressure occurred regardless of treatment duration.
Learn about the health benefits of pomegranate seeds.
The findings of a 2020 review suggest that cherry and cranberry juice may lower blood pressure.
Two separate cherry juice interventions lowered systolic blood pressure after:
Cranberry juice interventions had a mean length of 8 weeks and a dose of 432 ml and reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Learn more about the benefits of cherries for heart health.
Black or green tea may lower blood pressure, according to a 2020 review and meta-analysis.
Meta-regression findings suggested that drinking more tea over extended periods of 3 months or more resulted in greater decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
The review also found that green tea reduced blood pressure more than black tea.
Both black and green tea contain caffeine.
Learn about the caffeine content of tea.
Some beverages may contribute to high blood pressure, and avoiding them may help people manage hypertension.
AlcoholA 2023 meta-analysis examined seven studies that included 19,548 participants to assess the relationship between alcohol intake and blood pressure.
The results suggested a link between alcohol intake and high blood pressure.
Systolic blood pressure had a direct and linear association with alcohol dose. A person's sex and geographical location influence the effects of alcohol on diastolic blood pressure.
Learn more about alcohol's effect on health.
SodaA 2022 study describes a link between soft drinks and higher blood pressure.
The study used data from 2004–2018, involving 1,324 adults, and compared regular soft drinks with their non-caloric counterparts.
The study found that even a single-serving increase in regular soft drink consumption has associations with increases in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
There was no association between blood pressure and non-caloric soft drink consumption. However, this may be because not many study participants drank this type of beverage.
Learn more about why Coca-Cola is bad for health.
CaffeineA 2021 meta-analysis found that caffeinated beverages may raise blood pressure. The analysis found that increased blood pressure was more pronounced in adolescents than adults. Many drinks contain caffeine, including coffee, black tea, soda, and energy drinks.
Learn how much caffeine is in a cup of coffee.
High blood pressure is widespread and can lead to adverse health effects. Treatment involves medication and lifestyle interventions.
A person's beverage choices and diet can contribute to their blood pressure. Some drinks may help reduce hypertension, such as beetroot juice and tea. Other drinks, such as caffeinated beverages and alcohol, can increase it.
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