Do you have this silent risk factor for cardiovascular health? Your blood pressure sneaking up increases your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke and you will not have any symptoms until it is markedly elevated! I see patients all the time that are trying to convince me their blood pressure really isn’t “that bad” but when your numbers are consistently higher it’s a sign that changes are happening.
The longer your blood pressure stays elevated the more changes you get. The blood pressure raises for a reason – to move your blood to parts of your body/brain and deliver oxygen and nutrients. Over time, if the blood pressure is continuously high the arterial walls start to thicken to be able to keep the blood pressure up and this is when more permanent changes occur. You want to address the blood pressure BEFORE this occurs.
First, what is a good blood pressure? Standard readings indicate 120/80 as a good goal but some of you naturally have lower blood pressure than this so you need to monitor yours to establish your baseline. The American heart association indicates that even 130-139/80-89 is borderline blood pressure that needs addressing! If you have a blood pressure of 180 +/100+ (either number being elevated) then you need immediate attention so go to the emergency room!
Grab a blood pressure cuff and start tracking yours consistently so you can see what is happening. Keep in mind, automated cuffs are just estimates so record your values and go see your physician if they are consistently elevated.
HINT: Take your cuff in and compare it to a manual blood pressure reading so you know how accurate your automated cuff is.
READ ON to learn 8 common causes of high blood pressure and 5 tips to address this naturally….
Some common causes of high blood pressure include:
- Sleep apnea – This is a key underlying cause. If you quit breathing every night then the body will increase the blood pressure to make sure oxygen is getting to your brain. Over time the blood pressure will automatically stay up and will get even higher.
- Stress – you knew this was going to be on the list. I have had patients have record highs on their blood pressure monitoring while at work and normal on the weekends….until it isn’t. The work week blood pressure has to be addressed to avoid long term changes.
- Stimulants – caffeine and other stimulant drugs/medications can all increase blood pressure. Alcohol is also on this list.
- Medications- steroid use, anti-histamines and sometimes birth control are examples of medications that can increase blood pressure.
- Medical issues: Adrenal, kidney and thyroid glands can all have issues increasing blood pressure so these need to be considered if you are newly having an issue.
- Post -Covid – this is a well-known issue. Blood pressure can spike to very high levels anytime after covid for up to 6 months. Good news is most of the time it is self-limiting and it resolves but medication is often needed in the meantime.
- Obesity – if you are overweight, it takes more effort to move your blood around so the blood pressure will naturally creep up.
- Supplements – Licorice root, ginseng, ma huang(ephedra) and bitter orange have all been shown to increase blood pressure so if you started a new supplement and noticed your blood pressure creeping up then take a look at your label for these ingredients.
If your blood pressure is consistently above 150 on the top number or above 90 on the bottom number you may need medication. There are so many different types of medications for this so speak with your physician for your best choices. If you are in the borderline category then some lifestyle changes may be all you need. Here are 5 tips that may help…
- Lose weight. Plug your height and weight into a BMI calculator and if you have anything over 25 then you are considered over weight. If you are over 30, then you are considered to be obese. Those are tough words to hear but let that be a wake-up call for you.
- If your blood pressure is very high, avoid strenuous exercise and heavy lifting as it could actually make your blood pressure worse. Walking, yoga and gentle exercises can all help lower your pressure.
- Stress reduction. Yes, here is that stress word again. You cannot change and avoid all stress so all we can do is build a stress toolbox to help us with our day-to-day stressors.
- Diet: a heart healthy diet includes lower sodium, more veggies and limit alcohol as well as tobacco and caffeine. There are so many books walking you thru a heart healthy diet – find one and follow it!
- Supplements: There are several supplements that may help lower your blood pressure. I typically see about a 10 point drop so if you have a significantly high pressure obviously this will not be enough and you should consider medication while you are working on the other risk factors. Examples of supplements that may help include those that promote nitric oxide or cause muscle relaxation. These help relax the vessel wall, lowering the pressure.
- Vascanox by Calroy – this is a 24 hour nitric oxide promoter and only requires one per day
- Magnesium – magnesium relaxes muscles
- Garlic – aged garlic has been shown in some people to help lower blood pressure
- Fish oil – in good quantity doses fish oil can be beneficial in some people.
*supplements do not work in everyone so if you start something be sure and follow your before and after pressures to see if significant changes occur. Yes, you can mix the supplements for possibly an additive effect.
There is a reason high blood pressure is on screening exams so don’t ignore this often dismissed part of your health. I should mention, you can also have a genetic predisposition so if high blood pressure runs in your family, invest in a good cuff and start monitoring!
To your health,
Laura
