Worrying trends in healthcare show how younger people are going through various health problems quickly and often compared to previous generations due to sedentary lifestyles, stress, and altered living conditions. Young adults are prone to developing type 2 diabetes, adiposity and high blood pressure. The latest is the trickiest to deal with because people tend to appear healthy, but their blood pressure is elevated or too high.
Ignored high blood pressure can cause serious health problems in the long term, which is why some call it the “silent killer” because there doesn’t seem to be something wrong with your body if you have high blood pressure. However, as your heart is forced to pump harder, the arteries can narrow or even harden due to thickened muscles. This can lead to increased risks for strokes, kidney disease and even eye conditions.
So, if you’re looking for ways to lower your blood pressure, here are some potential solutions to try under your doctor’s guidance.
Having a balanced diet
A balanced and healthy diet is always recommended for any kind of health issue because it lowers the chances of developing chronic conditions or suffering from obesity. These health problems act like a chain reaction because a minor one can sometimes lead to severe problems, so starting with the simplest prevention method of eating healthy is recommended.
Eating healthy means basing your diet on varied food groups, such as whole fruits, veggies, whole grains, proteins and low-fat dairy. Avoiding too much sodium, added sugars and saturated fats is recommended to keep things in check, but there’s nothing wrong with snacking occasionally.
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Exercising regularly
Regular exercise can sometimes be perceived as needing strenuous workouts to have an effect truly, but this is far from the truth. Your body needs more movement, given modern jobs that imply sitting down for prolonged hours. For example, if you work for eight hours a day, it’s recommended you work out moderately for at least 2.5 hours per week. This means being active for about 20 minutes per day, whether it’s a brief walk in the park or a yoga session.
Of course, you might find it challenging to introduce working out in your lifestyle that easy and fast, so you must build up discipline to achieve a healthy lifestyle. This involves creating a workout plan for the week that thrills you and sticking to it no matter what. At the same time, some movement is better than no movement, so when you’re inclined to give up due to losing a workout day, remember that even a few minutes will do the trick than sitting down in despair.
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Sticking to a regular sleep cycle
In numerous cases, high blood pressure and insomnia go hand in hand because one may be the cause for another. If you don’t sleep enough, you might develop high blood pressure and depression, while having this condition puts considerable stress on your blood vessels, making sleep difficult due to headaches and difficulty breathing.
If you struggle sleeping during the week and are waiting for the weekend to catch up, it’s best to
avoid oversleeping because this can increase your chances of high blood pressure. Hence, the best way to be healthy is to develop a stable sleep schedule that includes a pleasant routine. For instance, you could meditate at night and take a hot bath before sleep, while in the morning, you could stretch for a few minutes. Relaxation techniques, such as yoga, tai chi and breathing exercises, are also efficient. If nothing else works, talk with your healthcare provider regarding sleeping medication as a temporary solution.
Giving up smoking
Adult smoking habits are increasingly worrying worldwide, as they are the leading cause of plenty of health problems. In the UK, 12.9% of young adults smoke cigarettes and e-cigarettes, increasing their risk for heart attack, stroke and the development of high blood pressure due to plaque build-up inside the arteries. Even exposure to second-hand smoke can contribute to blood vessel damage.
While non-smokers can try avoiding sitting next to people as they smoke, smokers should try quitting because high blood pressure isn’t the only condition linked to smoking. Lung diseases, diabetes, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), increased risk of tuberculosis and weak immune system are also very likely to happen for someone who regularly smokes.
Quitting smoking is indeed challenging, especially for long-term smokers. General tips include eating nutritious foods, exercising, sleeping and limiting alcohol intake. However, things are complicated, so you might want to try the following:
- Identifying and mitigating your smoking triggers;
- Trying stop-smoking aids;
- Determining cravings and keeping them away;
- Looking for support from ex-smokers;
- Chewing on sugarless gum;
- Resisting the urge to have “just one” cigarette;
Reducing daily stress
Of course, stress contributes to high blood pressure due to releasing a surge of hormones. Unfortunately, identifying the causes of stress is the only easy part of the process, but mitigating work, family, and financial problems is difficult.
Getting help from a professional is essential in these cases because handling it all by yourself will be overwhelming. Avoiding stress triggers, relaxing, and focusing on what you can control must be done to lower stress levels and protect your heart health.
Bottom line
High blood pressure is a tricky health problem because you don’t feel anything, but the heart might be already affected by a sedentary life, lack of nutrients in the body, and smoking. However, if you don’t want to develop further problems as a young adult, it’s best to change your lifestyle and approach healthier habits to keep your heart in shape.
