How to lower blood pressure: 6 quick ways that are sure to work

Author

Andreeva Elena Gennadievna

Leading doctor

Therapist

Publication date: 11/18/2019

until January 31

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Movement helps fight hypertension

The risk of hypertension increases with age. But we can influence our health. With some effort, you can prevent high blood pressure or bring it under control. According to recent research, exercise can play an important role in the fight against hypertension.

A little extra physical activity every day can go a long way, and there's no need to hit the gym or start running marathons.

What is high blood pressure and why is it dangerous?

High blood pressure has been called 17 Effective Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure a silent killer, and for good reason. Hypertension (hypertension) often has no obvious symptoms, but it sharply increases the risk of developing dangerous cardiovascular disorders and stroke.

Blood pressure is measured in two number format. For example, 120/80. Or 200/140. Or 90/60. Here's what these numbers mean:

• The first - systolic pressure - tells how much (in millimeters of mercury) the blood presses on the walls of blood vessels during a heartbeat.
• The second, diastolic pressure, records the blood pressure when the heart is resting between beats.

In general, blood vessels are elastic things. But if the blood pressure gets too high, they may not be able to cope. A rupture of a vessel in any important organ leads to serious consequences, including death.

How much pressure is considered too high? There is a very clear answer to this question. Not long ago, the American Heart Association lowered High blood pressure redefined for the first time in 14 years: 130 is the new high bar for the concept of “high blood pressure” to 130/80. Previously, indicators of 140/90 were considered dangerous.

If your blood pressure is at this level or higher, you are at risk. Urgent action must be taken.

How to measure pressure correctly →

What workouts will help reduce blood pressure?

To begin with, it must be said that not all physical activity will help normalize blood pressure. Some really useful types of training and exercises for hypertension include:

• walking,
• Nordic walking,
• easy jogging,
• swimming and water aerobics,
• some yoga asanas,
• low intensity aerobics,
• bicycle rides,
• skiing,
• breathing exercises,
• therapeutic exercises.

With their help, you can not only normalize your blood pressure (BP), but also avoid similar problems in the future. However, this is relevant only with a slight increase in blood pressure and stage 1 hypertension. You can read more about the classification of hypertension in this article.

For experienced hypertensive patients, there are special breathing techniques and physical therapy (PT). We will talk about them further.

How to quickly lower blood pressure at home

Let’s say right away: if your health is dear to you (and we believe it is), you should consult a therapist with complaints of hypertension. Depending on your blood pressure level, your lifestyle and other factors, your doctor will select an individual prevention and treatment plan for you and, most likely, prescribe medications that will help bring your blood pressure levels to normal levels.

But if for some reason you haven’t seen a doctor yet, here are a few ways to help lower your blood pressure. Choose the one that seems most comfortable to you, or combine several to achieve maximum effect.

Breathe deeper

As HEART HEALTH Just Breathe: How to Use Breathing Exercises to Lower Blood Pressure studies show, proper deep breathing is one of the most effective ways to quickly lower blood pressure.

• Relax, close your eyes. This will help reduce stress levels - one of the main triggers of hypertension.
• Take a deep breath, counting to 5. Inhale not from your chest, but from your stomach. To control, place your hand on it - you should feel your stomach rise.
• Then exhale and count to 5 again.

Breathing deeply for 3 to 5 minutes will increase blood flow to all tissues of your body, including your limbs. Due to this, the pressure in the vessels will decrease.

You can try holding your breath after exhaling for 8-10 seconds - choose the exercise option that seems more comfortable to you.

Take a hot bath

Pour water at a temperature of about 45 °C into a basin and immerse your hands or feet in it for 10 minutes. Hot water will cause the vessels in the extremities to dilate, blood will flow to them, and blood pressure will decrease slightly.

Take a dip in cool water

Lie up to your shoulders in a 32-degree bath. The body will cool down, the body will lower the pulse rate, and this, in turn, will reduce Scientific Evidence-Based Effects of Hydrotherapy on Various Systems of the Body pressure by 11-12%. If you hold only your hands in cool water, it will not have any effect.

Drink warm mint tea

Brew a pinch of mint leaves with boiling water for 10 minutes, let cool and drink the tea in slow sips. In this form, peppermint may reduce Effects and Safety of Menthol on Blood Pressure and Metabolic Parameters in Prehypertensive and Mild Hypertensive Patients (ESMAB) blood pressure.

Make a compress with apple cider vinegar or drink vinegar water

Soak gauze in apple cider vinegar (3-9% concentration) and apply the damp cloth to your feet for 10-15 minutes. This is a popular folk method. True, there is no convincing evidence of its effectiveness today (scientists simply have not tested whether a compress can lower blood pressure). However, in some cases, vinegar can really help.

Thus, Vinegar: Medicinal Uses and Antiglycemic Effect has established that apple cider vinegar contains substances that, when taken orally, can lower blood pressure (at least it works in rats). The research has not yet been completed, but it clearly has prospects.

Therefore, if you want to use apple cider vinegar to lower your blood pressure, it is scientifically more effective to take it internally. For example, adding Using Apple Cider Vinegar to Help Lower Blood Pressure a teaspoon of liquid to a glass of water.

As a rule, table vinegar is safe in this form (exactly as it is safe when dressing salads). But keep in mind that you should avoid this method if your teeth hurt or you experience heartburn, nausea or indigestion after consuming it.

Take valerian

Or drugs based on it, for example Corvalol. Valerian is a powerful sedative that helps the body cope with stress. The heart will begin to beat more calmly, and blood pressure will decrease. Important: when taking, do not exceed the dose indicated in the instructions!

What are the benefits of exercise for hypertension?

Correct and regular exercise therapy for hypertension contributes to:

• increasing the tone and endurance of the cardiovascular system;
• normalization of blood circulation and prevention of atherosclerosis;
• reduction or removal of painful symptoms (heaviness and pain in the head, tinnitus, chest tightness, etc.);
• oxygen saturation of organs, which is very important for the prevention of stroke and heart attack;
• prevention of respiratory system diseases;
• relieving psychological stress, improving mood;
• normalization of sleep;
• improving performance.

Herbs

Herbal tea is ready to dilate blood vessels and lower blood pressure. When high blood pressure is good to drink hibiscus tea, calcine, lemon grass, hawthorn (fruit), wild strawberry, dried rose fruit, valerian, mint. The most effective herbal remedies for high blood pressure are:

• Pharmaceutical chamomile, valerian, dill and mint.
• Rhiewals of Valerian, Oregano, Poker.
• Medical calendula, lime and mint.

To prepare one of the 2.5 tablespoon batches, soak the raw materials in 500 ml of boiling water overnight. I insist overnight in a thermos. Before use, strain in a thin gas and drink on an empty stomach, one glass. The choice of one of the sets of herbs directly depends on preferences. If an allergic reaction occurs with one of the plants in the collection, then look to herbal teas with a different medium.

If the patient takes medications along with herbal tea, their dose is halved. In arterial hypertension, collection occurs regularly for a month. The break between courses is 1-2 weeks.

For the elderly

To reduce high blood pressure in older people, the following alternative medicines are used:

• Mix still mineral water, honey and lemon juice. Drink water in one gulp. The first signs of improvement are observed after half an hour.
• Pour boiling water over 35 g of clove inflorescences. Leave until the drink cools to room temperature. Then drink it quickly.

It is also important to eat right, go outside and walk more often. It is important to visit your doctor regularly.

Who is contraindicated for therapeutic exercises for hypertension?

It is strictly forbidden to perform even the simplest exercises for hypertension in the following cases:

• during attacks of angina pectoris;
• with severe arrhythmia;
• immediately after the onset of a hypertensive crisis;
• with pressure readings of 200/110 and above.

It is recommended to stop training immediately if the following symptoms appear:

• accelerated heartbeat;
• dizziness;
• attacks of nausea;
• discomfort in the chest area;
• tinnitus;
• the appearance of black dots, circles and other visual abnormalities before the eyes;
• numbness of the limbs, neck, face;
• severe shortness of breath.

In any case, you can start such activities only after preliminary consultation with your doctor.

Recommendations for performing gymnastics for hypertension

When conducting this type of exercise, it is very important to adhere to the following rules:

1. Therapeutic training sessions should last no longer than 15–20 minutes. Performed for preventive purposes – from 40 to 60 minutes. However, in any case, it is better to start with short sessions.
2. It is better to alternate breathing exercises with physical exercises.
3. All exercises for hypertension should be performed in a smooth rhythm, without straining the muscles more than necessary.
4. The increase in load should occur gradually.
5. You need to train regularly (ideally every other day).
6. Try to put less stress on your upper body (especially the neck and shoulder area). But extra work won’t hurt your legs.
7. It’s better to start with the simplest elements, and as you become more trained and feel normal, you can complicate the training with exercises with your own weight (squats, incline push-ups, lunges, etc.).
8. For hypertension stages 2 and 3, exercise therapy is allowed only in a lying or sitting position

Exercise therapy for hypertension: a set of exercises with a stick

To perform such gymnastics for hypertension, ideally you need a special weighted fitness stick weighing 1–2 kg. However, in the absence of one, any available tool with a length of 0.9 to 1.5 meters (for example, a mop) will do.

1. We stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. We hold the stick with a regular grip with our arms extended downwards. As you inhale, lift the projectile up and at the same time move your right leg back. As you exhale, we return to the starting position. The next stage is that, in parallel with lifting the stick, we move our right leg to the side and slightly tilt our torso in the same direction. At the third stage, we twist the torso alternately to the right and to the left. Each of these elements is done 4 times in 2 approaches on each leg/side.
2. We do not change the starting position, but the projectile should not touch the hips. As you inhale, raise your right knee, touching it to the stick, and as you exhale, lower it. Then we repeat the same actions with the second leg. We perform 5 repetitions on each leg in 2 approaches.
3. To perform this exercise with hypertension, the stick must be placed behind your back and taken with a reverse grip (thumb up) a little further from the edges. As you inhale, we rise on our toes and at the same time move our arms with the projectile back. As you exhale, we return to the starting position. Repeat 5-6 times in 2 approaches.
4. We place the stick vertically in front of us and place both palms on it, one on top of the other. As you inhale, we rise up on your toes, as you exhale, we lower ourselves back down and perform a squat at half the amplitude, spreading our knees to the sides. Repeat 5-8 times in 2 approaches.

Tinctures

Alcohol tinctures are effective for hypertension. They are taken in small quantities. Tinctures quickly reduce high blood pressure during hypertension, and then return it to normal.

Five effective tinctures for high blood pressure:

• Valerian is a mild sedative; it also helps with high blood pressure and hypertension. Prepare the product yourself using the rhizome of the plant and alcohol, or buy it ready-made at the pharmacy.
• Motherwort helps reduce high blood pressure and further normalizes it. To prepare the product you will need 25 g of dried herb leaves and 100 ml of alcohol or vodka. Pour alcohol over thyme and leave for 1 month in a dark room. Strain and take 6 drops diluted in 1 tablespoon of water 3 times a day.
• Hawthorn helps cope with overwork and stress, normalizes the functioning of the central nervous system. Pour 100 g of hawthorn berries into 1 liter of alcohol and leave for 20 days. Strain through cheesecloth and take 20 drops 3 times a day. Hawthorn can also be taken as a decoction.
• Peony normalizes the functioning of the nervous system and blood pressure levels after using medicinal products based on it. To prepare the tincture, you need to take 50 grams of raw materials and pour 50 ml of alcohol. Infuse the product for 2 weeks. Drain, dilute with boiled water and drink half a glass.
• Corvalol is one of the most effective remedies for high blood pressure in hypertension. It is sold at any pharmacy and is available without a prescription. Instructions for use are on the packaging.

A mixture of these drugs in equal quantities helps to quickly cope with high blood pressure due to hypertension.

Decoctions

Herbal decoction will help reduce high blood pressure. Elevators operate in courses under the supervision of a doctor. Hawthorn tea is drunk like regular black tea. Dry fruits of the medicinal plant are poured with boiling water and left for 15 minutes. Take it anytime. Do not forbid adding honey to the broth if desired. Instead of fruit, we use dried inflorescences with the addition of mullein grass and hawthorn leaves. Pregnant women are contraindicated to drink hawthorn-based tea.

Hibiscus tea has a beneficial effect on blood pressure in hypertension. He grabs it like regular tea and drinks it. Should not be used by persons suffering from gastrointestinal diseases. Additionally, this measure supports the removal of heavy metals and toxins from the body. A collection of medicinal plants is sold in pharmacies as herbal tea. They are also effective in controlling high blood pressure.

A set of basic exercises for the treatment of hypertension

First, let's look at a standard set of exercises for hypertension. Many of them can be done right in bed.

1. Lie on your back and spread your arms to the sides. Bend your knees and tilt them first to the right, then to the left while turning your head in the opposite direction. Perform the described line of actions 4–6 times.
2. Another simple exercise for hypertension that can be done without getting out of bed. Starting position: lying on your back, arms extended along the body. As you inhale, bend your right leg at the knee with a smooth sliding movement, then as you exhale, without lifting it from the surface of the bed, return it to its original position. Repeat 4-6 times on each leg.
3. Without changing the starting position, bend both legs at the knees. As you inhale, raise your right hand and as you exhale, stretch it towards your left knee. Then vice versa. There is no need to lift your entire body - just your head and shoulders. Repeat 5 times on each side.
4. If hypertension has not sentenced you to bed rest, move to a chair. We take a standard sitting position, placing our palms on our knees. As you inhale, spread your elbows to the sides and as you exhale, bend forward. Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise 5 times.
5. Sitting on a chair, clasp your right knee with your hands and, while inhaling, slowly pull it towards your chest. Then, as you exhale, gently lower it to the starting position and repeat the same with your left knee. Perform 4-6 times on each leg.
6. Without getting up from your chair, extend your arms along your body. As you inhale, raise your right shoulder while lowering your left. As you exhale, return to the starting position and repeat the same in reverse order. Number of repetitions: 4-6 on each side.

If you perform even 2-3 of the listed exercises correctly, you will definitely feel relief.

What exercises should you not do if you have hypertension?

There are a number of exercises that a person diagnosed with chronic hypertension should forget about until better times. Here is their list:

• any strength exercises with weights;
• static (in which you need to remain in a motionless position for a long time, tensing your muscles);
• performed at an accelerated pace;
• in which it is necessary to do deep bends, as well as excessively load the cervical spine;
• in which it is necessary to throw back the head strongly or raise the legs above its level;
• in which it is necessary to make sudden movements (jumping, quick squats, throwing a projectile, etc.);
• sprint running;
• climbing stairs;
• climbing a rope.

Food

A properly formulated diet not only helps to normalize arterial hypertension, but, as a rule, has a primary effect on human health. A list of essential foods can be created independently, guided by the following rules:

• Inclusion in the diet of pigs rich in vitamin C. Its amount should be sufficient for health. This helps strengthen blood vessels. Many vitamins are found in currants and lemon.
• B vitamins are used as a preventive measure against atherosclerosis, which causes narrowing of blood vessels and, as a result, blood pressure. B vitamins are located in raw chicken yolk, liver, nuts, kidneys, bananas and yeast.
• In hypertension, potassium strengthens the walls of blood vessels and prevents blood pressure. It occurs in potatoes, beans, nuts and apricots. Its use helps inhibit the effects of sodium, an excessive amount of this substance leads to high blood pressure.

Freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices, some of which can be drunk with water. You can drink them regularly. Kefir with cinnamon is also useful.

Honey and bee products

As for the beneficial properties of honey and other bee products, both traditional and classical medicine have always believed that they are a means of treating many diseases. However, we should not forget that honey is one of the allergenic products, and before using it you should make sure that you are not allergic to it. If there is no rash or other symptoms, you can proceed to preparing the drug.

To do this, take 450 g of linden honey, 2.5 kg of onions, 45 g of walnut shells and half a liter of vodka. Remove the onion peel, grate and squeeze out all the juice. Mix with linden honey and ground walnut particles. Pour the mixture with vodka and leave for 10 days under a closed lid in a dark place. Drink 1.5 tablespoons no more than 3 times a day.