Monday, June 14, 2010

How Lowering Your Blood Pressure Can Reduce Stress

While many people know that lowering their blood pressure is a good thing, many people aren’t quite sure why. Their doctor may try to explain the health risks of a high blood pressure reading, but without a simpler explanation, it can be difficult to decipher. In order to motivate yourself to keep your blood pressure down, here are the healthy benefits you’ll enjoy with a lower blood pressure reading.

Lower Risk of Strokes and Blood Clots

When your heart beats hard, you will have a higher blood pressure reader. Though this sounds harmless, it is not. As the blood is being forced through the body more forcefully, you will increase the risk of clots breaking off in parts of your body and traveling to places where they should not go – the lungs, the heart, and the brain. A clot which travels to the lungs is a pulmonary embolism while a clot that travels to the heart is a heart attack and a clot which reaches the brain and cuts off blood flow is a stroke. Though many of these conditions can be treated, when caught early enough, these are serious conditions which could also result in death.

Better Blood Vessels

If your heart isn’t beating as hard as it would with a higher blood pressure reading, you won’t be putting undue stress on the blood vessels in your body. This is a good thing. When your blood vessels are beaten up, they can become thinner, also increasing your risk of clots and other serious disorders. And over time, even if you get your blood pressure controlled, these thinner blood vessels can still pose a risk of problems. For those who might have thinner blood vessels due to age, making sure that blood pressure readings are normal or below normal will help to keep the body strong.

Improving Your Blood Pressure

There are many simple ways you can begin to reduce your blood pressure reading. You should begin by cutting out the salt from your diet in order to help your numbers fall, but adding exercise to your daily routine is another good way to help strengthen your blood vessels and improve your readings. Studies are also showing that those who take steps to reduce the stress levels can also experience less stress and lower blood pressure readings as a result. In addition, those who strength train also have lower blood pressure readings.

When you lower your blood pressure, you improve your health – it’s as simple as that. By taking the time to ensure your blood pressure readings are as low as possible, you can make sure your body is as healthy as it can be.

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