What causes High Blood Pressure in Young Adults

High Blood pressure Treatment

Around 47% of adults in America are diagnosed with high blood pressure. It doesn’t cause any serious symptoms until the blood pressure surpasses the normal range and affects your organs.

The prevention usually depends on the cause of high blood pressure.

If it’s caused by a certain medicine, you are going to have to switch them after consulting with your doctor to keep your blood pressure levels in check.

If it’s caused by an existing medical condition, hypertension will go away as soon as you get treatment for that.

However, if it’s due to a genetic condition, it will stay with you forever, and managing it is your only option. Let’s check out a few effective ways to manage high blood pressure.

Get Your Weight in Check

The risk of blood pressure is high in overweight people. As your weight increases, so does your blood pressure. This is especially true if you carry a lot of weight around your waistline.

If you are obese and have hypertension, there is a chance these two might be linked. Following a weight loss diet can help you get in shape.

Practice Exercise Daily

Living a sedentary lifestyle isn’t going to help manage your blood pressure. In fact, it will make it worse. So, you should aim to practice 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day.

Exercise can lower your blood pressure by up to 8 mm Hg. It also prevents elevated blood pressure from turning into hypertension.

You don’t need to practice high-intensity interval training, but that can be a good way to shed those extra pounds quickly. In addition, swimming, dancing, cycling, and just walking can help bring your blood pressure down to safer levels.

Another option is strength training but talks to your healthcare provider to see if it’s safe before you consider that.

Eat Healthy Food

It’s pretty obvious that a diet rich in sodium is unhealthy for people with elevated blood pressure. But salt isn’t the only ingredient that might interfere with your blood pressure.

Whole milk dairy products, processed and packaged foods rich in saturated fat, and foods containing lots of calories are also bad for your heart health.

You should discuss your diet with a healthcare specialist to decide what foods are safe and what are not.

Ideally, people with high blood pressure follow a DASH diet, as it includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and other ingredients low in salt and rich in good fats and fiber.

You should limit your sodium intake to 1500 mg a day or less if possible. Always check the food labels and the sodium percentage before buying.

Limit Alcohol and Quit Smoking

Lifestyle changes go a long way in managing your blood pressure, if not curing it permanently. For example, quitting alcohol can lower your blood pressure by 4 mm hg.

On the other hand, too much alcohol intake can increase it by several points. The worst part is that your medications for managing BP won’t work if you consume excess alcohol.

Likewise, smoking or chewing tobacco won’t only raises blood pressure but they are harmful to your overall health.

Sleep Well

Not getting adequate sleep for weeks can also cause hypertension. Talk to a healthcare specialist to get prescription drugs if you can’t sleep because of a medical condition like sleep apnea or insomnia.

If it’s stress or other reasons, you can try the following to get a good night’s sleep daily.

• Have a proper sleep schedule
• Create a peaceful space
• Be careful about your diet and what you drink before bed
• Don’t sleep in the daytime

Tip: Taking a warm shower and practicing a few minutes of meditation before going to bed can help you fall asleep faster.

Practice Meditation

Stress is also linked to high blood pressure in young adults. Stress is common in students, employees, and just about anyone with a busy schedule. Work stress, relationship stress, and other forms of stress can take a toll on your mental health.

They affect your sleep cycle, concentration, and performance at work and in your personal life.

All these factors contribute to an increased risk of hypertension. Meditation is a great way to reduce stress. A few minutes of breathing exercises can help keep your cortisol levels in check.

It calms your mind. You should also avoid stress triggers, such as overburdening yourself with too much work or accepting responsibilities that put too much pressure on you.

Take some time to relax. Also, practicing gratitude can keep stress levels at bay.

Monitor Your Blood Pressure Regularly

Having a blood pressure monitor at home can help you track your blood pressure regularly and take action immediately when there’s a rise in your BP.

Ask your healthcare provider how often you should check blood pressure and what to do if it rises suddenly.

Scheduling appointments with your doctor once every 2-3 months for regular check-ups is also a good idea to keep your blood pressure under control.

Conclusion

Blood pressure in young adults has become quite common. While there’s no permanent cure for it, the above tips will certainly help bring those double-digits to a normal range.

Hope this post helped you learn the right ways to control your blood pressure. Good Luck!