Anyone can suffer from high blood pressure (hypertension), both men and women. Hypertension is when the blood pressure inside the arteries increases significantly. Chronic high blood pressure can increase the risk of serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.

Hypertension is not a curable disease. The antihypertensive drugs given are only designed to control high blood pressure and reduce the risk of complications caused by hypertension. However, managing high blood pressure with medication alone is not enough. You need to do several other things so that high blood pressure can be managed properly and reduce the risk of hypertension complications.

How to manage high blood pressure?

There are several ways to control and maintain oneself for someone who has high blood pressure, including:

Weight reduction

The first way to manage high blood pressure is to lose weight and watch your waistline. Being overweight is often associated with increased blood pressure. In addition, fat that accumulates around the abdominal organs has a greater impact on health than fat in other areas.

Being overweight and accumulating fat in the abdominal area can lead to insulin resistance, where the body's cells do not respond properly to insulin. Insulin resistance will then increase the production of substances that increase blood pressure.

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Routine exercise

Regular exercise has many benefits including lowering high blood pressure. Exercise such as aerobics, brisk walking, swimming or cycling can strengthen the heart muscle and increase lung capacity. This can support heart health and the body's ability to pump blood efficiently.

Exercise also helps increase the body's sensitivity to insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels. This increased insulin sensitivity can help control insulin resistance.

Maintain a healthy diet

Even though you are taking antihypertensive medication, you should not eat carelessly. You are still advised to follow a healthy diet, focusing on foods high in fiber, saturated fat and low in cholesterol. You are advised to limit your consumption of red meat, sugar and foods high in salt.

It's important to consume potassium such as bananas, oranges, potatoes, spinach and tomatoes to help reduce the effects of salt on blood pressure.

You also need to control your portions, which benefits your blood pressure and supports your overall health.

Reduce daily salt intake

Another important step in managing high blood pressure is to reduce salt intake. Check the nutrition label on food and beverage packaging for the amount of salt contained in them. Limit consumption of processed foods as processed foods such as packaged snacks, sausages, and burger meat, contain added salt.

When cooking at home, avoid adding excessive salt. Substitute it with spices and herbs to give the food flavor.

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Stop smoking

Cigarettes contain chemicals that can increase blood pressure. Stopping smoking can help lower blood pressure, reduce the heart's workload, and improve blood circulation.

Cigarettes damage the walls of blood vessels and cause plaque buildup that can impede blood flow. By quitting smoking, you can improve your blood vessel health and reduce the risk of blood vessel blockages.

It is important to monitor your blood pressure at home and undergo regular check-ups at the hospital. Always consult your doctor to help manage your high blood pressure.

If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or use the consultation features available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.

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