1. Pounding At The Back Of The Head Or Neck
The vagus nerve, located in the carotid artery, is a sensory nerve located at the base of the skull. It receives impulses from the brain and misinterprets changes in carotid artery pressure as hypertension.
This misinterpretation triggers the brain to send emergency signals to lower blood pressure.
Sensitivity or tenderness around the neck, scalp, or shoulder muscles is a sign of high blood pressure.
It can affect your heart health, as well as your overall health. If you are experiencing frequent pounding at the back of the head or neck, it’s important to consult your doctor immediately.
Treatments And Care
Seeking medical attention can help lower high blood pressure. Being aware of your blood pressure can help keep you on the right track.
In severe cases, the doctor may prescribe pills to help lower blood pressure.
Another critical step in preventing and treating high blood pressure is a healthy lifestyle.
Lifestyle changes such as losing weight, quitting smoking, and avoiding alcoholic beverages are just some of the few healthy lifestyle changes that can help lower high blood pressure.
While there is no known cure for high blood pressure, it can be managed and prevented.
Below are high blood pressure treatments worth knowing about.
17. Eat A Healthy Diet
Adding fruits and vegetables to your diet is a great way to reduce high blood pressure. Eating strawberries and blueberries, which contain antioxidant compounds called anthocyanins, may be particularly beneficial.
In addition to fruits and vegetables, a diet high in potassium may lower blood pressure. A medium banana can provide about 9% of the daily recommended amount. This mineral helps lower high blood pressure by easing the tension in the blood vessel walls.
16. Stay Physically Active
The best exercises for treating high blood pressure are those that increase heart and respiratory rates and strengthen the major muscle groups. These activities also help strengthen the heart and help it deliver blood to the organs.
It’s also important to follow a pre and post-workout routine. It’s best to start a workout with a warm-up, which is a 5-minute routine that will prepare the body for physical activity. By doing this, dangerous spikes in heart rate that can lead to heart damage can be avoided.
15. Maintain A Healthy Weight
Losing weight is an important aspect of the treatment of high blood pressure. Studies show that even losing 5 percent of weight can lower blood pressure.
Losing weight can help manage your hypertension by reducing the amount of fat in your body. Excess fat in your body makes your arteries stiff and difficult to pump blood. Moreover, excess weight increases adrenaline production, which can lead to serious heart conditions.
14. Limit Alcohol Consumption
Drinking alcohol can increase your blood pressure and repeated alcohol consumption can cause your blood pressure to rise and stay elevated for a long time. The heart has to work harder to pump blood when it is under pressure, which puts a strain on the arteries. This increases your risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Excessive alcohol consumption should be avoided altogether, especially if you have high blood pressure.
13. Quit Smoking
There are many factors that contribute to high blood pressure, and smoking can be among them. While smoking can raise blood pressure temporarily, it is also responsible for causing a gradual buildup of plaque in arteries.
It makes blood clot more easily and forces the heart to work harder than it should. Furthermore, it also contributes to the narrowing of arteries, which increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. It’s best to quit smoking to lower high blood pressure.
12. Manage Stress
Excessive stress makes blood vessels narrow, which makes blood pressure rise. It also activates the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for controlling the cardiovascular system.
Chronic stress flips this switch and increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke. Blood pressure may rise more easily and may take longer to come down. Managing stress can help regulate blood pressure.
11. Eat Less Salt
Salt increases blood pressure because it makes the body hold onto water. The extra water in the blood causes pressure on the blood vessel walls, which raises blood pressure.
Eating fewer processed foods is an easy way to reduce sodium intake and avoid high blood pressure. It is important to read food labels carefully to avoid excessive sodium intake.
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