3 ways to lower blood pressure immediately without medication
It is known
that your blood pressure is considered normal with a reading of 120/80. It is
considered low once it falls to 90/60 or lower.
Normal blood
pressure for you may be different than another person’s average blood pressure.
You may naturally have blood pressure that averages higher or lower.
When someone
has high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, it means their blood is
pumping with too much force against the artery walls. The condition can
eventually lead to heart disease, stroke, or other cardiac conditions.
There are
several ways to temporarily lower your blood pressure in just a matter of
minutes, give these methods a try if you’d like to lower your blood pressure
immediately:
1- Take a
warm bath or shower:
Stay in your
shower or bath for at least 15 minutes and enjoy the warm water. This can also
help reduce muscle tension.
2- Do a
breathing exercise:
Take a deep
breath from your core, hold your breath for about two seconds, then slowly
exhale. Pause for a few moments and repeat.
They found
that training the breathing muscles for just 5 minutes a day can lower blood
pressure and improve other indicators of vascular health just as well as (or
even potentially more than) a session of aerobic exercise or taking medication.
3- Relax:
Stress is a
key contributor to high blood pressure, so do whatever you can to relax. This
may be as simple as sitting in a quiet room for a few moments, doing a few
stretching exercises, reading a good book, or meditating.
Read more: 4 Easy ways to tell if your heart is healthy without equipment
Don't
forget that these
techniques can provide a quick fix, but it’s important to implement a long-term
care plan to successfully manage your high blood pressure. Some of the most
effective ways to lower blood pressure include:
- Losing
excess weight
Even losing
just a couple of pounds can lower systolic blood pressure. According to the
American Heart Association, a weight loss of just 10 pounds may help lower your
blood pressure if you are overweight.
- Quitting
smoking
Skip this
stimulant in all its forms, like smoking, vaping, patches, and chew. That’s
because nicotine restricts blood vessels, making your heart beat harder and
your blood pressure higher. Quitting the use of tobacco and other products
containing nicotine will help reduce your risk of high blood pressure.
- Reducing
alcohol and caffeine intake
- Eating
less sodium, sugar, refined carbohydrates and processed foods
- Regularly
engaging in low-impact exercise (about 30 minutes every day)
Read more: Cardiac diet guidelines and 7 Steps to prevent heart disease
Sometimes
you can lower high blood pressure solely through lifestyle changes. In other
cases, treatment requires both a healthy lifestyle and medications.