Contents:
- Medical Video: 5 Simple Ways to Manage Your Blood Pressure
- Blood pressure in the elderly
- Control high blood pressure in the elderly
- 1. Control your food intake
- 2. Do regular exercise
- What about taking drugs?
Medical Video: 5 Simple Ways to Manage Your Blood Pressure
High blood pressure in the elderly is a major risk factor for heart disease. So, controlling blood pressure is very important as an effort to prevent this disease and also to improve your heart health. Poor blood pressure control in people with hypertension can cause a person to experience heart failure, stroke, chronic kidney disease, and a heart attack.
Blood pressure in the elderly
Hypertension or high blood pressure is very common in the elderly. This is related to the aging process that occurs in the body of the elderly. As you age, blood pressure also tends to increase. Although this is an aging process and seems to be something that is "natural", but it turns out the elderly with hypertension actually have a higher risk of experiencing heart complications. This condition is usually more difficult to treat because the elderly usually experience several diseases at one time.
Control high blood pressure in the elderly
Lifestyle changes must be made if you want to keep your blood pressure under control. Controlling your food intake and doing regular exercise are two important things you must do.
1. Control your food intake
The food you eat seems to affect your blood pressure. People with hypertension are advised to reduce their salt intake. This is because salt can indirectly increase blood volume by adding water to the bloodstream. So, this can then increase blood pressure.
A low-salt diet is proven to reduce high blood pressure. Not only do you consume table salt, but also include foods that contain hidden salt. Like, on packaged foods, high-salt snacks, and fast food.
In addition to salt, you also have to reduce the consumption of foods with high fat. Choose foods that are healthy fats, such as avocados, salmon, tuna, olive oil, nuts, etc., to meet your fat intake needs.
Not to forget, you are also encouraged to increase consumption of vegetables and fruits, at least five servings per day. Important nutrients and fiber contained in many vegetables and fruits can help you reduce blood pressure.
2. Do regular exercise
Exercise is important to keep your body healthy. In addition, also to help control your weight, so that exercise also helps control blood pressure. You are advised to do regular exercise for at least 30 minutes per day.
For the elderly, exercise can be done at the same time by involving daily routines. For example, doing housework (such as sweeping and mopping the floor) and walking more often. Carrying out daily routine as well as this simple exercise is enough to help improve overall heart health.
What about taking drugs?
Changing your lifestyle to be healthier may be very difficult for some people. So, many of them use drugs to lower blood pressure. However, taking hypertension medication without being accompanied by lifestyle changes will only give less optimal results. So, however, you should also make lifestyle changes even after taking medication.
It is best to consult with your doctor about what hypertension medication is suitable for you and how many doses. Start with a low dose to avoid a decrease in blood pressure that is too fast or excessive. Reduction in excessive blood pressure can increase side effects. In addition, the elderly with various types of diseases certainly need to consume various kinds of drugs. Consult with your doctor first about the safety of using these drugs simultaneously.
