“A change in daily habits of high blood pressure patients.”
High blood pressure is a common chronic disease that, if not properly controlled, can cause serious complications such as cardiovascular disease. In addition to drug treatment, changes in daily living habits are essential for high blood pressure patients to control their blood pressure. The following are minor changes in daily habits that require attention for high blood pressure patients.
Eating – Control of salt intake: Sodium ion in salt causes sodium sodium in water to remain and increase blood capacity, leading to increased blood pressure. The daily intake of salt for high blood pressure patients should be controlled below 5 g. Reduced consumption of salty foods such as pickled foods, pickles, hams and so forth, as well as less salt in cooking, can increase the taste of food and reduce dependence on salt using spices such as vinegar, lemonade and spices. For example, people who used to eat pickles and porridge for breakfast could instead eat fresh vegetable salads with porridge, with a small amount of olive oil, vinegar and black pepper, both healthy and delicious. – Increased intake of vegetables and vegetables: fresh vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals and dietary fibres, which are useful for the control of blood pressure. Of these, potassium elements contribute to the release of excess sodium from the body and reduce blood pressure. It is recommended that high blood pressure patients consume more than 500 grams of vegetables and 200 – 300 grams of fruit per day. Some more can be eaten with high potassium content, such as spinach, celery, broccoli, bananas, apples, oranges, etc. For example, lunch and dinner can be accompanied by a set of pastries, such as spinach, garlic orchids, and an apple or a banana in the afternoon. – Selection of high-quality proteins: The proper intake of proteins helps to maintain the normal functioning of the body, but the choice of high-quality sources of proteins, such as skinny meat, fish, beans, eggs, etc., avoids over-ingestion of high-fat, high-cholesterol foods such as animal internals, butter, fried foods, etc. Fish can be eaten 2 – 3 times a week, e.g., evaporated, red-burned and nutritious. For people who like meat, they can choose skinny meat, such as ribs, beef ridges, etc., and use healthy cooking methods, such as cooking, stewing, roasting, and avoiding fried and frying. – Control of diet and the speed of feeding: excessive consumption and over-eating can increase body weight, increase the burden on the heart and thus affect blood pressure. People with high blood pressure should follow the principle of less eating, with up to seventy-eight per meal. Eat carefully and slowly, which helps digestion and allows the brain to receive diarrhea in time to avoid over-eating. Smaller dishes and utensils can be used, so that people can visually feel that food is of sufficient weight to help control it.
II. Motional aspects – Select the appropriate mode of movement: Aerobic motion enhances CPR function and reduces blood pressure. Aerobics for high blood pressure patients include walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, Tai Chi boxing, etc. Patients should choose the appropriate way of moving according to their physical condition and interest. For example, better-health patients can choose to jog for 20 – 30 minutes at a time and 3 – 5 times a week; patients who are weaker or older can choose to walk or play Tai Chi, walk 30 – 60 minutes per day, or fight 30 – 60 minutes at Tai Chi. – Pay attention to the strength and time of the movement: the strength of the movement must be moderate, avoiding overwork and intense exercise. The heart rate should be kept at around 60 – 70% of the maximum heart rate, and the maximum heart rate formula is 220 – age. It is best to choose between afternoon and evening to avoid a blood pressure peak between 6 and 10 a.m. At the beginning of the exercise, it begins with low intensity and short time, gradually increasing the strength and time of the movement. For example, the first week can take 15 minutes per day and then add 5 – 10 minutes per week to the goal of 30 – 60 minutes per day. – Activation and relaxation: 5 – 10 minutes of exercise are required before exercise, such as movement joints, muscle stretches, etc., which reduces the risk of physical injury. After the exercise, there is a 5-10 minute relaxing exercise, such as slow walking, deep breath, etc., to help restore calm.
iii. Spectacular aspects – Ensuring adequate sleep: Inadequate sleep or poor sleep quality leads to a sense of nervous excitement and increased blood pressure. High blood pressure patients should be guaranteed 7 – 8 hours of sleep per day. Establish good sleep habits, sleep and get up on time every day, keep the bedroom quiet, dark and cool, and avoid the use of e-medicines, coffee or stimuli such as tea before sleeping. Insomnia can be facilitated through light music, hot baths, relaxation training, etc. For example, sleeping at around 10 p.m. every night, taking a hot bath half an hour before sleeping, then listening to some soft music and relaxing, helps to improve the quality of sleep. – Avoiding long nights and overwork: long nights and overwork can put the body in stress and lead to blood pressure fluctuations. High blood pressure patients are required to organize their work and life in a rational manner, avoid long periods of continuous work, and take care of rest and relaxation. In the working space, it is possible to get up and move, to stretch out and to ease fatigue. For example, for each one to two hours of work, stand up for 5 to 10 minutes, and do some simple stretching exercises, such as laziness, neck turns, wrists and ankles.
IV. Emotional aspects – Learning to manage emotions: excessive emotional volatility, such as excessive stress, anxiety, anger, can cause hormonals such as adrenalin to be distributed in the body, leading to vascular constriction and increased blood pressure. People with high blood pressure have to learn to adjust their emotions and maintain a calm mind. Pressure can be alleviated by listening to music, reading, painting, meditation, yoga, etc. For example, it takes 15 to 20 minutes a day to meditate, sit in a quiet place, close your eyes, focus on your own breath, remove myths and let your body and body relax. – Avoiding quarrels and conflicts: in everyday life, every effort should be made to avoid quarrels and conflicts with others and to deal with problems calmly and in a peaceful manner. If something bad happens, you can breathe a few times to calm yourself down and then think about how to solve the problem. At the same time, learn to communicate with family and friends, share their feelings and gain their understanding and support.
Other aspects – Prohibition of smoking and alcohol: smoking leads to damage to inner-vascular cells, lower vascular resilience and higher blood pressure. Overdrinking also affects blood pressure control. People with high blood pressure should stop smoking and limit alcohol consumption. Men should not drink more than 25 grams a day (equivalent to 50 ml of wine, 300 ml of beer, 100 ml of wine) and women should not drink more than 15 g a day. – Periodic monitoring of blood pressure: regular monitoring of blood pressure is an important means of understanding the control of blood pressure. High blood pressure patients should prepare an electronic sphygmomanometer at home to measure the blood pressure regularly and record it. If blood pressure is found to be highly volatile or poorly controlled, timely medical treatment should be adjusted. – Warming: cold causes blood vessels to contract and blood pressure to rise. During cold seasons, high blood pressure patients need to be careful to keep warm, to add clothing in time to avoid exposure to cold conditions for long periods of time. A hat, scarf, gloves, etc. should be worn to protect the head, neck and hand. In general, high blood pressure patients can effectively control blood pressure and reduce the risk of complications by changing daily small habits. These changes in small habits need to be sustained over time and combined with drug treatment to achieve better treatment. Patients should regularly review, maintain good communication with doctors and adjust their lifestyle and treatment programmes in accordance with their recommendations.
High blood pressure.