Ways to balance blood pressure in the heat

High temperature and humidity air can cause health problems. These include hypertension and heart disease. The body, in an attempt to balance its temperature in the heat, forces the heart to work twice as hard and increases blood flow to the skin.

Hot weather has a particularly negative effect on heart and hypertensive patients, nutritionist Ayse Gul Güven draws attention. “However, reviewing medications and lifestyle changes will solve this problem,” the expert adds. In this regard, she notes that patients with high blood pressure should be careful during the summer months and take a number of measures. The expert made the following recommendations.

Go see a doctor

Some drugs used to lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients cause water and salt loss. For this reason, in the summer months and hot weather, medication should be reviewed under the supervision of a doctor. Try to eat right. With high blood pressure, vascular elasticity is of great importance. Meat with a lot of visible fat, chicken skin, turkey, cheese, yogurt cream, cream, butter, ice cream, coconut oil, palm oil are foods that contain saturated fat and are bad for blood vessel health.

Healthy fats such as olive oil, low-salt olives, fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel, anchovies, etc.), fresh nuts (almonds, peanuts, pistachios, cashews, etc.) should also be consumed in moderation. First of all, vegetables and fruits, legumes, whole grains, whole grain bread, barley, oats, buckwheat, whole grain rice effectively stabilize blood pressure. Excessive alcohol consumption increases blood pressure by several levels at once. And the role of caffeine in the dynamics of blood pressure is controversial. For example, in people who rarely drink coffee, the increase can be up to ten millimeters of mercury, while in those who drink this drink regularly, there may be no effect at all.. To monitor this change, you can measure blood pressure half an hour after drinking coffee.

Limit salt sources

Most of us consume 9-12 grams of salt per day. The recommendation of the American Heart Association is three to four grams. Even a slight reduction in sodium in your diet can lower your blood pressure by five to six millimeters of mercury. To do this, avoid prepared, processed, packaged foods whenever possible. Read labels. Do not add excess salt to your food. Instead of salt, opt for spices and herbs with a strong aroma to add flavor to dishes.

Get rid of excess weight

As weight increases, the heart works overtime to deliver blood to all parts of the growing body. Losing weight through a balanced and nutritious diet is one of the most effective ways to make lifestyle changes to control blood pressure. In general, for every kilogram lost, your blood pressure will decrease by about one millimeter of mercury. With a waist circumference of more than 102 centimeters in men and more than 89 centimeters in women, the risk of high blood pressure increases. On the other hand, such simple tricks will also help to balance the pressure, such as: if possible, do not go outside during hot hours, wear a hat when leaving the room, take regular walks in the evenings.

Author Aishe Gul Guven

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