What Causes High Blood Pressure

What causes high blood pressure? There are many different causes including lack of exercise, stress and poor eating habits. If left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to more serious conditions including heart attacks and stroke. You can avoid or minimize the risks by arming yourself with the knowledge of what causes high blood pressure.

One of the major causes of high blood pressure is cholesterol. Cholesterol causes fatty deposits on the artery walls. Over time the fat deposits form a hard plaque. The plaque reduces the size of the arteries and blood vessels causing them to become smaller and smaller. Your body still needs to pump the same amount of blood, though, and this causes your heart to work harder. Changes in your diet and watching what you eat and drink can definitely help you reduce your blood pressure.

Eating a lot of sweets or foods high in sugar can cause your blood to thicken. If your blood is too thick, it makes it harder to circulate and causes high blood pressure. So a great way to help you lower your blood pressure is to limit your sugar intake.

Tobacco and alcohol have also been shown to increase blood pressure, so you need to either eliminate these or limit the amount you use them.

Exercise has also been shown to reduce high blood pressure. Always consult with your health care provider before starting a new exercise program. Intensive cardiovascular workouts or strenuous weightlifting will raise your blood pressure and should be avoided.

More heart friendly choices would include yoga or other slow movement exercises. Moderate exercise, over time, will help you control your cholesterol, lose weight, and lower your blood pressure. Be sure you always do a warm up and a cool down so your blood pressure doesn’t spike dangerously.

These tips should help you on your way to getting a more normal blood pressure and keeping it that way in the future.