
Foods that help High Blood Pressure

Our lifestyles are such that low and high blood pressures are common phenomena, people in their 20s and 30s are also diagnosed with unstable blood pressure. While lifestyle could be changed to a certain extent, there are adjustments which can be done to maintain good health. 
Foods that help cure high blood pressure problems are. 

1. Beans - White beans have calcium, magnesium and potassium in large quantities. These are important for someone with high blood pressure. This superfood can be included in side dishes, soups as well as entrées. Ensure that there is minimal salt added.

2. Yogurt - Fat free yogurt contains calcium in extremely high quantity along with magnesium and potassium. Making this the main-ingredient of breakfast, salad dressings, entrées and sauces is an excellent idea.

3. Fish - Tilapia fish is easily available all year-round and provides a good 8% of your daily potassium and magnesium needs.

4. Potassium And Magnesium Foods - Peaches, red bell pepper, broccoli, sweet potato and bananas contain calcium, magnesium and potassium which is needed by those suffering from high blood pressure.

5. Quinoa Seeds - The newest diet sensation food, quinoa contains 4.5% of potassium, 1.5% of calcium and 15% of magnesium from your daily need.
If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

From Lybrate: If you found this tip useful, please thank the doctor by clicking on the heart icon below. Also, spread good health by sharing this tip with your loved ones over WhatsApp, Facebook and other media.

 Got High Blood Pressure? Eat These 5 Foods!

The news of Sridevi's sudden and unexpected demise was a shock for the entire nation and left a number of questions in the minds of the people. However, there are multiple reasons which are under speculation and can be attributed to her death - cardiac arrest, heart attack and death due to accidental drowning. Usually, cardiac arrest and heart attack are two things which most people use interchangeably, however, there is a big difference between the two. 

Difference between cardiac arrest and heart attack: 
A cardiac arrest is far deadlier considering that it comes without a warning or any prior indication of a problem. Here, the heart just stops beating and immediate first-aid can make a lot of difference between life and death. Electrical shock is the best way to revive a patient and should be given within a few minutes of such an arrest. 

On the other hand, a person suffers a heart attack when there is a blockage in the artery which prevents the smooth flow of oxygen-rich blood from reaching the heart. It is important to note that unlike a cardiac arrest the signs of heart attack start slow and persists for long. 

A heart attack is one of the common causes of cardiac arrest, but not always it is the case. A cardiac arrest happens most commonly when the heart is receiving more than 300 impulses per minute or due to absent electrical impulses. In the first instance an electrical shock is a lifesaving technique and in the second, the patient can be treated with certain medications and a temporary pacemaker. 

Symptoms of cardiac arrest:
The symptoms of cardiac arrest are immediate and extreme.

A fainting spell or a sudden collapse
Loss of consciousness
No pulse or breathing 
Symptoms of a heart attack 

Discomfort along with chest pain 
Shortness of breath
Nausea with vomiting
Sweating
Headache and jawpain
Prevention of a cardiac arrest:
What makes this a deadly condition is that you cannot tell your risks of having one and therefore the next best thing to do is to lower your risks. 
The best way to do that is to:

Follow a diet that is balanced and nutritious
Alcohol should be consumed in moderation 
Quit smoking
Stay physically active
How can you prevent a heart attack?

Keep yourself fit and exercise regularly
Keep your cholesterol level under check 
Limit your alcohol intake 
If you are obese, control your weight
Intake a heart-friendly diet.
Now that the distinction is clear between the two, it is recommended that everyone should get themselves screened for potential heart problems on a regular basis. In case of a query or concern consult an expert and get your answers. 

Cardiac Arrest And Heart Attack - Understanding The Difference Between The Two!

Health experts do believe, and are promoting the same nowadays, that eating right is the best step to control high blood pressure other than regular medications. Who knows, if you are strong enough to control your lifestyle and eating habits, you may not need a long term medication after some time. The blood pressure may lower down naturally with improving health and weight.

Factors that elevate blood pressure in the body.

Before suggesting the right eatables for lowering the blood pressure, let s look at the conditions which actually increase the blood pressure. They are:

A coronary heart disease
Stress
Anxiety
Work pressure or family and relationship troubles
Obesity
Cholesterol
Other medical conditions like diabetes, depression, etc.
Pregnancy
Each one has a toll on the body with resultant High Blood Pressure. With eating right you may gain a lot of control on the body.

Eating Right

Here are some quick tips on eating right:

Avoid excess salt intake. The more salt you take, the more sodium your body gets, and as a result BP elevates. When you eat readymade snacks, packaged foods and drinks with preservatives, check the nutritional information. Most of them contain high sodium. You may stop the intake of such foods or restrict them completely.

Avoid oily and junk food. Avoid food with unsaturated or trans fats. These kinds of foods straightaway add to the fat deposits of the body, and make you obese or more obese. In such cases, the obesity and increased weight build a pressure on the heart to pump more, thus elevating blood pressure.

Avoid excess caffeine. Caffeine comes in the body through coffee, tea, and aerated drinks. These beverages when restricted to only 1-2 intakes per day may help you lower the BP.

Quit smoking, as this puts excess pressure on the lungs to breathe and thus the heart to pump.

Reduce alcohol intake: Avoid alcohol intake in excess amounts. Drinking more alcohol or frequent drinking can elevate blood pressure.

Besides there are some good foods that can always help to lower or control BP. They are:

Plain, fat-free yogurt or Greek yogurt
White beans
Pork tenderloins
Small fishes like Tilapia
Bananas
Oats
Broccoli
Bell Peppers
These food items are designed by nature to reduce blood pressure or normalize blood pressure in the body. Hence, if you are trying heart and soul to eat right, then try these in your daily food to see positive results. Besides, exercising and reducing weight are the two other important steps to take, which complement the healthy diet and eating habits to lower the blood pressure with or without medication.

High Blood Pressure - Control it by Eating Right

Ways to identify and treat Angina pain

Angina or angina pectoris is the pain, discomfort or tightness in the chest that occurs when the blood flow to the heart muscle cells is not enough to meet its energy needs. It is not a disease itself but rather a symptom of the coronary heart disease.

What are the different types of angina?

1. Stable angina: It is the commonest form of angina. It can be triggered by stress or physical activity and usually only lasts a few minutes.

2. Unstable angina: It happens when you're resting or aren't very active. The pain is strong and long lasting, and may keep recurring. It may be a signal of an impending heart attack.

3. Variant angina: This might take place when you're asleep or at rest. This sudden tightening or narrowing of the heart's arteries causes a lot of pain.

How u know what your are experiencing is an angina pain?

You might be having angina pain if you suffer from one or more of these symptoms:

- Chest pain
- Heartburn
- Breathlessness
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Restlessness
- Fatigue
- Pain in your arm, neck, jaw and back
- Numbness or loss of feeling in your arms, shoulders or wrists

Immediate Relief from Angina

If previously advised by a certified doctor, patients can take antiplatelet medicines which are blood thinners and prevent unstable angina. Final treatments include angioplasty (repair of a blocked blood vessel through surgery), insertion of a coronary artery stent (a tube that is used to treat weakened arteries) or a heart bypass surgery for serious complications.



Ways to Identify and Treat ANGINA PAIN?

The heart is a muscular organ that pumps blood to the entire body through a network of arteries and veins. This network contains big vessels which branch out further to supply blood to the distant organs. There is, therefore, some pressure that the heart and thereby the vessels need to exert to push the blood through these vessels. This is known as blood pressure, and normal pressure levels range from 90-140(systolic)/60-90(diastolic) mm of Hg. However, due to various reasons, this pressure could be more, which is one of the first signs of heart disease. 

Causes of increased blood pressure: 

Thickening of the blood vessels. With age, the elastic blood vessels naturally turn rigid and less elastic, so there is more pressure required to push blood. It is natural for people over 55 years of age to have higher readings of blood pressure. This is known as primary hypertension (HTN) 
Narrowed blood vessels. This happens due to cholesterol accumulation along the walls of the blood vessels. Faulty dietary habits along with sedentary lifestyle have increased the incidence of hypertension due to this condition, known as atherosclerosis. Critical atherosclerotic narrowing of renal arteries lead to renovascular HTN that is one of the commonest of secondary HTN. 
Other Causes of secondary hypertension are: 

Kidney problems 
Thyroid hormone disorders 
Congenital heart defects 
Chronic alcohol abuse 
Adrenal gland tumours 
Chronic use of medications like birth control pills, pain killers, etc. 
Unidentified and uncontrolled hypertension can be silent and can lead to more severe conditions like heart attack and stroke. India is fast becoming the new hypertension capital of the world. Some of the common risk factors are: 

Age 
Family history 
Being obese or overweight 
Sedentary lifestyle 
Smoking 
Alcohol consumption 
Excessive salt intake 
Stress levels 
Ethnic background 
Symptoms: 

Hypertension can go undetected for years together, but if there are risk factors like diabetes and high cholesterol, it is advisable to periodically monitor blood pressure. 
Headaches, nosebleeds, and shortness of breath should not be ignored. These can be the first warning signs of hypertension, and if detected early, preventive measures can be taken. 
If there are co-morbid risk factors, it is advisable to constantly keep a check on BP readings. 
Management: 

This includes a combination of diet and lifestyle modifications. 

Quit smoking and alcohol: Of the many wonders quitting smoking can do, reducing BP readings is just one. The improvement would be almost instantaneous. Quit or else reduce alcohol and see dramatic improvements. 
Weight management: Through a combination of diet and exercise, ensure that weight is brought under control. Set a target BMI (Below 26 kg/m2) and work towards it religiously. 
Diet: Reduce salt, increase potassium, increase vitamin D, eat a heart-healthy diet, and see the hypertension readings improve. Please find attached and reviewed copy for health tip for posting

High Blood Pressure - All You Need To Know About It!

What Happens When the Electrical Activity of Your Heart Changes?

The heart's electrical conduction system plays a very important role in cardiovascular functioning. Also known as the atrioventricular (AV) conduction system, it regulates and controls the timing of the heartbeat.

How does the heart's electrical conduction system work?

There is a collection of electrical cells in the upper right atrium of the heart known as the sinoatrial (SA) node which acts as a natural pacemaker and generates electrical signals. These signals travel through specialized electrical pathways and stimulate the muscular walls of the heart to contract in a rhythmic manner. This gives rise to the heartbeat that pulses at a specific frequency every minute.

What is the effect of fluctuations in electrical activity on the heart?

The standard heart rate in human being ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. It slows down when a person sleeps and speeds up when one experiences physical or emotional heightening. These fluctuations are triggered by the brain or other systems of the body and signal the SA node to generate charges more rapidly or slowly. This leads to spikes and drops in the heart rate, depending on the nature of the situation.

What happens when there is dysfunction in the heart's electrical activity?

When the heart's electrical conduction system does not function properly, it leads to the occurrence of a condition known as arrhythmia or abnormal heart rhythm. This happens when electrical impulses are generated in an irregular manner and causes tachycardia (rapid heartbeats) or bradycardia (slow heartbeats) which takes place in jarring infrequent tempos.

What causes fluctuations in the heart's electrical activity?

There are various kinds of triggers that cause the heart rate to fluctuate. The exact nature of fluctuation also depends on the type of trigger. A few everyday examples of these causes are as follows:
- Exercise and strenuous physical activity increases electrical activity as the heart is required to beat faster so as to increase the supply of blood and oxygen to the muscles.
- Sleep and rest reduce heart rate as the body is not needed to exert itself.
- Release of adrenaline into the bloodstream causes the heart rate to spike up.



What Happens When the Electrical Activity of Your Heart Changes?

Don't wait any longer, manage your Non-invasive Cardiologist online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Non-invasive Cardiologist - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES