31 things you should do right now to avoid high blood pressure

Technology can make you sick, and chatting it up on your mobile phone has been shown to increase blood pressure, according to a study of Italy’s Guglielmo da Saliceto Hospital. It turns out that blood pressure readings of men and women who had mild to moderate high blood pressure jumped to 129/82 from 121/77 while they chatted on a mobile phone.

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“When you get poor sleep, your heart does not get the ‘rest’ it needs, and over time, a lack of sleep could hurt your body’s ability to regulate stress hormones, leading to high blood pressure,” says Los Angeles sleep expert Michael J. Breus, PhD, author of several books on sleep including the latest The Power of When. If you need an alarm clock to wake up, you are sleep deprived, he says. “Improve sleep hygiene by going to bed and waking at the same time every day (including weekends), keeping the bedroom cool and dark and avoiding stressful activities right before bed such as paying bills.”

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HBP runs in families. “If you have a first-degree relative who developed high blood pressure before the age of 50, you may be at risk,” Dr. Rahimi says. “It is silent so you don’t always know you have it until it starts causing problems.” Get ahead of HBP by talking to your parents about your family history and acting on it.

Drinking beet juice may help to lower blood pressure in just a few hours. One study showed that guzzling one glass of beet juice lowered systolic blood pressure by an average of 4-5 points. “There are nitrates in beets, which are converted into nitric oxide,” Greene says. Nitric oxide relaxes and dilates blood vessels, to improve blood flow and lower pressure. “There is no miracle food or diet that can lower blood pressure, but there is nothing wrong with eating more beets as they are really good for you.” Don’t miss these ways to lower the top blood pressure number.

Flossing is a drag, but there are really good reasons why you should do it. Gum disease has been linked to an increased risk for many diseases and conditions including heart disease and preterm birth, and now Korean researchers show that poor oral hygiene may lead to high blood pressure. The study appears in the July 2015 issue of the Journal of Periodontology. “Keeping plaque to a minimum with regular flossing and visits to your dentist will help keep gum inflammation under better control and sometimes reduce cardiac risk factors,” says Saul Pressner, DMD.

We are fortunate to have a wealth of drugs that can help lower high blood pressure as well as its potentially dire consequences, Dr. Heller says. “Medications only work if you take them as directed for as long as directed.” Discuss any issues you have with your blood pressure meds with your doctor to see if there is a work around.

Drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure, but moderate alcohol consumption may help protect the heart. “Moderation is the key word here,” Dr. Heller says. “I would never tell anyone to start drinking to improve their health, but some research does suggest that moderate alcohol intake of no more than two drinks per day for men and no more than one drink per day for women may have some benefits.” (Remember that a drink equals 340ml beer, 115ml of wine, and 40ml of 80-proof spirits or 30ml of 100-proof spirits.)

“We know that smokers are more likely to develop high blood pressure than non smokers,” Dr. Heller says. Smoking is also a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke and cancer. “If you do smoke, quit and if you don’t smoke, never start.”

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Smoking marijuana may increase your risk of dying from high blood pressure, according to a study out of Georgia State University in Atlanta that appears in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. The study found that the risk of dying from hypertension grew with each year of smoking marijuana. “Marijuana stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, leading to increases in heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen demand,” Barbara Yankey, who co-led the research told Newsmax. More studies will be needed to confirm these findings and draw any firm conclusions.

If you do have HBP or are at risk of developing it, checking it at home can help make sure your treatment is working, Dr. Rahimi says. The American Heart Association recommends an automatic, cuff-style, and upper-arm monitor. “Sit with your back straight against a wall and your feet flat on the floor when taking your blood pressure at home,” he says. For accuracy, place your arm on a flat surface and take it at the same time every day, he says. “Keep a record and make sure to share your findings with your doctor.”