High blood pressure: Doctor explains benefits of hibiscus tea
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Often described as a “silent killer” because it rarely causes symptoms. The prevalence of high blood pressure for adults in England in 2015 was 31 percent among men and 26 percent among women, with little change over the last few years, according to Public Health England (PHE). This is considered to place a considerable strain on the NHS, and can cause several negative complications. Blood pressure is defined as the force put on your blood vessels and organs as blood is pumped around your body by your heart.
Fortunately, there are often effective steps that people can take to lower high blood pressure.
Indeed, the NHS notes “lifestyle changes can help prevent and lower high blood pressure”. Many of these surround changes to your diet, and exercise.
Nuffield Health’s guide from Nutritional Therapist, Mary Cotter,has also outlined some possible ways to lower your high blood pressure, one of which includes consumption of a somewhat smelly food.
It says that eating raw garlic “is linked to dramatic blood pressure improvements”.
“Smelly breath may be worth your while if blood pressure is a concern for you,” the site reads.
This is because garlic contains allicin, a natural antibiotic.
The garlic needs to be raw, so Ms Cotter suggests adding it to an olive oil and lemon juice salad dressing or stir it in at the end of cooking.
The NHS says you may also need to reduce the amount of salt you eat and cut back on alcohol, if you have high blood pressure.
The UK government says that it is projected to affect more than 1.5 billion people around the world by 2025.
PHE suggests that half the adult population in England do not know what their blood pressure reading is.
NICE recommends that people get their blood pressure checked at least once every five years, and more frequently for people with high-normal blood pressure.
The NHS Health Check, for adults in England aged 40 to 74, is an opportunity for patients to receive regular blood pressure measures. Those who are eligible are invited once every five years.
Some people with high blood pressure may also need to take one or more medicines to stop their blood pressure getting too high.
High blood pressure, or hypertension increases your risk of serious problems such as heart attacks and strokes, if left untreated.
The only way to find out if your blood pressure is high is to have your blood pressure checked.
If you are overweight, a smoker, or have a family history of heart disease, you are considered “at risk” for high blood pressure and should have it checked once a year.
As many as five million adults in the UK have undiagnosed high blood pressure, so will not know that they are at risk, according to the British Heart Foundation.
Blood pressure is recorded with two numbers. The systolic pressure, higher number, is the force at which your heart pumps blood around your body. The diastolic pressure, lower number, is the resistance to the blood flow in the blood vessels.
The NHS says: “Blood pressure readings between 120/80mmHg and 140/90mmHg could mean you’re at risk of developing high blood pressure if you do not take steps to keep your blood pressure under control.”
Nonetheless, having a raised blood pressure reading in one test does not necessarily mean you have high blood pressure, as blood pressure can fluctuate throughout the day.
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