High Blood Pressure Risk Lorry Driving Monitor Regularly

What is Blood Pressure?

The heart is a very powerful pump that beats steadily.

The pressure created by the heart to pump the blood through the blood vessels is called blood pressure.

When the heart muscle contracts the blood surges through the arteries – this is when the systolic (upper) blood pressure value occurs.

The diastolic (lower) value is the resting pressure before the heart contracts again.

Ideally, your BP should be below 140/85 mmHg

There are approximately 16 million people in the UK with high BP, however, nearly two-thirds are not aware of the fact, which is understandable when there are no symptoms.

However, if left, high blood pressure can lead to strokes and heart problems.

How to Control High Blood Pressure

Lose a few pounds and watch your waistline

Weight loss is one of the most effective lifestyle changes for controlling blood pressure.

Losing even a small amount of weight can help reduce your blood pressure.

In general, you may reduce your blood pressure by about 1 millimeter of mercury (mm Hg) with each kilogram (about 2.2 pounds) of weight you lose.

Being overweight can cause disrupted breathing while you sleep (sleep apnea), which can further raise your blood pressure, Blood pressure often increases as weight increases.

Besides shedding pounds, you generally should also keep an eye on your waistline.

Carrying too much weight around your waist can put you at greater risk of high blood pressure.

• Men are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 40 inches (102 centimeters).
• Women are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (89 centimeters).

Regular Exercise

Regular physical activity such as 150 minutes a week, or about 30 minutes most days of the week can lower your blood pressure by about 5 to 8 mm Hg if you have high blood pressure.

It’s important to be consistent because if you stop exercising, your blood pressure can rise again, lorry drivers have the perfect opportunity to get some exercise is when on a 45-minute break just a simple walk around for 10 minutes is better than sitting in your cab listening to the radio.

If you have elevated blood pressure, exercise can help you avoid developing hypertension.

If you already have hypertension, regular physical activity can bring your blood pressure down to safer levels.

Some examples of aerobic exercise you may try to lower blood pressure include walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, or dancing.

You can also try high-intensity interval training, which involves alternating short bursts of intense activity with subsequent recovery periods of lighter activity.

Strength training also can help reduce blood pressure.

Aim to include strength training exercises at least two days a week.

Eat Healthily

Eating a diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and skimps on saturated fat and cholesterol can lower your blood pressure by up to 11 mm Hg if you have high blood pressure.

This eating plan is known as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.

It isn’t easy to change your eating habits, but with these tips, you can adopt a healthy diet:

Keep a food diary

Writing down what you eat, even for just a week, can shed surprising light on your true eating habits. Monitor what you eat, how much, when, and why.

Consider boosting potassium

Potassium can lessen the effects of sodium on BP.

The best source of potassium is food, such as fruits and vegetables, rather than supplements.

Talk to your doctor about the potassium level that’s best for you.

Shop Smart

Read food labels when you shop and stick to your healthy-eating plan when you’re dining out.

Sodium Reduction in your diet

Even a small reduction in sodium in your diet can improve your heart health and reduce blood pressure by about 5 to 6 mm Hg if you have high BP.

The effect of sodium intake on BP varies among groups of people.

In general, limit sodium to 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day or less.

However, a lower sodium intake 1,500 mg a day or less is ideal for most adults.

How do I decrease sodium in my diet?

• Read food labels – If possible, choose low-sodium alternatives of the foods and beverages you normally buy.
• Eat fewer processed foods.
• Only a small amount of sodium occurs naturally in foods.
• Most sodium is added during processing.
• Don’t add salt – Just 1 level teaspoon of salt has 2,300 mg of sodium.
• Use herbs or spices to add flavor to your food.
• If you don’t feel you can drastically reduce the sodium in your diet suddenly, cut back gradually.
• Your palate will adjust over time.

Reduce the amount of alcohol you drink

Alcohol can be both good and bad for your health, By drinking alcohol only in moderation generally one drink a day for women, or two a day for men will potentially lower your blood pressure by about 4 mm Hg.

One drink equals 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof Spirits.

The protective effect is lost if you drink too much alcohol.

Drinking more than a moderate amount of alcohol can raise BP by several points.

It can also reduce the effectiveness of BP medications.

Stop smoking

Every cigarette you smoke increases your BP for many minutes after you finish.

Stopping smoking will help your BP return to normal.

Quitting smoking can reduce your risk of heart disease and improve your overall health.

People who quit smoking may live longer than people who never quit smoking.

Reduce caffeine

Caffeine can raise BP up to 10 mm Hg in people who rarely consume it.

People who drink coffee regularly may experience little or no effect on their BP.

Although the long-term effects of caffeine on blood pressure aren’t clear, it’s possible BP may slightly increase.

To see if caffeine raises your BP, check your BP within 30 minutes of drinking a caffeinated drink.

If your BP increases by 5 to 10 mm Hg, you may be sensitive to BP raising effects of caffeine.

Reduce stress

Chronic stress may contribute to high BP More research is needed to determine the effects of chronic stress on BP.

Occasional stress also can contribute to high BP if you react to stress by eating unhealthy food, drinking alcohol, or smoking.

Take some time to think about what causes you to feel stressed, such as work, family, finances, or illness.

Once you know what’s causing your stress, consider how you can eliminate or reduce stress.

If you can’t eliminate all of your stress, you can at least cope with them in a healthier way.

• Change your expectations plan your day and focus on your priorities.
• Avoid trying to do too much and learn to say no.
• Understand there are some things you can’t change or control, but you can focus on how you react to them.
• Focus on issues you can control and make plans to solve them.
• If you are having an issue at work, try talking to your manager.
• If you are having a conflict with your kids or spouse, take steps to resolve it.
• Avoid stress triggers Try to avoid triggers when you can! if rush-hour traffic during or on your way to work causes stress, try leaving earlier in the morning, or find somewhere to to take a short break.
• Avoid people who cause you stress if possible.
• Make time to relax and to do activities you enjoy.
• Take time each day to sit quietly and breathe deeply.
• Make time for enjoyable activities or hobbies in your schedule, such as walking, biking or gardening.
• Practice gratitude expressing gratitude to others can help reduce your stress.

Monitor your blood pressure at home regularly

Home monitoring can help you keep tabs on your BP, make certain your lifestyle changes are working, and alert you and your doctor to potential health complications.

Blood pressure monitors are available widely and without a prescription, I find my Omron M2 Monitor easily keeps me informed of how my BP is reading.