Q: I have high blood pressure, last reading was 180/80 i am not taking any medication, is there any from of exercise that can reduce my pressure. Does smoking increase BP please advise
A: Exercise in any form will help lower your blood pressure. Walking is the most frequently recommended because it does not require special skills, training, or equipment. You should be walking at least 10.0000 steps a day. The average person only walks 3.000. See this page on ShapUp.org.
Smoking increases your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease because of the effects
smoking has blood vessels. While a person is smoking , blood pressure increases temporarily.
when i gave up smoking in march of 1990 three months later i had to start taking bp medication and been on it ever since. walking does help i walk 2 miles 6 days a week
Smoking causes ‘Hypercatecholaminaemia’ ie. it increases the levels of serum catecholamines ie. the adrenaline and the noradrenaline, thereby increasing the blood pressure temporarily ! But continuous smoking can convert this temporary state into a permanent state, and hence the advice to quit or rather taper it off to a possible halt !
Whatever you do try getting yr BP down naturally and don’t let the doctors put U on drugs. Exercise is one of many ways. Deep breathing exercise while relaxing also helps. If U are over weight for yr height lose the weight. Eat more potasium rich foods such as banana,baked potatoes,etc. eat less red meat and pork and replace with fish and salmon and tuna. eat more fruits and vegestables. These are the thing that helped me get off half the med the doctors had me on. I now take only a calcium channel blocker which is almost impossible to get off of because they get into my blood cells but i keep trying.
This sounds reasonable. I just found that my BP is high, but I don’t want the drugs after reading about all the side effects.
Exercise and diet are the ticket I think. I was able to get off all my meds in about 3 months using a strict plant focused diet, regular exercise and a few supplements to include CoQ10 and Fish Oil. You can get equivalent Omega3’s in Walnuts and flaxseed as well. I think the 10K steps per day is a good rule of thumb irregardless of whether you get it from walking, running, treadmills etc. it all counts and does wonders for lowering BP. I also suggest a diet a close to Vegan as possible. Animal protein in any form (meat, dairy) as well as oils and refined grains all damage the linings in the blood vessels, which contributes to hypertension. Go with an antioxident rich diet found naturally in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Do you believe in that Zona hand squeezing machine to lower blood pressure? I have seen it advertised. When I take BP medication I get so dizzy and lightheaded from it (Lisinopril 5mg) that I am barely able to function.
This is what Wikipedia has to say;
By binding to ganglion type nicotinic receptors in the adrenal medulla nicotine increases flow of adrenaline (epinephrine), a stimulating hormone and neurotransmitter. By binding to the receptors, it causes cell depolarization and an influx of calcium through voltage-gated calcium channels. Calcium triggers the exocytosis of chromaffin granules and thus the release of epinephrine (and norepinephrine) into the bloodstream. The release of epinephrine (adrenaline) causes an increase in heart rate, blood pressure and respiration, as well as higher blood glucose levels.[38]
Nicotine is the natural product of tobacco, having a half-life of 1 to 2 hours. Cotinine is an active metabolite of nicotine that remains in the blood for 18 to 20 hours, making it easier to analyze due to its longer half-life.[39]
Remember what Yul Bryner said: “Whatever you do, just don’t smoke!”
Even if smoking would not increase blood pressure, if you do smoke try everything possible to give up. I went cold turkey 35 years ago and am so glad I did. I smoked up to 30 cigarettes a day! My overall health improved considerably after I stopped smoking. You may need to watch what you are eating though, because food will start to taste really good! I think that may be the reason people start putting on weight after they quit, because food tastes like real food again.
WOW at 180/80 you are aiming for a heart attack/stroke or death……..get on some meds & change your lifestyle & diet!! YIKES!!
I am amazed at people that can take several meds for B/P and not have side effects. My blood pressure is always high 170/80 & I gave up on a dozen medications. I’m 85 & have had a heart attack and several stents. Can this be keeping my b/p high? I use the Resperate machine & my diet is excellent. I figure at this age its just unavoidable.