Today’s cosmopolitan lifestyle comes handy with extensive work pressure and other related tensions. Needless to say that blood pressure related problems and diseases have become quite common. Many people who suffer from high blood pressure remain unaware as they aren’t really accustomed to the underlying cause and high BP symptoms.

So it is always better to be prepared to deal with this condition rather than exaggerating it any further. Isn’t it? If you are on the same page as us, let us skim through what exactly high blood pressure is, its symptoms and more.

What is high blood pressure?

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is the state when your blood pressure increases to unhealthy levels. If you measure your blood pressure, it takes into account how much blood is passing through your blood vessels and the amount of resistance the blood faces when your heart pumps.

Hypertension isn’t a sudden wonder, instead it develops over the frame of several years. As mentioned above, if you are suffering from it, you won’t notice any high blood pressure symptoms. But, even if you don’t notice any symptoms, hypertension can severely damage your organs such as the brain, heart, kidney etc.

While the reading of 120/80 is considered as normal,

130-139 or 80-89 is counted as stage 1 high blood pressure,

140 and above/ 90 and above is what you call as stage 2 high blood pressure.

What are the high blood pressure symptoms?

Hailed as a silent condition, the symptoms of high blood pressure can be attributed to many issues. But, if you are witnessing any of the below-mentioned symptoms regularly, then you must surely get your blood pressure checked,

Signs of high blood pressure can include:

• dizziness
• headaches
• shortness of breath
• nosebleeds
• flushing
• blood in the urine
• chest pain
• visual changes

While these symptoms may sound too general, they do require immediate medical attention. Even if you aren’t suffering from any or all symptoms, it is better to be cautious and take immediate remedial measures because if not treated in time, they can prove to be fatal.

If this all makes sense to you, you would surely like to know the what, why and how behind high blood pressure conditions.

What are the causes of high blood pressure?

It is a bit difficult to blame any one factor for causing high blood pressure in your body. However, there are many external activities and underlying physical conditions that can lead to development of high blood pressure symptoms in you.

Some of theexternal activities that can be counted are:

• Smoking and drinking
• Overweight or obesity
• Lack of physical activity
• Stress

• Old age
• Genetics
• Family history of high blood pressure

Some of the health conditions that may trigger severe high blood pressure include:

• Chronic kidney disease
• Diabetes
• Adrenal and thyroid disorders
• Sleep apnoea - a health malady in which the throat walls relax and contract during sleep, thus interrupting normal breathing

How to Diagnose High Blood Pressure?

Diagnosing hypertension is no rocket science. All you gotta do is to take a blood pressure reading. Majority of the doctors check blood pressure as part of a routine visit. In case you don't receive a blood pressure reading, you can request any doctor to do so when you visit the next time.

In case you seem to have high blood pressure, your doctor may prescribe you to take more readings over the span of a week or so. However, a hypertension diagnosis is all a matter of one reading as your doctor can detect evidence of a sustained problem.

The most astonishing fact is that blood pressure levels change throughout the day.

If your blood pressure remains high for a considerable time period, your doctor will conduct more tests to discover the underlying conditions. Some of the tests include:

• urine test
• cholesterol screening and other blood tests
• Electrocardiography (ECG)
• ultrasound of your heart or kidneys

While these tests may be quite specific, there is one test that can give you a detailed insight into the composition of your gut and determine which all prospective diseases can you be a victim of.

No points for guessing, it's the MyMicrobiome test which studies your gut dysbiosis and recommend personalized diet based on your unique microbiome fingerprint, it will help you to manage your high blood pressure symptoms but other diseases as well.

Ways to Control High Blood Pressure?

Bringing your numbers down is all what you think of, if you have high blood pressure.

To help you do so, healthy lifestyle practises play an important role and also obviate the need for medication. If all this sounds impossible to you, it is not. All you have to do is to make the below-mentioned changes in your lifestyle and you are good to go.

• Yoga: It is one of the most effective ways that can help lower the blood pressure naturally and reduce hypertension induced by stress. Some of the asanas/positions that can help you include:

1. Uttanasana (Standing forward bend pose) calms you down and is beneficial for your nervous systems. It also stretches your abdomen muscles and your hamstrings.



2. Viparita Karani (Legs-up-the-wall pose) is a mild pose that relaxes your body and improves blood circulation.

3. Adho mukha svanasana (Downward-facing dog pose) is the ultimate rejuvenating yoga pose.You can do this to calm your mind and relax your body.

4. Pashchimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend Pose) is effective for stress relief, lowering irritability, anger and anxiety.

5. Setu Bandhasana (Bridge pose) is a great stress reliever as it stretches your chest, spine and neck and strengthens your back muscles.

• Limit Alcohol Consumption: If you drink alcohol more than the moderate amount, it can actually lead to an increase in your blood pressure by several points. Furthermore, it can also reduce the effectiveness of high blood pressure medications.

• Regular Exercise: Regular physical activity such as brisk walk, running or jogging can lower your blood pressure by about 5 to 8 mm Hg if you are a high blood pressure patient. Being consistent is the key because if you stop exercising, your BP can rise again.
• Effective Diet: Altering the diet can significantly reduce high blood pressure. Several studies have shown that certain foods can lower blood pressure, both right away and in the long term. Some of those foods are:
• Berries
• Bananas
• Watermelon
• Oats
• Green leafy vegetables
• Garlic
• Natural Yogurt

If you want a proper diet plan consisting of all the foods that can help you lower hypertension, then why not get a personalized diet plan dependent on your gut health? MyMicrobiome test by analyzing your gut health recommends personalized diet plans and nutrition charts that can help you manage your hypertension and other lifestyle diseases.

• Quit Smoking: Did you know? Every cigarette that you smoke, increases your blood pressure for 5-7 minutes after you finish. If you quit smoking, you can restore your blood pressure to normal. Not only that, when one quits smoking, it also reduces the possibility of them having heart diseases.
  Other ways in which you can manage hypertension are cutting back on caffeine, reducing stress, losing extra weight etc.

About Bione

With the first-mover advantage of offering personalized genetic and microbiome testing services in India, Bione has been educating people about the health benefits of genetic and microbiome testing right from its inception. The company has been co-founded by Dr Surendra K Chikara, who is a well-known genomicist with an experience of over two decades in Applied Genomics, Clinical Genetics & Medical Exome Sequencing. With an avowed aim of making preventive healthcare a normal part of everybody’s lifestyle, we put the latest technology in use to deliver best insights about your body.