High blood pressure is a common disease worldwide, and it is linked to several factors and requires constant monitoring, taking the necessary medications and making lifestyle changes.

Mukhtar Fatih B Deli, Director of the Department of International Patients and Pediatrics at Medical Point Hospital in Izmir, provided advice on hypertension. He said, “Some people may suffer from a sudden rise or fall in blood pressure, and the drop is mostly as a result of stress, lack of sleep, stress, disease, heart health problems, during pregnancy, or because of dehydration or bleeding, in addition to Malnutrition”.

He added, “Then, immediate medical attention must be obtained, because delay in receiving treatment may lead to some serious complications in the patient, such as strokes or heart attacks. As for high blood pressure, delay in controlling it leads to serious, life-threatening complications.”

Here are tips provided by Dr. B. Daily for dealing with high blood pressure:

1- Follow a healthy diet

You must follow a healthy diet useful for preventing high blood pressure, such as the Mediterranean diet, by adding olive oil, flaxseeds, marine products, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and reducing saturated fats and cholesterol.

Potassium is an important mineral that helps lower blood pressure, and the most prominent potassium-containing foods are sweet potatoes, oranges, avocados, and seeds.

2- Doing daily sports activities

Daily exercise with certain exercises and within reasonable limits based on age helps lower blood pressure, and exercise should not cause your heart rate to exceed the maximum limit set by your doctor.

3- Quit smoking

Smoking causes high blood pressure due to nicotine and chemicals that damage blood vessels, so it is advised to quit smoking.

4- Reducing salt in the diet

Consuming salt in the daily diet leads to an increase in blood pressure, and reducing salt reduces blood pressure by approximately 5 to 6 mmHg.

5- Relax and sleep well at night

It is recommended to get enough sleep to maintain cardiovascular health. Low quality sleep, less than 6 hours per night, can contribute to high blood pressure.

6- Stay away from stress and anxiety

It is advised to stay away from factors that cause stress and psychological anxiety, as they contribute in the long term to high blood pressure.

7- Reduce or avoid caffeine

Caffeine – found in tea, coffee, etc. – leads to a sudden rise in blood pressure, so it is best to limit the amount of caffeine ingested.