Causes of Hypertension, Best Foods, Treatment Options & Best Doctors for Treating High Blood Pressure

What is Hypertension?

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a condition in which the blood flows with extreme pressure against the walls of the arteries, making the heart work harder to pump the blood through the body. While it doesn’t sound as serious at first, over time, hypertension can damage the arteries and heart and lead to serious complications like heart attack or stroke. That is why it is often called a ‘silent killer.’

Stages of Hypertension

Hypertension is categorised into two stages, typically, for treatment approach:

1. Stage 1 hypertension involves lifestyle modifications with or without medication
2. Stage 2 hypertension includes lifestyle modifications along with two or more medications, depending upon the severity

Symptoms of Hypertension

Here are the common symptoms identified in patients with hypertension:
• Chest pain
• Dizziness
• Heart palpitations
• Seizures
• Severe headaches
• Blurred vision or eye pain
• Signs of stroke (such as slurred speech or sudden weakness in arms)

Causes of Hypertension

The causes of hypertension can range from biological conditions to lifestyle habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol, excessive intake of sodium, obesity, or not getting enough physical activity. With the current stressful lifestyle habits of people, hypertension has become increasingly common in people of all age groups. To deal with it effectively, it is important to adapt healthy lifestyle choices.

Best Foods to Eat for Hypertension

Some food categories that help decrease hypertension include:

• Foods rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, E and potassium are some good options to begin with. Antioxidants are known to protect cells from damage, reduce inflammation and manage blood pressure levels.
• Foods rich in Vitamin C and selenium: Such foods protect against oxidative stress and help reduce inflammation.
• Foods rich in Vitamin E: They protect cells from free radical damage as they are also rich in antioxidants.
• Foods rich in Potassium: They help reduce blood pressure by relaxing the blood vessels, artery walls and helping remove any excess sodium from the body
• Foods high in L-arginine: They relax muscle cells by producing nitric oxide
• Foods high in Calcium: They help tighten and relax blood vessels

Apart from these nutrients, whole food items such as the following should be included in the diet to reduce and prevent hypertension:

1. Whole grains such as brown rice, barley, quinoa or oats are proven to reduce high blood pressure as they are packed with fibre, antioxidants, magnesium and potassium.
2. Legumes are rich in potassium, fibre and antioxidants. Chickpeas, dried beans, soyabeans or tofu can also be good options.
3. Fatty fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids, that are proven to reduce inflammation and promote blood vessel dilation. Salmon, trout, mackerel are good options to go for.
4. Fruits and vegetables are the major storehouses of vitamin C, E or potassium, along with fibre and magnesium. Fruits such as bananas, avocados, berries, kiwi, lemons, oranges and veggies like beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, garlic, peas and others should be included in the daily diet in appropriate proportions.
5. Lean meats are known to promote a healthy heart and manage blood pressure and sugar levels. Chicken, turkey, pork or lean beef are some options.
6. Dairy products are calcium-rich and help in constriction and relaxation of the blood vessels
7. Oils are also rich in antioxidants and fat-soluble vitamins. Healthy oils like avocado, canola and extra virgin olive oils are the best options.
8. Nuts and seeds are fibre-rich and plant protein that help keep inflammation at the lowest.
   Almonds, flax seeds, walnuts, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, pistachios are some of them.

Lifestyle Modifications and Treatment Options for Hypertension

While healthy diet and food habits definitely regulate and help reduce the risk of hypertension, there
are also other ways and treatment options for it:

1. Getting regular physical activity: It is very important to keep the body moving so as to enable blood flow across the body. Physical activity is best when it comes to treating hypertension as it enables better blood flow in people.
2. Maintaining a healthy body weight: Blood pressure tends to increase with increasing weight and is much higher in overweight individuals or those suffering from obesity. And that’s why maintaining a healthy body weight is very important for controlling blood pressure.
3. Limiting alcohol and tobacco consumption: Smoking and drinking spell evil for health and deteriorate the heart conditions in the long run. Nicotine rise in the blood also triggers high blood pressure and can lead to serious heart damages.
4. Getting enough sleep: The body requires good amount of sleep as it does physical activity. However, excess sleep is also not good and balance must be maintained and restored. Getting rest and sleep for a minimum of seven hours for adults is very important for a proper balanced life and health.
5. Medications: Apart from all these practices, in case of patients suffering from Stage 2 hypertension, medicines act as additional help in controlling the levels of blood pressure.
   • Diuretics or water pills help remove sodium and water from the body, which help treat blood pressure. In case of patients suffering from deficiency of potassium, potassium-sparing diuretic are advised (containing triamterene).
   • Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) or Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) inhibitors are drugs that relax the blood vessels. ACE block the formation of any narrow blood vessels and ARBs block any action of such chemicals that cause the blood vessels to narrow.
   • Calcium channel blockers are used to relax the muscles of the blood vessels. They work better for older people.
   • Some other medications used to treat high blood pressure are – alpha blockers, alpha-beta blockers, beta blockers, aldosterone antagonists, renin inhibitors, vasodilators and central- acting agents. Depending upon your degree of hypertension (in stage 2), the doctor recommends the medicines and their appropriate dosage and timeline.

Best Hospital & Doctors for Hypertension

Yashoda Hospital & Research Centre, Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad and Yashoda Superspeciality Hospital & Cancer Institutes, Sanjay Nagar, Ghaziabad are one of the best hospitals in Delhi NCR, offering treatment and comprehensive care for all types of super specialities. Our network of highly-skilled professionals and advanced technology equip and empower us in management and care of patients.

Dr. Jalaj Dixit is Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine. With more than 15+ years of experience at the most reputed hospitals across Delhi NCR, he is one of the best professionals to treat patients with hypertension. His dedication and compassion only add up to his years of skilled training and practice in the field.
Dr. Divya Prakash, Senior Consultant, Department of Internal Medicine, also comes with 10+ years of extensive expertise and training in internal medicine. He is highly experienced and comes with passionate commitment towards complex medical conditions.

For bookings or appointments, please reach out to us on any of the given toll-free number(s) – 9810922042, 98107 09038.