Things that may lead you to hypertension

Hypertension, the medical term for high blood pressure is rampant in the world. Over one billion people worldwide suffer from high blood pressure.

But the scary thing about hypertension is that you may have it and not even know it. Your first and only symptom may be a fatal heart attack So let's take a look at three things that may lead you hypertension so you can avoid a premature death.

First, take a good look at your salt consumption. Some people ( may be you ) have what is known as a "salt sensitivity". This simply means that your blood pressure rises with too much salt intake as compared to others who are unaffected by salt consumption.

• The most salt you want to consume during the day is 2400mg. -(less than a teaspoon)

Here are some places to look at for high salt content: canned foods, fast foods, soft drinks, chips and packaged meat slices.

To be on the safe side look to eat foods that have less than 200mg of sodium per serving. Read the food label.

• Second is your caffeine intake. If you are drinking more than two cups of coffee a day you might be setting a pattern for hypertension.

Both you and I know that coffee raises blood pressure. If you are in the habit of drinking lots of coffee through out the day on a daily bases you are basically training the body to be in a state of hypertension/ high blood pressureCoffee can raise blood pressure as much as 10 to 20 points. Although it is easier said than done have a green tea or water to replace one of your coffees. This is something that I have managed to do over a period of time.

• Finally, reduce your stress levels. It is important for to find a way to minimize the amount of stress in your life. On going stress causes your heart to beat at faster rate causing an increase in blood volume in the circulatory system.

This causes an increase in force against the blood vessels leading to a rise in blood pressure. The key here is to find a coping mechanism for the stress..A simple solution to this problem is deep breathing.

For example breath in for a count of three and breath out for a count of three. You can do this for ten to fifteen minutes.

Mastering these three lifestyle habits will definitely bring your blood pressure down naturally with out worrying about the side effects of hypertension medication.