How to respond to a high blood pressure crisis and how to control it naturally

Hypertension is a chronic and sustained elevation of blood pressure. It is estimated that between 33 and 43% of the adult population in Spain suffers from this health problem, a percentage that rises to 60% in those over 65 years of age. The Spanish Hypertension Society-Spanish League for the Fight against High Blood Pressure ( SEH-LELHA ) estimates that there are approximately 14 million hypertensive patients in our country.

High blood pressure can lead to serious health problems. It's a common condition that's clearly associated with the risk of various cardiovascular diseases , from heart attack to stroke, to heart failure and kidney failure. Hypertension is responsible for 26% of deaths in Spain (according to 2021 data from the National Institute of Statistics ).

Starting at age 40 or 50, it's important to have your blood pressure checked at least once a year, according to the Spanish Society of Cardiology (SEC). It's clinically silent and doesn't cause any symptoms ; by the time it's detected, it may have been a long time since the patient first suffered from it.

A high blood pressure reading does not necessarily indicate the condition, nor does it mean you have high blood pressure, as it should remain elevated at or above 140/90 mmHg in most measurements. When systolic blood pressure exceeds 180 mmHg, a hypertensive crisis occurs.

The most common causes of high blood pressure are forgetting to take medication or a dietary violation (excessive consumption of foods high in salt can significantly upset blood pressure). Regarding medication, adherence to treatment is essential to maintaining stable blood pressure levels . Other causes include sleep apnea, an anxiety attack, or physical exercise.

How to detect a hypertensive crisis

A hypertensive crisis can be asymptomatic or present with diffuse symptoms such as headache, dizziness, rapid heart rate, eye pain , or more serious symptoms such as chest pain. If you experience a hypertensive crisis, it's a good idea to follow at least these three guidelines:

The severity depends on the patient and the accompanying clinical picture, but a hypertensive crisis can have very serious consequences for the organs most affected by hypertension, such as the brain, heart, and kidneys, and can even lead to death.

Lifestyle: How to lose weight naturally

So let's get back to the root. What lifestyle should we follow to keep hypertension under control? It's about knowing how to lower blood pressure naturally and easily. The University Clinic of Navarra lists five measures.

Adequate weight

Overweight people often have high blood pressure. The best way to tell if our weight is becoming a problem is the waist-to-height ratio. To do this, we divide the waist circumference by the height in cm. It's increased when it's greater than 0.50, in which case we need to lose weight.

Walk at a brisk pace

For a minimum of 45 minutes, but... every day! That means you have to be consistent. Running, cycling, swimming, and even dancing are also highly recommended. In those cases, 30 minutes can suffice.

Cholesterol under control

LDL cholesterol should not exceed 115 mg/dl. If it's higher, a Mediterranean diet is recommended. And since we often forget to mention it without following it, this low-saturated-fat diet consists of plenty of fruit, vegetables, fish, and olive oil.

Alcohol, little or no

We should not ingest more than 30 g/day of ethanol (not exceeding 300 ml of wine, 720 ml of beer or 60 ml of whisky). Men are generally advised not to drink more than two glasses of wine a day and women no more than one.

Be careful with the salt

If your blood pressure is high, start with a strict salt-free diet for two weeks. If it doesn't go down, you can continue with a low-salt diet (4-5 g/day). And when we say salt, we mean sodium. You should reduce your intake, so it's recommended to check food labels to avoid foods high in sodium.

Three other tips

It's obvious, but no more tobacco. Smoking is bad, always and for our entire body, including our blood pressure. If we quit smoking, our blood pressure will drop.

Stress is another enemy of our arterial pressure. Practicing relaxation techniques can help. And diet: avoid processed foods (they tend to be high in salt, fat, and bad cholesterol).

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