High blood pressure: Doctor explains benefits of hibiscus tea

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Highlighting the four “rare” symptoms of high blood pressure is the NHS, which advises to “visit your GP as soon as possible” if you experience any of the following:

• Headaches
• Blurred or double vision
• Regular nosebleeds
• Shortness of breath

Any one of these signs could be indicative of “very high blood pressure”.

This would mean you’d have a blood pressure reading above 140/90mmHg – defined as hypertension.

The measurement reveals “the pressure exerted on the artery walls as blood moves through them”.

High blood pressure (meaning the blood is ferociously passing through the body) damages blood vessels.

When the small blood vessels in the kidneys are damaged in this way, it can stop them from working properly.

This leads to kidney disease, which can lead to a number of symptoms, such as fatigue.

Kidney disease may also lead to swollen ankles, feet or hands – due to water retention.

Other warning signs include:

• Shortness of breath
• Blood and/or protein in urine
• Noctura – urinating more frequently during the night
• Itchy skin

Hypertension also greatly increases a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease.

For example, high blood pressure can cause the blood vessel wall to weaken, which can lead to aneurysms.

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An aneurysm is where the weakened part of the blood vessel forms a bulge.

Most aneurysms don’t result in any symptoms, but in severe stages, a rupture can lead to “life-threatening internal bleeding”.

This was confirmed by Medical News Today, which added that the risk of rupture “depends on the size of the bulge”.

Am I at risk of high blood pressure?

Considering the serious health complications high blood pressure leads to, it’s no wonder people are interested in how they can prevent this condition.

The NHS provides six ways to prevent high blood pressure and the associated risks.

This includes:

1. Eating a healthy diet
2. Maintaining a healthy weight
3. Exercising regularly
4. Drink alcohol in moderation only
5. Drink caffeine in moderation only
6. Avoid smoking

What does a healthy diet involve?

A healthy diet consists of “plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables (five portions a day) and whole grains”.

It also requires limiting the amount of salt and avoiding foods high in saturated fat, which includes:

• Meat pies
• Sausages and fatty cuts of meat
• Butter
• Ghee (a type of butter that is often used in Indian cooking)
• Lard
• Cream
• Hard cheese
• Cakes and biscuits
• Foods that contain coconut or palm oil

Instead, focus on eating foods that are “high in unsaturated fat”, such as:

• Oily fish
• Avocados
• Nuts and seeds
• Sunflower oil, rapeseed oil and olive oil

This should also help people to maintain a healthy weight if they control their portion sizes.

People are advised to tackle obesity “by reducing the amount of calories that you eat and taking regular exercise”.

Even though exercise can temporarily raise your blood pressure, it can help keep levels low in the long term.

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