There are many things you can do to reduce your overall blood pressure, but you can’t target diastolic blood pressure alone. However, if you are experiencing high diastolic blood pressure, there are some steps you can implement today to deal with this health issue. However, remember that low diastolic blood pressure is also dangerous because it can boost your risk of heart disease and lead to significant heart damage. We always recommend consulting a blood pressure specialist for expert guidance and help to stay safe.
That said, what is high diastolic blood pressure and how can you get low diastolic blood pressure? Does caffeine have anything to do with lowering or boosting your blood pressure? Find the answers to these questions and many more below.
What is High Diastolic Blood Pressure?
To understand high diastolic blood pressure, we need to first define what high blood pressure or hypertension is. Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against your artery walls. With every heartbeat, power is created.
You get systolic blood pressure when the heart pumps blood into your blood vessels. The artery wall size and the elasticity also affect blood pressure. Every time your heart beats, pressure builds inside your arteries. When the heart is in a relaxed state, the arteries remain at a low resting tone to keep pressure within the artery. In essence, this is diastolic blood pressure.
When the force of your blood is extremely high during heart relaxation or contraction within your arteries, you have high blood pressure. In addition, since the arteries can have a boosted resistance against blood flow, you may experience increased heart rate. When measuring your blood pressure, professionals use two numbers – one at the top and one at the bottom. The top number refers to the systolic pressure, or the pressure inside your artery when your heart contracts. The bottom number refers to diastolic pressure, or the pressure within your artery when your heart is at rest. During diastolic pressure, the heart begins to fill with blood.
You have high diastolic blood pressure when your bottom number is over 120. Remember, if you receive a single high blood pressure measurement, it doesn’t mean that you are in danger. However, we urge you to seek out the help of a professional for expert guidance. If the problem persists or if you continue to experience the symptoms of high diastolic blood pressure, also consult a medical expert immediately.
Why Do I Have Low Diastolic Blood Pressure?
Although there is no single way to pinpoint why you may be expireicing low diastolic blood pressure, you can implement specific lifestyle changes to keep hypertension at bay. Below, find some ways to reduce diastolic blood pressure.
Stay At a Healthy Weight
Keeping your weight in check is crucial for low diastolic blood pressure. So, if you’re asking yourself how to reduce diastolic blood pressure, step one is to eat a well-balanced diet, exercise regularly, and stay within a healthy weight range. Your ideal weight will depend on many factors, including your age, gender, and activity levels. We suggest that you consume a diet high in fiber, protein, and vitamin and mineral-rich vegetables, and aim to get at least twenty minutes of exercise daily.
Take Blood Pressure Medications
You can also manage high diastolic blood pressure by taking certain medications prescribed by your doctor. If your doctor suggests or prescribes you certain medications, make sure that you always take them regularly and on time.
Reduce or Stop Smoking
Smoking is one of the main reasons people suffer from high diastolic blood pressure. So, sill asking yourself how to reduce diastolic blood pressure? Then, cut out the cigarettes and cigars. According to health experts, smoking can lead to fatty deposit build-up inside your arteries. The accumulation of these fatty deposits can constrict the blood flow in the arteries and boost blood pressure.
Reduce or Eliminate Stress from Your Life
Stress can be harmful to both your mind and your body. It’s well-known that stress hormones negatively affect the blood vessels. In fact, stress can cause a temporary increase in blood pressure. We recommend meditating regularly, going for relaxing walks, and sleeping at least seven to eight hours each night to keep your stress levels at bay and thus keeping your blood pressure at bay as well.
Monitor Your Blood Pressure
Another way to reduce high diastolic blood pressure is to know when you have it. Of course, this means that you’ll want to keep your health in check every day and fortunately, you can monitor blood pressure levels at home.
Limit Your Caffeine Intake
Does caffeine raise blood pressure? In many cases, yes, caffeine can lead to high diastolic blood pressure. According to the Mayo Clinic, caffeine can temporarily boost blood pressure by up to ten points within only 30 minutes of consumption. However, you don’t need to cut out caffeine entirely to improve your health. Instead, we recommend limiting your caffeine intake to one mug a day.
Reduce Your Sodium Intake
When you consume too much salt, you reduce your kidneys’ ability to eliminate water from the blood. Due to fluid retention, blood pressure may become increased. We recommend avoiding adding salt to meals, especially if you already have a history of hypertension.
Boost Your Potassium Intake
If you’re dealing with hypertension and wondering how to reduce diastolic blood pressure, we recommend consuming more potassium-rich foods such as bananas and avocados. Potassium helps your body eliminate sodium and can also alleviate the tension inside the blood vessel walls.
If you’re not a fan of bananas, you can also try spinach and potatoes. However, before you move forward with increasing your potassium intake, talk to your doctor. Patients with conditions such as kidney illness may experience adverse effects due to high potassium levels.
Limit Trans and Saturated Fats
Try to limit saturated fats to no more than 120 calories daily if you’re wondering how to reduce diastolic blood pressure. Avoiding trans fats is also beneficial, as these can reduce “good” cholesterol and boost “bad” cholesterol levels.
Consider Adding Probiotics to Your Diet
Probiotic strains bifidobacteria and lactobacilli may produce chemicals in the body that reduce blood pressure.
According to John Hopkins Medicine, probiotics might be beneficial for people dealing with health conditions that may cause high blood pressure. Nevertheless, more scientific research is still needed to determine the full benefits of probiotics for lowering high blood pressure.
FAQ
Does Caffeine Raise Blood Pressure?
Yes, caffeine can temporarily raise a person’s blood pressure. If you struggle with high blood pressure and you want to reduce your caffeine intake, we recommend staying away from your morning coffee, black tea, green tea, and even chocolate.
Nevertheless, if you have a high caffeine tolerance, you don’t need to remove caffeine entirely. Instead, we suggest limiting your consumption to one or two cups daily (or a few squares of chocolate).
What are the Symptoms of Hypertension?
How do you know that you have high diastolic blood pressure? In most cases, you may experience some of the following symptoms of the condition:
- Dizziness
- Facial flushing
- Blood spots in your eyes
If you notice any (or all) of these symptoms, immediately consult a healthcare expert. By reaching out to a professional, you’ll reduce your chances of suffering further complications.
When Should I See a Professional?
You’ll want to visit your doctor for regular check-ups and wellness visits. By doing this, your doctor will be able to monitor your blood pressure to ensure that it is within a normal range. If you experience high diastolic blood pressure symptoms, you need to see a doctor for further guidance.
Give a Corus Advantage affiliated physician a call to understand and plan for health-related concerns. Remember, your overall health and blood pressure should be a top priority, so request an appointment today.
