High Blood Pressure – Chiropractic Care Springfield MO

High Blood Pressure - Chiropractic Care Springfield MO

High Blood Pressure

As blood circulates through the body, it presses against the walls of the arteries. The force of this action is called blood pressure. When the pressure is too high, the arterial walls become distorted; they may narrow or thicken and an extra burden of stress is placed on the heart.

Blood pressure may temporarily rise from exercise, stress, and emotions ranging from joy to anger. Usually, the pressure returns to normal once the situation has passed. However, in many people blood pressure is high all the time. High blood pressure can lead to very serious conditions, including stroke, heart disease, diabetes, eye damage, and kidney problems and that’s why it is something we monitor as part of your chiropractic care.

Sometimes there are symptoms of high blood pressure. You may have unexplained headaches, nosebleeds, or spells of dizziness, loss of visual acuity or sweating. Most of the time high blood pressure is completely asymptomatic, so it’s vital that you have it checked regularly.

Some of the root causes of high blood pressure include a diet that’s high in fat, sugar, and/or salt. Included in the list is the use of alcohol or caffeine and other stimulants. Obviously, we all are aware of the hazards of smoking. Other causes may include obesity, inactivity, pregnancy or use of birth-control pills and a variety of medical disorders.

A diet high in fiber is an excellent way to control or reverse high blood pressure. Dehydration also increases the risk of hypertension so drinking plenty of water is very helpful. As you are lowering your salt intake you must increase your consumption of potassium. Apples, asparagus, cabbage, oranges, tomatoes, bananas, kelp and alfalfa are good sources of potassium.