Mr. Li (not his real name) woke up early as usual and was ready to start his day. However, when he stood up, he felt dizzy and his heart was pounding.
This discomfort made him panic a little because he had recently heard about a friend's unfortunate experience of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease caused by high blood pressure. He began to worry about whether he was facing a similar situation.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Mr. Li pondered, "Is there something wrong with my health?" ”
01 Dangers of high blood pressure
Cardiovascular system damage: High blood pressure can increase the burden on the heart, and long-term hypertension may cause heart enlargement, myocardial strain, and even heart failure. In addition, high blood pressure can also easily lead to damage to the arterial wall, increasing the risk of atherosclerosis, making blood vessels less elastic, which in turn leads to narrowing and hardening of blood vessels.
Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events: hypertension is one of the important risk factors for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. Persistently elevated blood pressure increases the incidence of aneurysms, heart attacks, myocardial infarction, cerebral thrombosis, and other dangers. In particular, myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction, once they occur, often pose a huge threat to the life and health of patients.
Kidney damage: High blood pressure can impair the microcirculation of the kidneys, accelerate glomerulosclerosis, and lead to the development of chronic kidney disease. Long-term uncontrolled hypertension can lead to kidney failure, which seriously affects the body's metabolic and excretory functions.
Retinopathy: High blood pressure affects the blood supply to the retina, causing retinopathy and, in severe cases, vision loss. Retinopathy not only affects the patient's quality of life, but can also lead to the occurrence of other ocular complications.
Damage to other organs: High blood pressure may also adversely affect other organs such as the brain, liver, pancreas, etc., increasing the risk of disease in these organs, thereby further aggravating the patient's condition and discomfort.
02 Remember to do three things in the morning, which is very helpful for controlling blood pressure
Don't exercise vigorously in the morning
People with high blood pressure should avoid strenuous exercise, such as running, brisk walking, etc., when they wake up in the morning. Strenuous exercise can increase heart rate and blood pressure, increasing the cardiovascular burden, especially in patients with high blood pressure in the morning.
Strenuous exercise in a hypertensive state may lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Therefore, it is recommended that patients with high blood pressure choose light exercise methods in the morning, such as slow walking, tai chi, etc., to promote blood circulation, enhance the vitality of the body, and avoid excessive burden on the cardiovascular system.
Avoid overeating in the morning
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but for people with high blood pressure, breakfast should not be overeaten. Excessive eating will increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract, causing the digestive system to need more blood supply, which will affect the blood supply to the heart and brain and increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events.
Therefore, it is recommended that patients with high blood pressure control the amount of food they eat in the morning, especially avoid excessive intake of high-calorie, high-fat, and high-salt foods, choose light and easy-to-digest foods, and maintain seven or eight points full.
Avoid sudden exertion when waking up in the morning
Patients with hypertension should avoid sudden exertion in the morning to prevent a sudden increase in blood pressure and increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. For example, sudden standing up, lifting or carrying heavy objects, bending over excessively and other actions may cause a sharp increase in blood pressure, increase the burden on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular vessels, and even trigger cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events.
Therefore, it is recommended that patients with high blood pressure should move gently and steadily in the morning, avoid sudden exertion, especially before leaving the bed, they should sit for a while, wait for the body to adapt, and then slowly stand up.