Almost every senior I know suffer from high blood pressure and really, it can be bothersome at times. Just like diabetes, it needs to be controlled or else it will lead to fatal complications such as stroke, heart failure and even do some kidney damage. Below are some simple suggestions on how to prevent hypertension from happening and keep your blood pressure in check:

•    Know how to check your own blood pressure. Seniors don’t have to wait for the next trip to the doctor’s clinic to know how their blood pressure is doing. Do take note that hypertension don’t—and will never—wait.
•    Exercise. Maintaining an active lifestyle will help you keep your blood pressure at normal levels. It lowers blood pressure and prevents a person from having hypertension (for non-sufferers). It can even help you be off your medications if done right.
•    Switch to DASH diet. As promoted by National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, DASH diet is specifically designed to control hypertension. In fact, the acronym itself stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Learn more about DASH diet here.
•    Be at your ideal weight. If you weigh above your ideal weight, you risk shooting your blood pressure up the sky while maintaining it at your most ideal puts your blood pressure in its most comfortable level.
•    Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. These two activities are known blood pressure aggravators, so you might want to cut back on doing it.
•    Less salt, more fruit and veggies. Sodium can get your blood pressure in a haywire while potassium from fruit and veggies can “relax” it.
•    Aim for adequate hours of sleep. Lack of sleep is a risk factor for hypertension. As much as possible, get at least six hours of sleep every night. If not, try to compensate by taking naps during the day.
•    Do without stress. Your blood pressure tends to spike if the body detects threat. Stress is definitely a threat so when you experience stress, your blood pressure responds in a way that it rises up.
•    Follow your doctor’s order. Hypertension is manageable. It has been managed by doctors and healthcare providers all over the world quite successfully and many seniors have been spared their lives just by following their doctor’s orders—that is, lifestyle change and taking necessary medications. If you are having problems with your prescribed medications, talk with your doctor about it.
•    When consulting a doctor, always bring your medications with you. Write down in a piece of paper the medications you have been taking lately, including over-the-counter ones as well as supplements and herbal preparations. This is done to avoid harmful drug-drug reactions inside your body.