Healthy blood pressure is a good indicator of circulatory well-being. It’s important to monitor blood pressure in the elderly because it’s such a vital component for living a healthy life. But unfortunately, due to any number of influences, seniors can be at risk for developing high blood pressure and lowering it should be a number one priority.
That’s because anyone displaying signs of high blood pressure have an increased potential for stroke, kidney diseases, heart failure, and artery damage leading to an elevated risk for heart attack. With all of these hazardous health threats apparent for anyone with signs of hypertension, the statistics for those who are currently struggling with this issue are still pretty astounding.
The numbers are even more concerning for seniors who are dealing with high blood pressure and while there are a variety of medications on the market that have been proven successful at treating the problem, prevention is still the most effective solution for reducing hypertension.
Blood Pressure Basics
We all need blood to survive and your blood pressure regulates how that blood is moved through the body. The circulatory system is comprised of a complicated network of veins and arteries that are designed to move blood to every part of the body.
However, the arteries can start to get clogged, resulting in a restriction of the flow of blood that gets from the heart throughout the circulatory system. These narrow passageways prevent the same volume of blood from getting through and that raises the blood pressure. That elevated pressure can negatively impact the artery walls and even the chambers of the heart.
When these things begin to happen, it can have unhealthy impacts on the various areas of the body that rely on that blood in order to operate properly. For seniors, these impacts can be even more significant due to the way that older adults bodies react to such afflictions.
High Blood Pressure in the Elderly
Unfortunately, high blood pressure is a growing problem among elderly adults. There are a number of common reasons why older adults are dealing with this issue more frequently. For starters, the body itself is partly to blame. As we get older the body reacts and evolves in many ways, that includes the circulatory system.
The blood vessels age like anything else, they break down, demonstrate the effects of wear and tear, and these things are typically shown through symptoms of fibrotic development. That means more damage is sustained as you get older, resulting in higher blood pressure.
Assorted illnesses can also be influential in raising blood pressure in the elderly. It’s more likely to be developed by individuals who are overweight, who have diabetes, and chronic kidney diseases. In fact, the kidneys are among the most sensitive organs in the body that can be adversely affected by hypertension.
What Can Be Done?
Since there are so many potential health risks that come with high blood pressure, it’s important for seniors to act in order to lower these risks. Just because you have hypertension it doesn’t mean that you can’t live a healthy life. But it might mean you need to make some major lifestyle adjustments.
That starts with a change in diet. It’s high time you cut out the foods high in fats and sodium and turned instead towards eating foods that are high in grains and be sure to get your daily recommended allowance of fruits and vegetables.
Exercise is also extremely important for reducing blood pressure in older adults. That means developing an exercise regimen that doesn’t need to be overly strenuous or intense. Just get in 30 minutes of activity on a daily basis, whether it’s taking a walk around the neighborhood, working in the garden, playing with grandchildren or spending some time on a stationary bike.
Whatever routine you choose is up to you, just be sure you are able to commit to doing it for just a half hour each day. If you wish to exercise a bit longer than that, go right ahead. But do refrain from overtaxing yourself and taking on too much as that could be detrimental instead of beneficial to your health.
The goal here isn’t just about staying active it’s also about weight loss. Reducing your weight is going to have a positive impact on lowering your blood pressure.
Many in-home senior care services offer assistance in helping the elderly get the exercise they need each day. As long as there is a firm understanding of the parameters for activity that a senior citizen is able to undertake without overdoing it, these in-home care technicians can be a valuable addition to a senior’s life and their goal of lowering blood pressure.
