Combat High Blood Pressure in Winter with This Quick Guide
With temperatures dipping across the country and more frequent episodes of frigid cold waves, it doesn’t hurt to be extra cautious about your health. Especially if you have been diagnosed with certain metabolic health conditions, such as blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
Research has shown that people with blood pressure exhibit a peak during winter and a drop during summer. Multiple factors are responsible for this. Let us understand more in detail why this happens and how to manage the same. Keep reading on to know more.
What is the correlation between weather and blood pressure?
Certain changes in your body, lifestyle, and narrowing of blood pressure due to cold weather leads to fluctuations in blood pressure as the weather changes.
Why does blood pressure rise during winter?
Here are the factors that affect blood pressure in winter:
- Noradrenalin
- Catecholamine
- Vasopressin
- Vitamin D
- Serum cholesterol
- Temperature
- Physical activity
While we always don’t know how these factors affect BP, there have been several studies to show that they have a visible impact on blood pressure.
While the effect of certain factors like lack of Vitamin D exposure, cholesterol, and reduced physical activity are simply deducible.
Lack of sun exposure, not feeling like or being able to venture out in cold weather to work out, and the inclusion of fatty foods in the diet can all result in increased blood pressure.
When can it be a cause of concern?
When blood pressure reading is equal to or over 140/90, it is best to consult your physician and check if there is anything you need to change in your lifestyle or medical management.
If you are not on medication yet and are noticing high readings frequently, it is best to speak to your personal physician and start medication.
How can I manage my blood pressure during winter?
1. Pay attention to your diet
Wintertime coincides with the holiday season and wedding season in India. Also, when it is cold outside we are all tempted to indulge in foods that are high in carbs and fats.
It is also a time when most people indulge in fast foods and special winter treats such as gajar ka halwa. So, does this mean we want you to stop eating your favorite meals? Not at all! However, it is important to eat healthy 80% of the time and then maybe give in to temptation every once in while.
However, for anyone, who is trying to manage their blood pressure it is essential to limit foods that are high in salt and sodium. These include most processed foods. And at all costs, avoid using table salt in your meals.
2. Find a way to get in that exercise
We know that these cold winter mornings and evenings make it impossible to get out of the comfy bed and blanket to make your way into the gym or even the park to get in some exercise.
But thanks to the wide availability of online content you can now do most exercises at home with little to no equipment. It is okay if you are not able to exercise as you would normally, as long as you get some form of exercise.
3. Stress and sleep management
Sleep and stress are both important factors for your cardiometabolic health. It is essential to pay attention to them. As for sleep, you can practice some sleep hygiene habits which include not using any gadgets at bedtime, making your bedroom comfortable, and trying to sleep at the same time every day.
For stress management, you can find an activity that helps you manage your stress or find an expert to deal with your stress in a way that best suits you and your lifestyle.
4. Monitor your blood pressure
It is important to know if your medical management and lifestyle management are working and the best way to know that is by managing your blood pressure levels frequently.
You can either visit your physician regularly to monitor it or get an at-home machine to measure your blood pressure levels. Make sure to note down your readings and keep your doctor updated about the same.
What precautionary steps can I take to keep my blood pressure in control during winter?
You can follow the steps that we have mentioned in the blog. But everybody is different and based on your health history your doctor may be able to suggest certain measures that will work for you and help you to manage your blood pressure, effectively.
What do Cardiologists have to say about controlling high blood pressure in winter?
“While seasonal variation is one factor, lack of exercise and weight gain due to unhealthy eating during winter is also a major contributing factor. In today’s digital day and age, there are a lot of preventive measures that can be taken from the comfort of your home, and cold weather is not an excuse to be lax on your activity and diet schedules.
People above the age of 60 are at higher risk of winter blood pressure and should take extra care. If you notice any major fluctuations in your blood pressure, please consult your doctor.” – Dr. Manthan Mehta, Program Head, Heart Health.
Fittertake
Managing metabolic health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension can be an uphill climb but it can be smooth sailing with the right team beside you.
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