Using a blood pressure monitor, hypertension is considered a reading of 140/90mmHg or more.
The ideal blood pressure range is usually between 90/60mmHg to 120/80mmHg.
Any reading above 120/80mmHg but below 140/90mmHg could mean you’re at risk of developing high blood pressure.
Considering the serious life-threatening risks associated with the condition, it’s beneficial to get your reading into the “ideal” range.
In order to reduce your blood pressure reading, the NHS advise to reduce the amount of salt in your diet.
To begin with, this can be as simple as refraining from adding salt into your cooking and/or sprinkling the table salt on your food at dinner time.
Do look at nutrition labels stuck onto packaged foods in various food shops; it should reveal the salt content.
If the product’s nutrition label is colour coded, always try to pick food with a green salt label.
Other lifestyle interventions include cutting back on alcohol and caffeine, exercising regularly, and losing weight if you’re overweight.
Do note that caffeine can be found in coffee, tea, fizzy and energy drinks, and chocolate.
The NHS also recommends not smoking, as this can greatly increase the risk of a stroke or heart attack.
If you start implementing these lifestyle guidances, you should start to see a difference in your blood pressure readings.