You Take NSAIDs Regularly
The effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can vary from one person to the other.
However, the drugs can cause raised blood pressure levels even in those who are fairly healthy. If you take them regularly, ask your doctor about alternatives.
RELATED: 5 Things to Know About Blood Pressure Before It’s a Problem
You Use Decongestants All The Time
Many decongestants contain pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine, which narrow the blood vessels. This narrowing can contribute to having high blood pressure. When choosing a decongestant, ask your pharmacist for options that won’t affect your blood pressure.
You Have Chronic Pain
As you might expect, experiencing acute pain can cause a temporary spike in your blood pressure. Persons who have chronic pain, on the other hand, may have a more permanent spike to deal with. The best route to relief is managing your pain as well as possible.
Your Diet Is Lacking Potassium
Maintaining healthy blood pressure requires a balance between sodium and potassium. Even if you’ve cut down on your salt intake, not getting enough potassium will make it hard to get your blood pressure down. Foods like bananas, broccoli, and spinach are excellent sources of potassium.
You Take Certain Herbal Supplements
While herbal supplements can have health benefits, there are a few that will raise your blood pressure and interfere with how your medications work. If you’re taking ginkgo, ginseng, guarana, ephedra, bitter orange, or St. John’s wort, talk to your doctor about how they might be affecting your health.
You Take A Hormonal Birth Control
Hormone-based contraceptives are known to cause narrowing in the blood vessels, which in turn raises your blood pressure. The risk is higher for women who are over the age of 35, overweight, or who smoke regularly. In this case, asking your doctor for birth control that has lower estrogen levels can help.
RELATED: 6 Tips For Keeping High Blood Pressure Under Control During the Holidays
It’s important to note that persons of any age can be diagnosed with high blood pressure. Worse yet, the condition does not always cause any symptoms until it starts to affect other systems or organs in the body. Doctors recommend getting an annual check-up and possibly more often if you have any risk factors in your family that are associated with high blood pressure.