The Relation of High Blood Pressure & Your Feet: What You Need to Know

High blood pressure is typically experienced by older people⁽¹⁾. You may have it but do not feel the severe symptoms. However, it may cause other severe problems, such as heart diseases, eye problems, stroke, and kidney failure⁽²⁾.

Some alternative ways to deal with high blood pressure include managing stress, stretching exercises, doing yoga, and a healthy diet.

High Blood Pressure and Your Feet

One complication associated with high blood pressure is plaque buildup in the blood vessels due to increased bad cholesterol⁽³⁾.

High blood pressure or hypertension may lead to peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and reduced foot and leg circulation⁽⁴⁾.

Peripheral arterial disease is characterized by reduced blood flow to your lower limbs and narrowed arteries⁽⁵⁾.

You may feel cold feet, or one foot is colder than the other, unexplained leg cramps, and color changes in your feet when your high blood pressure turns into PAD⁽⁶⁾.

To check if you have poor circulation on your feet and legs, look out for the following symptoms⁽⁷⁾:

●     Hair loss in the feet and legs

●     Sores on the feet and legs

●     Temperature changes in the feet and legs

●     Cramping in the feet and legs

         You may check with your podiatrist for any concerns about your blood pressure and circulation to help you do best health practices.

Monitoring Your Blood Pressure

It is best to monitor your blood pressure to prevent other complications, like PAD. You must understand the systolic and diastolic blood pressure number you see when you measure your blood pressure.

The systolic pressure is the pressure due to the heart's contraction as it pushes the blood around the body. The diastolic pressure is the heart’s relaxation when it is filled with blood.

An average adult blood pressure reading of 120/80, for example, means the systolic pressure is under 120, and the diastolic pressure is below 80.

Risk of High Blood Pressure

Extremely high blood pressure strains your heart, blood vessels, and other organs, like the eyes and kidney⁽⁸⁾. It can also heighten the risk of you developing other severe and life-threatening conditions like⁽⁹⁾:

Heart Failure

The heart walls may thicken due to the higher pressure when pumping blood into your blood vessels.

Once your heart chamber thickens, it becomes difficult for it to pump enough blood for the whole body, resulting in heart failure.

Heart Attack or Stroke

Since high blood pressure causes the thickening and hardening of the arteries, it may lead to heart attack or stroke.

A stroke happens when the blood supply of the brain is cut off⁽¹⁰⁾. Meanwhile, a heart attack happens when the heart’s blood supply is blocked or stopped⁽¹¹⁾.

Aneurysm

When blood pressure rises, it may cause your blood vessels to bulge or weaken. It may form an aneurysm that can rupture, which may lead to death within 24 hours.

Vascular Dementia

The brain’s blocked or interrupted blood flow can result in vascular dementia. Vascular dementia can cause poor concentration and balance and disorientation.

You may be at risk of high blood pressure if⁽¹²⁾:

1.   You are overweight or obese.

2.   You are not physically active.

3.   You are stressed.

4.   You have an unhealthy diet.

Ways to Prevent High Blood Pressure

You can help keep your blood pressure in check by living a healthy lifestyle. Keeping your blood pressure within a healthy range can reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke.

1.  Consume More Potassium

Eating more potassium-rich foods may help the body get rid of sodium and lowers blood pressure⁽¹³⁾. Potassium helps alleviate the tension in your blood vessel walls, preventing high blood pressure⁽¹⁴⁾.

These high-potassium foods include:

●     Tuna

●     Salmon

●     Fruits (banana, avocado, and oranges)

●     Vegetables (potatoes and tomatoes)

●     Beans

●     Nuts

2.  Exercise Often

Physical activities and exercising regularly may help your heart become stronger. A stronger heart pumps blood more efficiently, reducing arterial pressure⁽¹⁵⁾.

You can do 150 minutes worth of moderate exercise per week to improve your blood pressure⁽¹⁶⁾ and remove some excess fats.

3.  Minimize Sodium Intake

A study indicated that about 51% of people with high blood pressure have a sensitivity to salt⁽¹⁷⁾.

You can minimize your salt intake by avoiding processed food and swapping it with fresh seasonings and natural herbs.

4.  Manage Stress

When you are stressed, you experience a surge in hormones that may trigger a temporary increase in blood pressure⁽¹⁸⁾. This is due to a faster heartbeat and narrowed blood vessels⁽¹⁹⁾.

You can manage stress by doing some of these activities⁽²⁰⁾:

●     Develop a healthy sleeping habit.

●     Practice breathing exercises.

●     Try relaxation techniques like meditation and yoga.

●     Break down your schedule into simpler tasks.

References

1. National Institute of Aging, (n.d.), High Blood Pressure, retrieved from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/high-blood-pressure
2. Ibid.
3. Advancing Foot and Ankle Medicine and Surgery, (n.d.), High blood Pressure, retrieved from https://www.apma.org/hypertension
4. Ibid.
5. The Mayo Clinic, (n.d.), Peripheral Artery Disease, retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/peripheral-artery-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20350557#:~:text=Peripheral%20artery%20disease%20(also%20called,to%20keep%20up%20with%20demand.
6. Cone Health Medical Group, (April 2019), High Blood Pressure & Your Feet: What You Need To Know, retrieved from https://triadfoot.com/2019/04/24/high-blood-pressure-your-feet-what-you-need-to-know/
7. Cone Health Medical Group, (April 2019), High Blood Pressure & Your Feet: What You Need To Know, retrieved from https://triadfoot.com/2019/04/24/high-blood-pressure-your-feet-what-you-need-to-know/
8. NHS, (n.d.), High Blood Pressure or Hypertension, retrieved from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/high-blood-pressure-hypertension/#:~:text=If%20your%20blood%20pressure%20is%20too%20high%2C%20it%20puts%20extra,heart%20attacks
9. Ibid.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. The Mayo Clinic, (n.d.), High Blood Pressure, retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/symptoms-causes/syc-20373410
13.  American Heart Association, (n.d)How Potassium Can Help Control High Blood Pressure, retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/changes-you-can-make-to-manage-high-blood-pressure/how-potassium-can-help-control-high-blood-pressure#:~:text=The%20more%20potassium%20you%20eat,80%20who%20are%20otherwise%20healthy.
14. Ibid.
15. Casey, C., (May 2018), 7 ways your heart benefits from exercise, Edward-Elmhurst Health, retrieved from https://www.eehealth.org/blog/2018/05/how-your-heart-benefits-from-exercise/
16. Cornelissen, V. A., & Smart, N. A. (2013). Exercise training for blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Heart Association, 2(1), e004473. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.112.004473
17. Armando I, Villar VA, Jose PA. Genomics and Pharmacogenomics of Salt-sensitive Hypertension. Curr Hypertens Rev. 2015;11(1):49-56. PMID: 26028245.
18. The Mayo Clinic, (n.d.), Stress and high blood pressure: What's the connection?, retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/stress-and-high-blood-pressure/art-20044190#:~:text=Your%20body%20produces%20a%20surge,long%2Dterm%20high%20blood%20pressure.
19. Ibid.
20. Ibid.