Managing High Blood Pressure During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Tips for Heart Health and Immune Support

Did you know that high blood pressure can put you at risk of severe COVID-19 illness? While the exact connection is unknown, high blood pressure can increase the chances of severe conditions after getting infected by COVID-19 infection. The good news is high blood pressure is manageable by making changes in your lifestyle. Learn how high blood pressure can increase the risk of COVID-19 infection and how you can manage your high blood pressure in this article. Log on to www.doralhw.org for a consultation.

Are you at risk?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, you must manage your blood pressure as it is one of the common underlying conditions that put you at risk of severe COVID-19 illness and death. Research studies show that 21% of patients who are hospitalized for COVID and 11% of people who received outpatient treatment develop high blood pressure after their diagnosis compared to 16% of patients who are hospitalized due to the flu and only 4% of patients who recover develop high blood pressure after their diagnosis.

The exact reason why people with high blood pressure are more at risk of COVID-19 is unknown. However, it may be possible due to the relationship between hypertension and the immune system. Long-term health conditions and aging may weaken your immune system so it’s not able to fight off the virus. It’s visible that almost two-thirds of people over 60 have high blood pressure.

Another factor that makes COVID-19 illness severe comes from certain drugs that are used to treat high blood pressure including ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). Research suggests these types of medications can weaken the body’s immune cells.

However, other large studies found no link between the use of these drugs and how severe COVID-19 is. Still, more research is needed to ensure that these medications don’t make COVID-19 severe. No proof stopping these medications makes their illness less severe. So, don’t stop these medications otherwise, you may make your heart and kidney disease worse which also raises your risk of death.

That’s why you should continue to take your high blood pressure medicine as prescribed. If you don’t, it increases the risk of heart attack or stroke.

Uncontrollably high blood pressure can harden the vessels over the years which reduces blood flow and oxygen to organs and leads to serious complications such as heart attack, kidney damage, or stroke. If you get infected with COVID-19 along with high blood pressure, you may develop:

  • Myocarditis (a condition that occurs due to inflammation affecting your heart muscle which decreases the ability to pump blood in the body).
  • Fever and inflammation (increase your heart rate which increases the workload of the heart, and your heart may starve for oxygen).
  • Destabilization of the plaque (which may block the artery resulting in a heart attack or stroke).

People who are at the highest risk of developing persistent high blood pressure after COVID infection include:

  • People who are over 40 years old.
  • Black race people.
  • People with pre-existing conditions such as coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and chronic kidney disease.
  • Patients who take medications like corticosteroids or IV treatments for blood pressure get low during a COVID hospital stay.

Management tips

While high blood pressure can put you at risk of COVID-19, you can manage your blood pressure by making certain changes in your lifestyle, like:

  1. Eat a healthy diet:

You need to consume a healthy diet which is full of fruits and vegetables and limit your sodium and sugar intake. If you want a specific diet plan, you can consider the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which is a proven diet to help people manage their blood pressure.

  • Stay physically active:

Staying physically active has many benefits for your health including lowering your blood pressure and helping in managing stress and weight loss. You should aim for at least 2 hours of physical activity every week. It can be anything, from a brisk walk to a morning jog or a quick yoga session, you need to ensure the things you do you do regularly to get results.

  • Manage your weight:

If you’re overweight or obese, losing weight is necessary to manage blood pressure. Even a little reduction can have a significant impact on blood pressure.

  • Drink alcohol in moderation:

Alcohol can raise your blood pressure, so you need to limit its consumption to two drinks for men per day and women should consume one drink per day.

  • Quit smoking:

You need to quit smoking because it can severely increase your blood pressure and trigger plaque build-up in the arteries. So, quit it now to lower your blood pressure.

  • Manage stress:

When you’re stressed, it may raise your blood pressure. So, try managing your stress by learning stress-relieving techniques such as deep breathing and meditation.

  • Review your medications:

Generally, common pain medications like NSAIDs can increase your blood pressure. So, people with heart concerns should either limit or avoid NSAIDs especially, if their blood pressure is uncontrolled. So, review all medications with your doctor before use.

Common pain medications called NSAIDs can increase your blood pressure. People with heart concerns should limit or avoid NSAIDs, especially if their blood pressure is uncontrolled. Make sure to review all medications with your doctor before use.

Managing high blood pressure during the COVID-19 pandemic is necessary to prevent developing severe infectious illnesses or other health conditions that can be life-threatening. So, follow the above-mentioned tips to manage your blood pressure to lower your risk of COVID-19 infection. If your blood pressure is not managed with lifestyle change, then visit your doctor to get proper treatment to manage it.

“Your health is in your hands, so ensure its safety by preventing the risk of infections.” Need help with COVID-19 infection, visit our infectious doctors in Brooklyn clinic to get professional treatment. Don’t make your body suffer more from the infection, get professional help by visiting our infectious disease specialists in our Brooklyn clinic. They listen to your concerns and treat you accordingly. Get free tips on how to stay safe from infectious diseases. Call us on +1-347-384-5690. If you need any information on infections, log on to www.doralhw.org  get a consultation. We have the best doctors that can help you and improve your quality of life!