There are various tips to control blood pressure in children. However, good planning and discipline are needed in carrying it out, especially for children who already suffer from hypertension.
In general, tips for controlling blood pressure in children are not much different from adults, namely making healthy lifestyle changes. Not only applies to children with hypertension, these tips also need to be applied to all children so that they are always healthy.
Tips for Controlling Blood Pressure in Children
High blood pressure or hypertension in children is often associated with other underlying health conditions, such as heart defects, kidney disease, genetic disorders, or hormonal disorders.
In addition, hypertension is also usually experienced by children aged 6 years and over with various risk factors, ranging from being overweight, having a family history of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol, to too much salt intake, frequent exposure to cigarette smoke, and less active.
So that children’s blood pressure is maintained, it is important to apply the following tips to control blood pressure in children:
1. Take care of your child’s weight
Being overweight or obese can make the heart work harder and cause blood pressure to rise. So, one effective way to reduce and control blood pressure is to maintain weight.
If your child is overweight or obese, invite him to go on a healthy diet so that his weight can be reduced until it reaches the ideal weight.
2. Apply a healthy diet
Blood pressure in children can be controlled if he is accustomed to eating healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy products low in fat and sugar.
In addition, give children foods that contain potassium, because this nutrient also plays a role in lowering and maintaining blood pressure. Some foods high in potassium that can be included in a child’s daily diet include fish, chicken, beef, potatoes, spinach, bananas, papaya, and dates.
3. Reduce salt intake
To control blood pressure in children, limit the amount of salt in the food they eat. The reason is, excessive salt intake can gradually cause high blood pressure in children.
Examples of high-salt foods that should be avoided or limited are fast food, such as burgers, chicken nuggets, pizza, or potato chips.
To find out the limits of salt intake in children, here are the guidelines:
1. Children aged 4-8 years are not recommended to consume more than 1,200 mg of salt a day
2. Children older than 8 years should not consume more than 1,500 mg of salt a day
4. Invite children to be active
The next tip to control blood pressure in children is to encourage physical activity. Invite children to be active and do regular exercise so that the heart muscle is stronger and can pump blood smoothly.
To encourage children to be more active, limit the time they watch television, play the computer, or play with mobile phones. For children over 2 years old, limit children to do this activity, which is no more than 2 hours a day.
Then, invite the children to exercise regularly together at least 3 times a week with a duration of 30-60 minutes. There are many sports that can be done, but according to the age and condition of the child.
Children who suffer from hypertension, for example, are not advised to do weightlifting, lifting weights, or other strength training.
5. Keep children away from cigarette smoke
Cigarette smoke can make blood pressure rise. The reason, exposure to cigarette smoke can directly damage the heart and blood vessels. Therefore, as much as possible protect children from exposure to cigarette smoke from the people around them.
By applying these tips, your child’s blood pressure will always be maintained. In fact, in children with hypertension, changes to a healthy lifestyle can make the treatment they are undergoing more effective or possibly make the child no longer take blood pressure-lowering drugs.
So that it is easy for children to be invited to adopt a lifestyle, parents and families around them must be involved or do the same. By setting a good example, children will be more easily moved to live it.
If you still have questions about how to control blood pressure in children or you think your child is at risk of developing hypertension, don’t hesitate to consult a pediatrician. Hypertension that is detected early will be easier to treat so it does not develop into a dangerous condition.