Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood.  It can be dangerous if it becomes too high.  However, high blood pressure can be prevented.

There are many conditions that can cause high blood pressure and many of them are preventable.

You can prevent high blood pressure in the following ways:

First by maintaining a healthy weight, if you are overweight you are two to six times more likely to develop high blood pressure.  It is important to maintain a healthy weight for your body type.  If you are overweight, you should try to lose weight, even small amounts of weight loss can make a big difference in treating high blood pressure.

Second, you should exercise regularly. In fact, individuals who are physically active have a 20 to 50 percent lower risk of developing high blood pressure.  Any form of exercise can benefit you.  It is recommended that you try to develop an exercise routine, where you exercise on a regular basis for 30 minutes at a time.  If you do not exercise regularly, you should consult your doctor before beginning a program.  Additionally, you should start out gradually and build your body up to a 30 minute work-out.

Next, a reduction in salt intake can keep your blood pressure under control. It is important to use salt in moderation.  It can raise your blood pressure and cause water retention.

If you drink alcohol, you should do so in moderation. In having too much alcohol, you can raise your blood pressure.  You should limit your intake to two drinks a day at a maximum.  In fact, women should limit their alcohol to no more than one drink a day.

And finally, one of the biggest causes of high blood pressure is stress. Stress can make your blood pressure rise.  This can be an occasional event or it can contribute to the cause of overall high blood pressure.  It is not positive if stress alone is raising your blood pressure or if it is other factors that are linked to dealing with stress that are elevating it, such as overeating, smoking, and drinking alcohol.

Fortunately, there are many steps you can take to reduce your stress. The first step is of course learning that stress is what is causing your blood pressure to rise.  Once you do that, you can focus on getting it under control.