5 Tips for Managing Blood Pressure During the Holiday Season
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) is a chronic condition that occurs when the force of your blood pushing against your blood vessel walls is consistently too high, causing your heart to work harder than normal to pump blood. Normal blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg or lower and hypertension is classified as a consistent reading of 130/80 mm/Hg or higher¹.
Symptoms of high blood pressure may include: headaches, shortness of breath, nosebleeds, or no symptoms at all. Hypertension is known as a silent killer, as it often goes unnoticed, but can increase your risk for heart attack, stroke, and other serious health conditions².
It’s that time of year again…
The season of fun, festivities, and celebration. But, it can also be the season of increased stress, indulgence, and seasonal illness that can be a perfect storm for making chronic high blood pressure harder to manage. Find out how to make the most of this holiday season while effectively managing your hypertension.
Manage stress and anxiety during the holidays
With all the rushing around, crowded stores, and financial strains that can occur during the last few months of the year, it may feel impossible to keep stress and anxiety at manageable levels. Stress and anxiety can temporarily elevate your blood pressure due to a release of “fight or flight” hormones (adrenaline and cortisol), which causes your blood vessels to narrow and your heart rate to increase. When you’re chronically stressed, this natural body response can cause your blood pressure to be elevated for days to weeks.
While stress and anxiety may be unavoidable, you do have control over how you choose to respond and manage stressors. Proven methods for effectively managing stress and anxiety include:
Take time to clear your head
Practice relaxation and mindfulness techniques, including: yoga, meditation, listening to music, and paced or deep breathing.
Set boundaries and limits
The holiday season can be a time of emotional and financial strain. Putting limits on activities, gift-giving, and social engagements based on what you feel you can reasonably do can help manage stress.
Stay active
Exercise is great for your physical and emotional health. Staying active, even when you have a full schedule, can help you manage your stress levels. It is recommended to get at least 2.5 hours of moderate activity (like brisk walking) per week, as well as 1.25 hours of vigorous activity (weight lifting, running, swimming) per week.
Talk to someone
If you’re having trouble managing stress levels or you’d like to learn new coping techniques, reach out to a friend, therapist, or other trusted source.
Take medications as prescribed
With all the activities going on during the holiday season, it can be easy to forget to take your high blood pressure medications. You may also run low or completely out of your medication during the worst possible time, like when your doctor’s office is closed for vacation or the pharmacy is running very limited hours.
To avoid running out of medication, set your prescriptions to auto-refill before you run out each month or consider a mail-order pharmacy if your insurance offers this option. To help you remember to take your medication each day, especially during the busy holidays, consider setting a phone reminder, leaving yourself a note on the door you typically leave through each day, or get a pill box that is left in an area you often frequent in your home.
Beyond the salt shaker
Beware hidden sodium in holiday foods
One of the most appealing aspects of the holiday season is the indulgent foods. Who can resist the tempting breads, candies, meats, charcuterie boards, and more.
Unfortunately, some of the tastiest foods found on grazing boards and holiday tables can be the absolute worst for managing blood pressure. Sodium intake directly affects blood pressure and many studies have shown that increased sodium intake leads to increased blood pressure. It is debated how sodium increases blood pressure, and while there are many factors occurring within your body after increased sodium intake, one of the major factors may be increased water retention, which can lead to higher flow in your arterial vessels³.
To help manage your blood pressure during holiday feasts and gatherings, be on the lookout for hidden sodium and try to keep sodium intake at a minimum. The following foods may contain high levels of sodium, so consider skipping them or eating them in moderation and/or sparingly:
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Soups and casseroles, especially those containing canned soups like Cream of Mushroom
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Ham
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Bottled salad dressings
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Canned vegetables
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Charcuterie Boards containing: processed cheeses, dried meats, salted nuts, and other salted snacks
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Packaged cakes and pies
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Bagels, rolls, breads, and pizza crust
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Chocolates and candies
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Dips and chips
Enjoy alcohol in moderation
Social gatherings often include alcoholic beverages, and while spirits and beer can taste good and help lighten the mood, it can also temporarily raise your blood pressure. Having three or more drinks in one sitting can elevate your blood pressure to unhealthy levels; continued alcohol use across several days can create a sustained increase in blood pressure.
A single serving of alcohol can be: one 12oz beer, one 4oz glass of wine, 1.5oz 80-proof spirits, or one 1.0 oz 100-proof spirits. The American Heart Association suggests limiting alcohol intake to no more than 2 servings of alcohol per day for men and no more than 1 serving of alcohol per day for women⁴.
Choose low-sodium alcoholic beverages
Skip the margarita if it has a salt-rimmed glass and pay attention to the mixers being used, which can be high in sodium. Some higher sodium drinks may include: Cheladas, Blood Mary’s, and any drink mixed with vegetable juice or that has a seasoning mix added to it.
Stay healthy and be mindful of cold medicines during illness
The holidays are also flu and cold season, so it can be an especially hard time to manage chronic conditions like high blood pressure alongside seasonal illnesses. It can be especially germ-filled in crowded stores, during travel, and with increased social gatherings. To help yourself stay healthy, be sure to:
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Wash your hands often and/or use hand sanitizer
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Limit exposure to people with known illness
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Consider wearing a mask in crowded areas and while using mass transit systems
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Get vaccinated against influenza and covid
If you get sick, it can be tempting to reach for the decongestants and cold medicines, but when you have high blood pressure, decongestants can make your condition worse by raising your blood pressure and decreasing the effectiveness of your hypertension medication. If you need to take cold medicine, it is best to check with your doctor to see if you can safely take a decongestant for a short time. Heart-healthy alternatives to cold medicines and decongestants are:
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Nasal saline spray
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Corticosteroid nasal spray
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Antihistamines
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Nasal strips
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Steam showers and hot towel wraps
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Stay hydrated
Enjoy Yourself
Above all, try and have a safe and healthy holiday season
The holiday season can be a wonderful, yet stressful time.
Maintaining healthy blood pressure during the festivities and amidst the holiday stressors is achievable. Applying these tips to your lifestyle choices outside the holidays can also help you maintain your heart health throughout the rest of the year.
References
¹National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 2022. What Is High Blood Pressure. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/high-blood-pressure
²American Heart Association 2016. What Is High Blood Pressure? https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/the-facts-about-high-blood-pressure/what-is-high-blood-pressure
³National Library of Medicine 2019. Sodium Intake and Hypertension. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770596/
⁴American Heart Association 2016. Limiting Alcohol to Manage High Blood Pressure. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/changes-you-can-make-to-manage-high-blood-pressure/limiting-alcohol-to-manage-high-blood-pressure