Hypertension in children can be avoided with these 3 easy steps

If you thought high blood pressure only occurs in adults, think again. Hypertension may occur in children and can also cause chronic disease later in life - even shortening their life. The number of cases of hypertension in children is increasing from year to year. Many parents are not aware that there are various things that put your little one at risk of developing hypertension. So, how to prevent hypertension in children?

Hypertension in children is as dangerous as hypertension in adults

Most cases of hypertension in children are influenced by the genetic ancestry of their parents. However, if high blood pressure is first diagnosed when a child is more than 10 years old, it is likely that this is influenced by the child's unhealthy lifestyle. For example, what he eats every day to the physical activity he does.

Hypertension that continues to rise out of control can lead to serious complications, such as heart attacks and strokes. This complication also haunts children who have hypertension. Moreover, just as in the case of high blood pressure in adults, hypertension in children also has a role in the risk of premature death.

Maintaining a healthy diet for children and regular exercise can help them lose weight and blood pressure, reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes, and improve their health now and in the future.

So, how to prevent hypertension in children?

Actually, it is not difficult to prevent your little one from this chronic health condition. Here's how to prevent hypertension in children:

1. Reduce salt

For those of you who like to add too much salt to cooking, you should change this habit. The reason is, excessive salt consumption can increase the risk of hypertension in children.

Salt is high in sodium, a substance that makes blood pressure rise. Recent studies have shown that the risk of high blood pressure in children and adolescents increases by 27% over 13 years, due to high sodium intake.

So, you should reduce the use of salt and give food that you cook yourself for your little one, because you can find out the level of salt used. Get used to him to eat fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber, so that it helps normalize his blood pressure.

Not only in salt, but sodium is also found in various packaged foods and drinks. Therefore, you should limit the provision of packaged food and drinks to your little one. You should also get in the habit of reading food labels before buying them, so you can know the sodium content in these packaged foods or drinks.

The recommended amount of sodium a day should not be more than 1500 mg (including sodium from packaged foods and salt).

2. Limit calories

Obesity is one of the risk factors for childhood hypertension. If you want to prevent hypertension in your little one, then keep his weight normal. You can do this by limiting calories that are not really important. For example, snacks or sweet drinks that have high enough calories. Or before your little one likes it snacking French fries, candy, or other sweet foods.

Well, these types of foods must be limited so that their weight is also controlled. If your baby's body weight is normal, then his blood pressure will also tend to be normal. From now on, you can make healthy snacks for your little one. Of course, with healthy ingredients and correct processing methods.

Besides being cheaper, making your own healthy snacks will also make you calmer, because it guarantees the nutritional content in them.

3. Spend less time watching TV

Research shows a link between watching TV time and being overweight which causes high blood pressure. Data taken from research from the University of Michigan Health System, it is known that more than 70% of children aged 8 to 18 years have the habit of watching television for eight to twelve hours a day.

Of course, this makes your little one tend to be passive and can lead to obesity. Well, you have to limit the time when he is in front of the television screen. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the ideal television viewing duration is one hour for children under 2 years of age and two hours if they are over 2 years of age.

Instead of watching television, you can invite him to play and do outdoor activities, so that in a day he does physical activity. That way, you can prevent hypertension in children.

Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

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