Unexpected reasons for high blood pressure

According to health care site WebMD , the following are causes of high blood pressure that you may not expect.

Eat a lot of sugar

Sugar plays an even bigger role than salt in raising blood pressure. A 24-ounce (700-ml) glass of sugary drink can raise systolic blood pressure by an average of 15 points and diastolic by 9 points.

Lonely

Feeling stressed or depressed from social disconnection isn’t good for people with high blood pressure, and can make it worse over time. In one study, people who reported feeling lonely frequently increased their blood pressure by more than 14 points over four years.

Potassium deficiency

Our kidneys need to balance sodium and potassium to maintain the right amount of fluid in the blood. So even if you reduce salt in your diet, you can still have high blood pressure if you don't eat enough potassium-rich foods like bananas, broccoli, spinach, beans, fish, low-fat dairy, etc.

Hold urine

Many people are unaware that holding in their urine can increase their blood pressure. One study found that not going to the bathroom for at least 3 hours can increase systolic blood pressure by an average of 4 points and diastolic blood pressure by 3 points. This is especially true as a person gets older.

Dehydration

When the cells in your body don’t have enough water, your blood vessels constrict. This happens because your brain sends a signal to your pituitary gland to release a chemical that constricts them, causing your kidneys to make less urine to hold onto the fluid they have. This causes the small blood vessels in your heart and brain to contract more, raising your blood pressure.