It's already the sixth of Ramadan, and while many of us are enjoying this blessed month by fasting, praying Tarweeh, and mentioning Allah as much as we can, some of us are incapable of doing the most characteristic act of worship in this month, which is fasting.
Religious fasting in Ramadan is considered dry fasting, in which the practicing persen restricts the intake of food and water for a certain period of time. For healthy people, this doesn't pose a problem, but it's a different story for those who suffer from chronic illnesses like diabetes, arthritis, and the one we will talk about today which is hypertension.
The number of people who suffer from hypertension doubled between 1990 and 2019, from 650 million to 1.3 billion, and nearly half of the people who suffer from it are unaware that they have it. However, the good news is that fasting can be done safely and without problems, even if you have hypertension. We will show you in this article how to fast safely despite your hypertension.
What is hypertension
Hypertension is when the pressure in your blood vessels is higher than what it's supposed to be (120 mmHg/80 mmHg for men, and 110 mmHg/70 mmHg for women). An acute rise in blood pressure does not mean that you necessarily suffer from a chronic increase. To be diagnosed as a hypertension patient, the readings must be higher than normal after being taken three times in three days.
Hypertension afflicts a large part of the population, but the rates are different according to sex, race, age, and region. Men have a higher likelihood of being inflicted than women, while black people are at a higher risk compared to other ethnic groups.
Luckily, hypertension is pretty much manageable, in some cases, patients might need medications alongside lifestyle changes, but many people can manage it without medications by just comitting to a certain lifestyle.
Hypertension and fasting
It's noteworthy to say that fasting can actually improve blood pressure if it's done correctly. That happens not only due to the restricted amount of salt you intake but also due to the fact that the reduced calories intake enhance your metabolism.
Things you need to do if you are fasting and you have hypertension:
Talk to your doctor
The first step is to talk to your doctor about your intention to fast. Your doctor will help you come up with a suitable plan that you can follow during the month of Ramadan. The plan will include what kind of medications you will take because the doses you need to take might change during this period. It also includes the types of food that you should eat during the non-fasting period, and the types that you need to avoid.
Eat healthy
Include healthy foods in your meal, like different types of vegetables and fruits, chicken, meat, and a carbohydrate source like bread or rice.
Foods you need to avoid:
Avoid fatty and salty food for example, hamburgers, pizza, and canned soup.
Dessert: In some areas, people tend to have a heavy desert after breakfast, which can affect your blood vessels.
Caffeine: caffeine might increase your blood pressure; that's why it's advised to not drink coffee, tea, or anything that contains caffeine.
Sugary drinks: another tradition in Ramadan is to drink sugary drinks after the iftar meal and sometimes at sahoor. If the sugary drink is soda or an energy drink, then you need to avoid it because those contain caffeine.
Avoid stress
Stress is one of the things that raises your blood pressure. Avoid putting yourself in stressful environments and rather rest your mind with calming things like prayer.
Benefits of fasting for hypertension patients
If you have hypertension and you practice fasting, you are likely to notice some changes that will be beneficial to you as a hypertension patient. Some of those benefits are:
Lower blood pressure levels due to the lower intake of sodium and caffeine.
Loss of weight due to the restriction of calorie intake also lowers the risk of atherosclerosis. Weight loss, in the long run, might be the main factor in having sustained low blood pressure levels.
To sum it up, fasting for hypertension patients is not risky at all if you follow the few simple things mentioned above. In fact, fasting is rather beneficial for hypertensive patients, and those who do it religiously might want to start following a new fasting plan that helps them control their blood pressure levels in the long term, but remember that before doing any of this, you need to talk to your doctor, for he knows your situation better than anyone else.
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