Have you ever had an experience where something just grates on your nerves? You may have discovered one of the hidden causes of high blood pressure.
Coworkers: I have heard some interesting stories in this area. One person had a coworker who was addicted to almonds. This person sat in the next cubicle. That means a half an inch of cardboard away. It became almost like the water torture test. How many crunches does it take to drive someone batty?
Another had a coworker who very carefully snuck a week’s worth of his responsibilities into those of his office mates. I truly wonder what happened when that came home to roost.
Commute: This one may or may not be surprising, especially if the commute is in busy traffic. Drivers almost revert to childhood and get angry because someone skipped up front right before a lane change. Not a good plan and definitely a cause for increased blood pressure.
Eating at your Desk: This could be a 600 word article all by itself. People who eat at their desk usually don’t eat food that is good for them. It’s most likely to be something from the lunch truck. They also don’t have a break from everything going on around them (including the almond cruncher).
The worst problem for me is knowing what visits my keyboard after I close down my computer. If you work in a large building there is probably a rodent population. Those guys just love to browse the crumbs on the keyboard and gobble up the tidbits on the mouse pad. They may even leave you a nice, pellet shaped gift.
Skipping Lunch: While it might make you feel virtuous to miss the fattening food on the lunch truck and to have a pristine keyboard and mouse pad, it’s the worst thing on this list. What happens is that you come home from work (or to the grocery store) hungry.
This sets you up for an evening of snacks. High sodium and high fat foods will probably constitute dinner and as you missed lunch, portion control is out the window.
The first step in resolving a problem, and that includes hypertension, is to know what the causes are. If you’ve tried everything else, take a look around for those little things that add up. It could save your life.