Reducing high blood pressure

There are a number of ways of reducing high blood pressure and the best thing about them is that very often they don’t involve medication to be prescribed or taken. One of the most important aspects of reducing high blood pressure is making major lifestyle changes. Once these have been accomplished it’s often found that a person’s high blood pressure will reduce anyway.

It’s important before making any types of changes in their lifestyle that the actual cause of the high blood pressure is established. This can include extensive testing, such as 24 hour blood pressure testing, specific blood tests to ensure no other organic damage has been sustained and x-rays etc.

If the blood pressure is not dangerously high, the doctor may suggest before considering medication that the person

• Reduces their alcohol intake
• Lose weight
• Commence a fat free diet
• Increase their exercise levels
• Make changes in their lifestyle to reduce their stress levels.
• Stop smoking

Very often once all these have been accomplished it is found the blood pressure has reduced naturally and no further intervention is required, however it is important to stress to the patient that these changes are for life. Otherwise the blood pressure will creep back up to undesirable levels.

The use of beta-blockers or angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, along with any other anti-hypertensive drugs is often the drugs of choice when treating high blood pressure. However it should be remembered they all carry side effects of which some can be quite severe. It is down to the level of skill of the doctor treating the person with high blood pressure in identifying the pro’s and cons of treating patients with a specific combination of hypertensive drugs.

It’s amazing the amount of people suffering from high blood pressure who when given the choice of stopping smoking or having to start drug therapy choose to continue to smoke. If a person with high blood pressure can kick the smoking habit, they may find this is all they need to reduce their blood pressure to a more normal range. It’s difficult for some people to stop smoking but when they make a choice to continue they do their health a grave disservice.

Drinking alcohol in large amounts can have adverse effects on blood pressure. Alcohol in moderate amounts can be quite beneficial, but drunk to excess can elevate the blood pressure even further. It can also have adverse effects on the heart and other organs of the body.

Salt in the diet should also be kept to a minimum to reduce high blood pressure. Salt is notorious for having adverse effects on the blood pressure and reducing quantities on food can be beneficial. 

Finally identifying those stress factors that are causing problems is an additional step required to reduce high blood pressure. Removing these high stress factors can have dramatic effects on a person’s health and well being and can ultimately reduce their blood pressure and prevent the need for any kind of drug therapy. 

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