Blood pressure is the force of blood on the walls of your blood vessels as it passes through. When that pressure is greater than 140 over 90 as measured using standard equipment, high blood pressure, or hypertension, exists.
While it can be detected using medical devices, high blood pressure is considered a silent killer as there are no outward signs to indicate its presence. A lack of treatment for hypertension can result in a stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney disease, erectile dysfunction, retinopathy, or dementia. Almost a third of all adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure, and more are expected to develop the disease.
Fortunately, being diagnosed with hypertension is not a death sentence as there are effective natural and medical methods for controlling high blood pressure.
Lifestyle Changes for Controlling Hypertension
One of the first steps in treating, and even preventing, high blood pressure is to evaluate your lifestyle and make adjustments as recommended by numerous health organizations. The steps to take include:
- Stop smoking – If you smoke, quit. In addition to contributing to high blood pressure, smoking is also the leading cause of lung cancer and other pulmonary diseases, heart disease, and a host of other life-threatening medical conditions.
- Maintain a healthy weight – Talk with your doctor about your weight and what the ideal weight is for you based on gender, age, and body type. If it is determined you need to lose weight, ask your doctor for guidelines.
- Adhere to a healthy diet and eating plan – Create and follow a diet that is high in fruits, low-fat dairy products, grains, nuts, and vegetables while reducing foods that are high saturated fats, total fat, and cholesterol. The DASH eating plan (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is an excellent guide.
- Exercise regularly – You should be physically active for at least thirty minutes almost every day. Talk with your healthcare provider about developing a program, especially if you have been inactive for quite some time.
- Reduce sodium - Choose foods that are low sodium, substituting spices and herbs to add flavor. One of the easiest ways to do this is to avoid packaged and processed foods.
- Drink only in moderation – Alcohol not only raises blood pressure, but it is also an unnecessary source of calories. Drinking to excess can cause other health problems. The recommended maximum is one drink a day for women and two for men.
Controlling Hypertension Medically
In addition to lifestyle changes as a natural way to control high blood pressure, most who have been diagnosed with the disease will be prescribed medications, and in some cases more than one. The more common medications prescribed are:
- Angiotensin antagonists – These reduce pressure by protecting blood vessels from angiotensin II, allowing them to open wider.
- Alpha-beta blockers – These reduce nerve impulses so blood flows more easily as well as slowing heart rate.
- Alpha blockers – These are prescribed to reduce nerve impulses to make blood passage easier.
- Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors – These keep vessel-narrowing angiotensin II from forming, allowing vessels to relax and blood to flow easily and reduce pressure.
- Beta-blockers – Beta-blockers Reduce nerve impulses to the heart and blood vessels, reducing demands on the heart by slowing heart rate and reducing pressure.
- Calcium-channel blockers – These medications block calcium from entering heart muscle cells and blood vessels to relax them and reduce pressure.
- Diuretics – These medications work in the kidneys to remove sodium and excess water from the system through the passing of urine.
- Nervous system inhibitors – Medications such as these control nerve impulses to relax blood vessels and reduce pressure.
- Vasodilators – These relax the walls of blood vessels, opening them up for easier blood passage.
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| Taking medication to control high blood pressure can be beneficial. Source: nih.gov |
Talk to your doctor about possible medications for treating hypertension, such as Diovan or Lopressor. Because these medications address different conditions, your doctor will prescribe those that best meet your medical profile.
Follow your Doctor’s Orders to Control High Blood Pressure
If you have been prescribed medications to help control high blood pressure, you must still make the necessary lifestyle changes for them to be effective. Medications will not cure hypertension, so continue to take them even if you feel well. Do not stop taking them without permission from your health care provider.
