Hypertension – Prevention and Management
- Lifestyle changes can help you control and prevent hypertension – even if you’re taking blood pressure medication.
- Here’s some guidelines for what you can do prevent and managing Hypertension:
- Eat healthy foods.
- Try the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy foods.
- Get plenty of potassium, which can help prevent and control high blood pressure.
- Eat less saturated fat and total fat.
- Limit the amount of sodium in your diet. Although 2,400 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day is the current limit for otherwise healthy adults, limiting sodium intake to 1,500 mg a day will have a more dramatic effect on your blood pressure.
- Maintain a healthy weight. If you’re overweight, losing even 5 pounds can lower your blood pressure.
- Increase physical activity. Regular physical activity can help lower your blood pressure and keep your weight under control. Strive for at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day.
- Limit alcohol. Even if you’re healthy, alcohol can raise your blood pressure. If you choose to drink alcohol do so in moderation – up to one drink a day for women, two drinks a day for men.
- Don’t smoke. Tobacco injures blood vessel walls and speeds up the process of hardening of the arteries, if you smoke, ask your doctor to help you quit.
- Manage stress. Reduce stress as much as possible. Practice healthy coping techniques, such as muscle relaxation and deep breathing. Getting plenty of sleep can help, too.
- Practice slow, deep breathing. Do it on your own or try device-guided paced breathing. In various clinical trails, regular use of Respirator – an over-the-counter device approved by the Food and Drug Administration to analyze breathing patterns and help guide inhalation and exhalation – significantly lowered blood pressure.
Managing Hypertension: Hypertension or High blood pressure isn’t a problem that you can treat and then ignore. It’s a condition you need to manage for the rest of your life.
- Managing your hypertension to keep blood pressure under control.
- Measure your blood pressure at home. Home blood pressure monitoring can help you keep closer tabs on your blood pressure, show if medication is working, and even alert you and your doctor to potential complications.
- Take your medications properly. If side effects or costs pose problems, don’t stop taking your medications. Ask your doctor about other options.
- Schedule regular doctor visits. It takes a team effort to treat high blood pressure successfully. Your doctor can’t do it alone, and neither can you. Work with your doctor to bring your blood pressure to a safe level – and keep it there.
- Adopt healthy habits. Eat healthy foods, lose excess weight and get regular physical activity. Limit alcohol. If you smoke quit.
- Manage stress. Say no to extra tasks, release negative thoughts, maintain good relationships, and remain patient and optimistic.
- Sticking with all this can be difficult – especially if you don’t see or feel any symptoms of high blood pressure.
If you need motivation, remember the risks associated with uncontrolled high blood pressure. It may help to enlist the support of your family and friends as well.
