Medication Only One Of The Ways To Lower Blood Pressure
For many patients with high blood pressure, medication is only one of the ways to lower blood pressure, and their lifestyle may require some changes. While medication is usually prescribed to keep a person's blood pressure under control, the doctor will also attempt to find the root cause of the high blood pressure and find alternate ways to lower blood pressure. In order to do so, the patient will have to work with the doctor to find out exactly what causes their pressure to be high and then take stapes to eliminate the causes.
Self-diagnosis of high blood pressure is likened to playing a deadly game, especially if the readings used are from a questionable blood pressure machine. Many times people will use the machines located in a drug store or supermarket and while this equipment is frequently tested for accuracy, they can change often. If a person believes they have high blood pressure, based on these machines, it will behoove them to find ways to lower blood pressure by visiting their health care provider to determine if the need is even necessary.
If the doctor confirms their blood pressure is too high, some many be helped by simple lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise, but they usually will also require medication in addition to other ways to lower blood pressure.
High Blood Pressure Dangers Should Provide Incentive
Persons who are overweight or obese should work on losing weight as uncontrolled high blood pressure has been linked to heart attack and stroke. Losing weight however, is only one of the ways to lower blood pressure. A healthier diet that provides the necessary nutrition as well as quitting smoking and drinking alcohol in moderation can provide a benefit in lowering blood pressure.
Increasing physical activity is not only one of the ways to lower blood pressure, it can also help lower bad cholesterol and improve high cholesterol levels in the blood. Reducing the intake of salt is also one of the important ways to lower blood pressure and if the doctor prescribes medication, it needs to be taken as directed to be the most effective at controlling blood pressure.
Not everyone that has high blood pressure requires medication as one of the ways to lower blood pressure, especially those diagnosed as having what is called pre-hypertension. Readings of 120 to 139 systolic pressure and between 80 and 89 diastolic are considered higher than normal, but usually there can be non-prescription ways to lower blood pressure without the need for medications.
