How To Lower Blood Pressure

If you have high blood pressure there are many things that you can do yourself to help to lower it and bring it back under control. If it is just a little high then these things may be all you need to do to bring it back to normal. If it is significantly high, then your may need medication to help, but you should still do everything that you can to bring down your blood pressure naturally, as medication should not be regarded as a final solution, just something extra if needed. Paying attention to the lifestyle things that you can do can often mean that you can minimise any medicines that you need or even come off them altogether.

See Also

Blood Pressure Index

Blood Pressure Products

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Blood Pressure Monitor Accessories
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How to Lower Blood Pressure

Lose Weight. Blood pressure increases with body weight, and the epidemic rise in obesity is on of the main reasony why there is so much high blood pressure today. Losing weiexcess weight lowers blood pressure, and typically, a loss of 20 pounds can reduce blood pressure by 5 to 20 points.
Exercise regularly. Moderate physical exercise, such as walking for 30minutes, 3-5 times a week, helps to open up the blood vessels which reduces the resistance of blood flowing round your body, which lowers the base, or diastolic blood pressure. Moderate aerobic exercise, or 'cardio', strengthens the heart muscle and increases pumping efficiency, which lowers the high, or systolic blood pressure. However, recent evidence shows that this type of exercise also reduces the heart's reserve capacity, which is needed for extra effort, such as running for a bus, and shorter bursts of higher intensity are not thought to be better for improving the muscles of the heart.
Give up smoking. The carbon monoxide in smoke reduces the ability of your blood to circulate oxygen to all the cells in your body, and your heart rate can increase to compensate, which increases the maximum, or systolic blood pressure. The nicotine you inhale constricts the blood vessels in your arms and legs, increasing the resistance to blood flow, which increases base, or diastolic blood pressure.
Control your insulin levels by controlling your blood sugar level to avoid metabolic syndrome and diabetes
Control your alcohol consumption
Avoid stress and relax
Get enough sleep
Healthy eating is important, and changing from a processed food diet to one using more vegetables and fruit is beneficial. Fruit and veg contain potassium and magnesium which help to reduce blood pressure. This was shown in the DASH study (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). However this diet also promotes lower fat intake and higher carbohydrate intake which is not optimal for cardiovascular health and weigh control.
Balance sodium and potassium. Avoiding excess salt consumption is recommended as the sodium in salt can be a contributing factor to high blood pressure, and salt is a hidden ingredient in most processed foods. However the type of salt you eat may also be a factor, and sea salt or Himalayan salt have a higher content of other minerals to balance the sodium. The sodium to potassium ratio may be especially important for blood pressure control and heart health. Potassium is found in fruit and vegetables.
Magnesium. Low magnesium levels can lead to higher blood pressure and optimising magnesium levels can reduce blood pressure.
Control your cholesterol and homocysteine levels.
Control your nitric oxide levels. Nitric oxide regulates the muscle tone of blood vessels, and helps to relax them, lowering the blood pressure. Low levels cause higher blood pressure, and also erection problems in men. A balanced diet, with enough protein to give the amino acid L-argenine from which nitric oxide is produced, or nitrates from green, leafy vegetable. Eating beetroot or drinking beetroot juice also help. (See NHS Choices).