Your heart is a workhorse, pumping the equivalent of 2,000 gallons of blood in about 1000,000 beats, according to KidsHealth. That may seem like a lot of work, but your heart handles it all in stride so long as you're healthy. When you have a condition like hypertension, or high blood pressure, your heart has to work extra hard to do the same amount of work, which puts stress on your heart but also overtaxes delicate blood vessels. The American Heart Association recommends you keep your blood pressure below 120/80 mm Hg. If your reading trends high, lifestyle changes and medication can reduce your risk of hypertension-related health problems like kidney failure, stroke, heart attack and vision loss.
Step 1
Talk to your doctor to determine if medication, in combination with lifestyle changes, will yield you the best results. Ask about the benefits vs. the risks of drugs like calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors. Take your medication exactly as prescribed, and check with your doctor regularly to make sure you're taking an effective dose.
Step 2
Start a regular exercise program for immediate blood-pressure lowering benefits. Exercise increases the amount of nitric oxide in your blood, points out the University of Maryland Medical Center, which helps safely dilate blood vessels.
Step 3
Slash dietary sodium levels to less than 1,500 mg per day, recommends the American Heart Association. Replace processed foods with fresh foods in your diet to help eliminate sodium. Buy fresh vegetables rather than canned or prepared. Make your own rice and soup or look for low-sodium versions instead of eating salty packaged versions. Use spices and low-sodium sauces or marinades to add flavor without adding salt.
Step 4
Learn ways to cope with stress, anxiety, anger and other negative emotions, recommends MayoClinic.com. Meditate, write in your journal, go for a walk or identify and work through your problems and stressors to prevent the temporary blood pressure surge they can cause you.
Step 5
Stem a few of your bad habits. Have only one drink per day for women and two for men since moderate alcohol consumption can actually lower your blood pressure according to MayoClinic.com. Keep caffeine consumption to less than 200 mg, which translates to two cups or less of regular coffee per day. Stop smoking. Smoking significantly raises your blood pressure and keeps it high all day long as you repeatedly light up.
