1. Check Your Blood Pressure at Every Age
A common misconception about hypertension, or chronic high blood pressure, is that it only affects older adults. In fact, everyone from childhood through adulthood can have hypertension. Hypertension in children can set them up for lifelong health problems. Checking your blood pressure at annual checkups and throughout the year can help you understand your blood pressure and maintain your health.
2. Get Motivated to Manage Your Hypertension
If you are diagnosed with hypertension, finding the motivation to manage the condition can make a big difference in your health. Good hypertension management will help you stay healthy and keep a great quality of life. Start with setting goals for your hypertension. What blood pressure range does your doctor suggest? Next, learn about some things you can do to get your blood pressure in that suggested range. Surround yourself with supportive people and positive encouragement. Find helpful resources for managing your hypertension. Reward yourself for meeting your blood pressure goals, and reevaluate your goals once you have achieved them.
3. Understand Your Hypertension
In most cases, the root cause of your hypertension is unknown, but you can still get smart on how your hypertension works. Knowing what impacts your hypertension can help you actively manage your illness. Start by finding out if you have primary or secondary hypertension. Primary hypertension is an irreversible type of high blood pressure, usually as a result of insulin resistance or diabetes. If so, managing your diabetes or other condition is key to also managing your hypertension. For secondary hypertension, changing your diet and lowering stress can improve your hypertension. Keep a health journal and track your blood pressure over time to help you understand your hypertension better.
4. Learn About Life Style Changes and Medications
Learning about your hypertension treatment options will help you make educated decisions. Once you gather information about your hypertension, such as if you have primary or secondary hypertension, talk with your doctor about the wide variety of treatment options. Educate yourself on the different medications available and effective lifestyle changes for hypertension. Eating a low-fat, low-sodium diet, exercising regularly, avoiding alcohol, tobacco and caffeine, and reducing stress are all steps you can take to reduce your blood pressure.
5. Avoid Cold and Flu Medications
Cold and flu medications can raise your blood pressure by constricting the arteries. If you already have hypertension, these medications could further raise your blood pressure to dangerous levels, placing you at risk for a stroke. Avoid taking cold and flu medications all together. If a cold or the flu is making you very uncomfortable, talk to your doctor about safe medications or other comfort measures you can take until you cold or flu goes away.
