Ways to Lower Blood Pressure

To lower blood pressure first you have to be aware that you have blood pressure that is higher than the average. This varies from person to person although there is a standard measurement that most doctors go by when checking their patients’ blood pressure. According to the American Heart Association (http://www.americanheart.org) it is essential to know exactly what your blood pressure reading is. Some people have high blood pressure that is over slightly elevated while other people have blood pressure that is dangerously high. It is only be being aware of yours and having it checked regularly that you will be able to find ways to lower blood pressure. Talk with your doctor at length about your options and then you can begin a treatment option that is right for you. In order to lower blood pressure some individuals will need to institute lifestyle changes such as getting more exercise or being more careful about what they eat while other patients will have to go straight to medication.

Besides knowing your blood pressure, you should also know how much you weigh. If you are at a healthy weight then keep it that way and if you need to lose weight to lower blood pressure ask your doctor the best ways to go about that. Weight can have an impact on the onset of high blood pressure and the more your weigh, the worse it can be. Sometimes losing only a minimum of weight, such as for example, ten pounds, is enough to help with high blood pressure.

To lower blood pressure you have to look closely at your diet. Always strive to consume as little saturated and trans fat as possible and that means fried, fatty foods should be keep to a minimum. Eat fish as often as possible, especially cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel and choose lean cuts of meat. Always trim the fat off of meat and never eat the skin (such as chicken and turkey). As well, to lower blood pressure, you need to cut back on the amount of salt you eat. This includes salt that is in food as well as salt that you add as seasoning.

To lower blood pressure give up smoking and avoid excessive alcohol consumption as both of these bad habits can wreck havoc with blood pressure. Exceeding more than two drinks per day for a man and for a woman, more than one drink per day is a no-no.

In order to lower blood pressure you must follow your doctor’s orders by keeping up with your scheduled appointments as well as taking your medicine exactly as it is prescribed. Do not skip doses, or “double up” on doses or stop taking your medication all together. In order to lower blood pressure and keep it at a normalized level you must take your medication as directed.