Lower Your High Blood Pressure Or Die

By Kathy Forcey

There are many ways of lowering high blood pressure if you should suffer from hypertension. High blood pressure means that the pressure in your arteries is higher then normal, normal blood pressure is 120/80 or lower and high blood pressure is anything above--0/90.

The top number in a blood pressure reading is the systolic pressure and this relates to the force of blood in the arteries as the heart contracts and the bottom number is the diastolic pressure. The diastolic pressure is the force of blood in the arteries during the heart's resting stage between beats.

It is important to lower your blood pressure because it can cause an increase in the chances of developing or having a stroke, eye damage, brain damage, heart disease, kidney disease and/or a hardening of arteries. You need to keep track of your blood pressure because many people do not experience symptoms and organ failure is a very real possibility which occurs as a result of prolonged and untreated high blood pressure.

Once diagnosed, there are several options available to for lowering high blood pressure. As a first step you can make some lifestyle changes which include eating a healthy diet. The types of food you eat will affect your blood pressure and switching your diet to high in fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts and low in fatty foods, red meat and dairy products is recommended. Consuming too much salt can lead to high blood pressure so cutting out sodium can also help.

If you are overweight then you have a greater chance of developing high blood pressure. For this reason, getting back to a healthy weight is very important. Other factors that can increase your blood pressure and which should be avoided include smoking and drinking alcohol excessively.

You can use medically-prescribed drugs for lowering high blood pressure as most medications are very effective. Beta-blockers lower blood pressure by causing your heart to relax and beat slower. Diuretics work on the kidneys instead of the heart and flush out excess water and salt that may be causing your high blood pressure. Sometimes high blood pressure can be caused by hormones and if this is the cause then a hormone inhibitor called angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor can be used.

Depending on your needs, your doctor may recommend a calcium channel blocker for lowering high blood pressure. This type of drug causes the heart to relax by blocking calcium from entering the heart muscle cells. Alpha blockers and alpha beta blockers can be used to ensure the blood is comfortably moving through your arteries as well as slowing down your heart beat. - 29887

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