Dealing with High Blood Pressure

So your doctor has diagnosed you with high blood pressure?

Don’t panic, high blood pressure is very treatable. Your doctor may have given you a new diet to follow or new medications. Let’s look at the reasons diet and medication plays such a large role in the treatment of high blood pressure.

Can my high blood pressure be cured?

While there is no real cure for high blood pressure, treatments are usually focused at getting your blood pressure at acceptable levels and maintain them there. It is very important you follow the directions given to you by your doctor because high blood pressure can cause many disorders such as renal failure, heart attacks, strokes or even death.

What kind of changes will I have to make?

You have to accept that there will be some lifestyle changes that you are going to face. One is eating the right foods. Generally, a low salt diet will be recommended. There is a strong link between salt intake and blood pressure. Salt increases the amount of water drawn from your cells into your bloodstream which increases the pressure on your heart and artery walls.

You will have to look the labels on the items you eat to read how much sodium they have. You will have to be careful with processed foods especially since they often contain a lot of added salt. There are many low salt and no salt products on the market. You can even look for items with lower sodium on menus at restaurants.

If you are planning to implement a low salt diet there are several excellent books available at amazon.co.uk that will help you get started:

The No-salt Cookbook: Reduce or Eliminate Salt Without Sacrificing Flavour

The No-Salt, Lowest-Sodium Cookbook: Hundreds of Favorite Recipes Created to Combat Congestive Heart Failure and Dangerous Hypertension

The High Blood Pressure Solution: A Natural Program for Preventing Strokes and Heart Disease

In addition to reducing your salt intake you must watch your alcohol intake and only drink in moderate amounts. A reasonable amount is either one glass of beer, one glass of wine or one shot of spirits.

In addition to reducing certain items from your diet you should increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. You must watch fat and calorie intake and maintain a healthy weight. This can also be accomplished through exercise as prescribed by your doctor. It is commonly recommended that you exercise at least thirty minutes five times a week.

Smoking is also linked to high blood pressure and especially to coronary disease. Having high blood pressure and smoking significantly increases your chance of having a heart attack or stroke.

if you need to stop smoking take a look at the books listed below at amazon.co.uk for help quitting successfully.

Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking: Allen Carr

Quit Smoking Today Without Gaining Weight: Paul McKenna

What kind of medication will I need to take?

There are many different medications on the market that are used for treating high blood pressure. It might take a couple of tries for your doctor to find the right medication for you. If you experience any unusual effects from your medication, you should call your doctor or pharmacist right away. In some cases if you follow a healthy lifestyle and change your diet, your doctor could recommend that you do not need to take medications anymore. You must be diligent in maintaining your health, because high blood pressure can be a silent killer if it is not monitored.

Monitoring blood pressure at home will be very important. There are many great blood pressure monitors on the market. You need to the right one for you and your needs. You can enlist help from your doctor’s office about how to correctly use a blood pressure cuff at home.

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