How to Find Treatment for High Blood Pressure

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, high blood pressure affects about one in three Americans. Often called "the silent killer" because there usually are no symptoms, high blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Finding treatment for high blood pressure is an easy process, but it does require talking with a doctor to evaluate your blood pressure and choose specific treatment options.

Instructions

Find Treatment for High Blood Pressure

• 1

  Talk to your family doctor. Because high blood pressure can result from many different causes, or sometimes occur without cause, a doctor needs to evaluate your individual health circumstances before suggesting treatment options. In some cases, exercise and changes to the diet can treat high blood pressure. In other cases, drugs may be necessary. Doctors have a wide variety of medicines to treat high blood pressure, including alpha blockers, ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, diuretics and vasodilators. Talk with your doctor to determine what will work best for you.

• 2

  Find a doctor if you don't have one by using the American Medical Association's Doctor Finder (link in References) if you suspect you have high blood pressure. This online database will help you find a doctor in your area who can evaluate your blood pressure and determine what treatment is necessary, if it is in fact high.

• 3

  Contact your health insurance provider and ask for a list of nearby family doctors or internists to treat high blood pressure. Contact information is available on your health insurance provider card. Because high blood pressure increases the risk of more serious illnesses, your health insurance provider will want to help you find treatment in order to maintain good health.

• 4

  Find a local community health center if you are a low-income patient who wants to find treatment for high blood pressure. You can do this through the online database developed by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (link in References). Offering free or low-cost medical services, doctors at these clinics can diagnose and treat high blood pressure.