Remedy for High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is often called a silent killer because many people do not know they have the condition. When uncontrolled, it can lead to heart attack, stroke and heart and kidney failure. According to the American Heart Association, about one-third of American adults have high blood pressure, and about one-third of those do not know it. High blood pressure can easily be diagnosed by having your blood pressure taken at a doctor's office. Many treatment options are available, including medications and lifestyle changes.

Diet

• Making some changes to your diet can help lower blood pressure into a healthier range. The American Heart Association and other medical groups recommend following the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Following the diet involves limiting saturated fat and total fat intake and eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products and whole grains. People on the DASH diet should also try to limit salt intake and to eat a lot of potassium, which can help control high blood pressure.

Lifestyle Changes

• Several lifestyle choices can increase a person's risk of developing high blood pressure. If you are diagnosed with hypertension, it's best to see if there are steps you can take that will help lower your risk or lower your blood pressure. First, if you are overweight, losing excess pounds can help lower blood pressure. It's also a good idea for you to get more physical activity, even if you are at a healthy weight. Smoking can increase blood pressure, so quitting can help bring it into a healthy range. Similarly, alcohol consumption can raise blood pressure and should be limited in people with hypertension.

Medications

• Several different types of prescription medications are available to help treat high blood pressure. In some cases, doctors may prescribe drugs when hypertension is diagnosed, but other people may be able to help bring their blood pressure into a healthy range by making dietary and lifestyle changes. Among the drugs available are beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, renin inhibitors, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers and thiazine diuretics. If you have tried these medications and your blood pressure is still high, your doctor may prescribe an alpha blocker, alpha-beta blocker, vasodilator or central-acting agent. These medications all work to lower blood pressure, but they do so in different ways. Be sure to discuss all your options with your doctor to choose the medicine that is right for you.