High blood pressure - how to lower it.

[findyourbacon]

So I've been diagnosed with high blood pressure, and my GP is going to put me on some medication which is all good. But what else can I do to lower my BP? I know about cutting out salt, but has anyone got any other tips to help keep it down?

Thanks

[MigGril]

My husband managed to control his high blood pressure with just losing weight and a lot of excerices. He didn't need medication in the end.

[MissConductUS]

Exercise and lose any excess weight. Salt isn't as big a contributor to hypertension as people used to think.

Get a blood pressure machine to check your pressure at home. Omron makes a brilliant one that will store readings on your smartphone to track it and share with your doctor.

[Cornishclio]

Lose weight if you overweight, exercise regularly, cut out caffeine and salt and learn relaxation techniques. Sometimes though hypertension is hereditary so you can do all these things and still suffer with it. Don't smoke, follow low fat diet and drink in moderation. I glass red wine a night is supposed to be good.

[Crumbs1]

Depends on cause of hypertension. Speak to your GP. Whilst exercise is rarely a bad thing, it may not have the impact you want.

[artiface]

magnesium

[MissConductUS]

Omron Intelligent BP Monitor

Tracking is really important. Many people take their meds and think that their BP is under control when it really isn't. Hypertension is widely under treated. DH has this model and loves it. They make less expensive models that will give you an accurate reading but it's important to watch it over time, which is very easy with the smartphone app this machine works with. It connects to your phone via bluetooth, so it's quite easy to do.

[TDHManchester]

There is no escaping it, a healthy diet,lose weight if you need to, quit smoking if you do and get proper exercise..cycling is good and low impact

[findyourbacon]

Thanks everyone.

Yes, exercise is definitely on the cards - ironically, it was at my gym induction that the trainer spotted my high BP, and told me I couldn't carry on without a GP's note. So hopefully I'll be able to start something gentle.

And yes I am overweight - and have made a start on eating better already. And now I've got a bloody good reason to lose the weight! It's been a bit of a wake up call to be honest.

[NamedyChangedy]

I have essential hypertension which is unfortunately genetic - my dad and both grandparents suffered from it. I'm normal weight, sometimes slightly under-, and exercise 5-6 times a week - always have, and still need medication to control it. Frustrating. I take a low dose of amlodipine which keeps it nicely under control.

[MissConductUS]

And now I've got a bloody good reason to lose the weight! It's been a bit of a wake up call to be honest.

Most people know that hypertension leads to stroke and heart disease, but it's less commonly known that it's a leading cause of kidney failure:

High BP and Kidney Disease

I had a patient come into A&E once after crashing his car into a wall. It turned out that he lost consciousness due to kidney failure brought on by years of untreated high blood pressure. He even knew about the problem but never took the medications that had been prescribed for it. He had to go on kidney dialysis, which is a terribly uncomfortable and inconvenient treatment.

I love DH's BP monitor because I can keep an eye on how he's doing.

Good luck with your treatment.