High+Blood+Pressure+Treatment

**How can you treat High Blood Pressure?** All patients with blood pressure readings greater than 120/80 should be encouraged to make lifestyle modifications, such as eating a healthier diet, quitting smoking and getting more exercise. Treatment with medication is recommended to lower blood pressure to less than 140/90 mmHg.
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Lifestyle Changes[[image:6.jpg width="350" height="231" align="right" link="http://blog.kir.com/archives/images/Healthy_Food.jpg"]]
A critical step in preventing and treating hypertension is a healthy lifestyle. You can lower your blood pressure with the following lifestyle modifications:
 * Losing weight if you are overweight or obese.
 * Quitting smoking.
 * Eating a healthy diet, including the DASH diet (eating more fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy products, less saturated and total fat).
 * Reducing the amount of sodium in your diet to 2,300 milligrams (about 1 teaspoon of salt) a day or less.
 * Getting regular exercise (such as brisk walking at least 30 minutes a day, several days a week).
 * Limiting alcohol to two drinks a day for men, one drink a day for women.
 * Reduce stress by trying relaxation techniques or meditation.

[[image:7.jpg width="319" height="223" align="right" link="http://corporatewellnessprogram.recesswellness.com/uploaded_images/pills-731543.jpg"]]Medications

 * ACE inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor antagonists - these make the walls of the blood vessels relax and widen.
 * Calcium channel blockers or alpha blockers - these help widen the blood vessels.
 * Diuretics - these increase the amount of water and salt removed from your blood by your kidneys. This triggers hormones which lower blood pressure.
 * Beta-blockers - these drugs reduce the work your heart has to do, by reducing your pulse rate at times when it may beat too forcefully such as during exercise or when you are feeling stressed.

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