High blood pressure is a widespread problem in the west. The condition is usually treated by anti-hypertensive drugs and/or diuretics. However, if your blood pressure is mild and no cause can be found for it, then it's worth considering self-help methods.
The causes of hypertension are not clear but since the problem is largely confined to developed countries, it's likely that most cases are due to life-style factors. Occasionally it is due to a specific disease, kidney disease for example. For this reason anyone with high blood pressure should be investigated by their doctor to exclude such causes. High blood pressure with no apparent cause is known as essential hypertension.
Hypertension should be controlled even if mild: it's a risk factor for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. Most of the drugs used to treat hypertension work well; there are many available so the doctor can juggle them to provide the right response with minimum side-effects.
All drugs have side-effects and treatment requires balancing the benefits against the adverse effects. If your blood pressure is very high the risk of stroke and heart disease is considerable and so it's probably worth risking the possible adverse effects of the drugs. However if your blood pressure is moderately or slightly high the equation is bit different and self-help methods may be appropriate.
Before embarking on self-help you should get your blood pressure checked by your doctor – even if you have your own machine: it will provide an accuracy check. And as mentioned earlier it's important to rule out any underlying disease. It's also a good idea to discuss your self-help plans with the doctor.
Classification of Hypertension
- Normal blood pressure less than 130/85
- Mild hypertension 140 - 159/90-99
- Moderate hypertension 160 - 179/100 – 109
- Severe hypertension greater than 180/110
Blood pressure is highly variable: just being anxious can raise it very quickly. For this reason blood pressure measurements should be taken on several occasions before planning treatment.
Self-help for High Blood Pressure
The major factors thought to give rise to essential hypertension are all related to life -style, so are all potentially changeable.
- Weight: if you are overweight (even by a little) and you lose weight, your blood pressure will go down.
- Diet: people who have a diet rich in fruit and vegetables and low in saturated fats generally have lower blood pressures than those whose don't. Eat mainly fresh food with lots of fruit and vegetables with small or moderate amounts of meat. Fats should be mainly of the unsaturated kind: olive oil, rape seed oil and sunflower oil are good. This kind of diet has many other health benefits and will help keep your weight down.
- Salt: high salt diets are related to high blood pressure. Not everybody's blood pressure is affected by salt so the only way to find out is to reduce salt in your meals.
- Exercise: a bout of moderate exercise will lower blood pressure for some time after the exercise has stopped. Regular exercise will keep your blood pressure at a lower level. 20 minutes moderate exercise 3 times per week (so you get a little out of breath) is the minimum you need to do. This could be walking quickly, swimming or gym work. If you're very unfit then build up slowly.
- Anxiety: this tends to push up blood pressure in some people. If you're an anxious sort of person it's probably one of the more difficult life-style factors to change. Meditation, tai chi, yoga, relaxation exercises can all be highly beneficial, they take some working at but are worth persevering with.
