How to Lower Blood Pressure

With approximately 65 million people suffering from the condition, many people want to know how to make blood pressure lower. Learning effective techniques can reduce the long-term effects of hypertension. Strategies to reduce blood pressure include lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, exercising more, and quitting smoking. In some cases, medications are used to treat high blood pressure.

How to Lower Blood Pressure: An Introduction

Anyone can develop high blood pressure (also known as hypertension). In fact, one in three Americans (more than 65 million people) have high blood pressure. Unfortunately, in more than 90 percent of cases, the causes of high blood pressure are not known. But hypertension research scientists have found that certain lifestyle changes can lower blood pressure. For those people who cannot lower blood pressure to a normal level through lifestyle changes, medication can be prescribed.
 
By employing these techniques, people can reduce the long-term effects of high blood pressure, including:
 
 

Lifestyle Changes That Can Make Blood Pressure Lower

Lifestyle changes are the first step in
 high blood pressure treatment. Lifestyle changes help lower blood pressure, but they usually help improve a person's quality of life as well. It may take three to six months before your healthcare provider sees the full benefit of lifestyle changes on your condition. Some of these changes may include:
 
  • Increasing your physical activity
  • Losing weight
  • Minimizing your salt (sodium) intake
  • Cutting back on your alcohol consumption
  • Adopting a healthy eating plan that emphasizes fruits and vegetables while reducing fats and cholesterol.
     
Other factors that may affect blood pressure and that should be reduced or stopped completely include prolonged stress and smoking (see Stress and High Blood Pressure or Smoking and High Blood Pressure).

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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
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