Lowering Blood Pressure

Lowering High Blood Pressure

Consuming Less Alcohol

If you drink more than one to two alcoholic drinks a day, it may be wise to cut back on how much alcohol you consume. A person with high blood pressure can usually drink every so often; however, your doctor can tell you specifically how much alcohol is dangerous for your condition. Drinking alcohol may be one of the most common causes of hypertension. You may find that reducing the amount of alcohol you drink helps to lower blood pressure.

(Click Alcohol and High Blood Pressure to learn more about alcohol and how it affects blood pressure.)

Following a Healthy Diet

Hypertension research scientists have not found a specific food that can lower blood pressure; however, they have come up with a combination of foods that help reduce blood pressure. This combination of foods is part of an eating plan called the DASH diet.

Following the DASH high blood pressure diet can both reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure and lower an already elevated blood pressure. In fact, it has been shown that by following the DASH eating plan and reducing intake of salt, blood pressure can be reduced by an amount similar to that seen with blood pressure medicine.

(Click High Blood Pressure Diet to learn more about foods for high blood pressure. Click DASH Diet to learn more about this eating plan.)

Lowering Blood Pressure With Medication

In addition to lifestyle changes, some people need to use medication when lowering blood pressure. There are several categories of blood pressure medicine. Often, a combination of drugs works better than one. The main types of medication used to treat high blood pressure include:

Beta blockers
Diuretics
ACE inhibitors
Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)
Calcium channel blockers (CCBs)
Alpha blockers
Alpha-beta blockers
Nervous system inhibitors
Vasodilators.

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