Control High Blood Pressure Without Medication Using One Of These 8 Methods

Control High Blood Pressure Without Medication Using One Of These 8 Methods

It can be terrifying to find out you have high blood pressure. It’s scary because it really reinforces how short life is and how the one thing that is more important than anything else is: health.

Let’s say your doctor has diagnosed you with high blood pressure. Now what?

Well, if you’re like a lot of people, you started talking about medication options and treatments with your doctor. But what if you want to bring your blood pressure down without having to take medication?

The truth is – your lifestyle plays a more important role in your blood pressure than you think. If you want to avoid medication, try changing your lifestyle instead.

So with that in mind – here are 10 lifestyle changes that can help bring your blood pressure down and keep it normal:

1. Focus On Losing Weight

There’s a pretty common rule – if your blood pressure goes up, your weight is going to go up. Plus, obesity has been linked to sleep apnea and other sleeping disorders, which can cause your blood pressure to go up further (1).

Research has shown that losing weight is one of the best things you can do for your blood pressure – and if you’re very overweight, the more you lose the better off you are.

Plus, carrying weight in your midsection in the form of visceral fat and belly fat is also bad for your body – and your blood pressure. If your weight measurement is more than 35 inches, you’re at risk.

2. Get Regular Exercise

Want to lower your blood pressure by 4 to 9 mm Hg (milligrams mercury)? Of course you do.

The answer how is pretty simple – get more exercise. Try being active 30 minutes out of the day for 4 or 5 days a week and get your heart beating faster.

Exercise can help prevent pre-hypertension from developing into hypertension, and it can also bring your blood pressure down and relieve hypertension if you’re suffering from it(2).

Try adding some exercise to your routine, like walking, cycling, dancing, swimming, or jogging. Weight training is also great if you want to bring your blood pressure down.

3. Eat Healthier

Like most everything connected with your body – the results are all about what you eat. If you add more whole grains, fruits, dairy, and veggies to your diet, you can significantly lower your blood pressure.

If you find it difficult to stick to a diet, there are a number of options to help, like keeping a food diary or only keeping healthy food in your house.

If you want a specific nutrient to lower your blood pressure, try eating more potassium. It will help lessen salt’s effect on your blood pressure, which will improve your blood pressure overall (3).

4. Cut Out The Sodium

If you’re looking for a food that’s the #1 culprit for high blood pressure, look no further than sodium.

Even cutting sodium by a small amount can reduce your blood pressure significantly. Try keeping your sodium consumption under 2,300 milligrams per day.

If you’re especially sensitive to salt, try keeping it under 1,500 milligrams a day. If you’re 51 or older, diagnosed with high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, or you’re African American, you might have sodium sensitivity.

If you’re trying to cut down on sodium, the best thing you can do is actually read your food labels. Try avoiding processed food, and if you’re making your own food, don’t heavily season it with salt. Finally – don’t try to cut salt out all at once, do it gradually over time to have a better chance of this dietary change sticking.

5. Cut Down On Alcohol

ok – so this is kind of a mixed bag. Alcohol can actually be good for your blood pressure – in small amounts it’ll lower it by 2 to 4 mm Hg.

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However – if you drink more than a little – defined as more than 1 drink a day for women, you actually wind up hurting your blood pressure, not helping it. Plus, alcohol has been shown to reduce the effectiveness of many blood pressure medications.

6. Stop Smoking. Immediately.

If you’re not a smoker – skip this step, you’re good.

If you are a smoker, it’s absolutely destroying your blood pressure. Every cigarette you smoke raises your blood pressure, and keeps it high for a while afterwards. Cut down on smoking and you’ll cut down on your blood pressure (and raise your life expectancy considerably).

7. Drink Less Caffeine

This one is finicky – some people’s blood pressure is heavily affected by caffeine, while others feel little to no effect from caffeine. It’s enough to raise your blood pressure by 10 mm Hg if you’re sensitive – so definitely find out which camp you’re in.

The best way to find out is to take your blood pressure, then drink a caffeinated beverage, then check your blood pressure again 30 minutes later. If it went up 5 to 10 mm Hg, cutting down on caffeine can really help to lower your blood pressure.

8. Work On Stress

The link between stress and high blood pressure has a large and robust amount of science behind it. If you feel stressed a lot of the time, there’s a good chance it’s raising your blood pressure.

Take a little bit and figure out what in your life is really stressing you out. You can’t help solve the problem if you don’t know what the problem is – so try to really find the source of your stress and see if you can reduce its impact on your life.

If you can’t cut it out of your life, there are other ways to manage it. Try making time for yourself in the day to relax and do something you like to do. Even 20 minutes of meditation or relaxation can have a huge effect on stress. Another great way to cut down on stress is to stop worrying about things outside your control, and focusing on only the things you can control.

In summary…

How To Control Your Blood Pressure Without Medication

  1. Focus on losing weight
  2. Get regular exercise
  3. Eat healthier
  4. Cut out the sodium
  5. Cut down on alcohol
  6. Stop smoking. Immediately.
  7. Drink less caffeine
  8. Work on stress

how to control your blood pressure without medication

29 comments… add one
  • Anita Pena October 15, 2015, 12:35 am

    I am sure that most people reading this understand that losing weight is on the top of the list for a reason.

  • Wanda Stach October 13, 2015, 9:30 pm

    High blood pressure is common these days, but it is nice to see there are resources out there for people that want to lower it without any pills from a quack doctor.

  • Patricia Kastner October 12, 2015, 2:52 pm

    This is great news and are tips that everyone can use to keep their high blood pressure under control.

  • Curtis Riddle October 10, 2015, 6:40 am

    I have a history of high blood pressure in my family. This is something that I take very seriously and I am always happy when I am reminded there are ways to reduce it without a pill!

  • Cary Carrick October 9, 2015, 2:12 pm

    Besides these things, stress is a major contributing factor. If you cannot relieve the stress in your life each day, it can sneak up on you quickly!

    • Miriam Brown October 13, 2015, 9:39 pm

      Yes, stress is a major factor in a lot of different health situations, including this one.

  • Christina Neville October 8, 2015, 3:00 pm

    This is great to know. Anytime I can get away from taking a pill to control something inside my body is a good day!

  • Patricia Powell October 8, 2015, 2:48 pm

    I do not like the idea that I might have to cut down on the alcohol because of high blood pressure. What is the reason to live if I cannot party once in a while?

  • Wanda Hatfield October 7, 2015, 11:47 am

    These are tips that should be shared with others. Anytime that you can reduce a health risk like this without a pill, you are in good shape!

    • Mistie Chan October 12, 2015, 3:01 pm

      This is good advice, don’t you think?

  • Chrystal Dunn October 7, 2015, 11:29 am

    There are so many factors that lead to a higher blood pressure. The problem is that you need to find the one that is causing it for you. It does not pay to try a “cure all” in this case, because it could be just one thing, like your weight.

  • Connie Bassett October 6, 2015, 11:59 am

    Sodium and sugar from alcohol are two big killers with the blood pressure. Great to know that you can get away from it without having a pill to take each day.

    • Donna Cook October 9, 2015, 2:00 pm

      You are right. Thanks for pointing that out.

  • Fleta Johnson October 2, 2015, 10:43 am

    I have had high blood pressure my whole life. It is not completely out of whack, however, it is higher than normal. Doctors are always freaking out, but a little change in my diet and that will go away, right?

  • Dianna Gonzalez October 2, 2015, 10:32 am

    Most people do not understand how much sugar is in alcohol and if you can cut it out to a certain degree, you are better off.

    • Mary Garcia October 6, 2015, 1:30 pm

      Exactly! If you can get away from the hard liquor and sodium to a degree, you are going to be in much better shape!

  • Lee Davenport October 1, 2015, 9:26 pm

    Most people would not want to try losing weight to see if the blood pressure goes down. It is too much work and much harder than just taking a pill.

  • Eileen Whitworth October 1, 2015, 9:06 pm

    With the rising cost of health care today, it is great to see tips like this posted for all to see and learn from!

  • Joyce Kirkland September 29, 2015, 9:19 pm

    High blood pressure is a killer. However, it can be helped with a good diet and one that is consistent!

  • Jannie Merrill September 29, 2015, 9:09 pm

    Being able to eat healthier meals is a great way to exercise willpower and determination.

    • Sallie Watson October 1, 2015, 9:35 pm

      This is true. Those that try to get a natural cure for things like this have to have some sort of good quality like that.

  • Hazel Burnette September 28, 2015, 9:20 pm

    I have never had my blood pressure checked, is that a bad thing?

    • Renee Gonzales October 1, 2015, 9:15 pm

      Not really, but if you want to know where you stand, it is a great idea.

  • Helen Lebouef September 28, 2015, 9:09 pm

    Stress can be a killer in many different ways. Sodium is also bad and it can be found in EVERYTHING! Good luck with your high blood pressure.

  • Beverly Morgan September 27, 2015, 11:11 am

    Blood pressure is just as bad as having bad cholesterol so it is important to control throughout your life. It could also get harder to control the older you get.

  • Patricia Matos September 27, 2015, 11:00 am

    A lot of people are trying to cut out sugar in their diet and are seeing good results. Its those that can also reduce the sodium that are doing even better!

  • Catherine Sanders September 26, 2015, 9:22 am

    Great post to bring awareness to the issue that many face and give them ways to reduce it safely!

  • Alberta Coles September 26, 2015, 9:01 am

    it always bothered me when people that are overweight start to worry about their health, but they refuse to just lose the weight. that can cure so many issues!

    • Maria Reiss October 10, 2015, 6:48 am

      Exactly. I wish I could help educate these people, but it seems that they do not WANT to do the right thing.

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