If You Need Two Medications
Many types of blood pressure drugs work best when taken together. When taking two drugs together, diuretics have been shown to lower blood pressure with a beta-blocker, ACE inhibitor and an ARB. A calcium channel blocker lowers blood pressure with the same drugs that work well with a diuretic. Other drug combinations are necessary when taking three or more blood pressure medications. There may be other reasons why your doctor may prescribe two blood pressure medications. For example, after heart attacks, doctors will prescribe a beta-blocker and an ACE inhibitor, but this is not primarily to reduce blood pressure.
How To Lower Blood Pressure Quickly
First and most importantly, if you think youre having a complication of high blood pressure such as a stroke, a heart attack, or something else, seek immediate medical attention. Dont try to solve problems like these on your ownyou need comprehensive care.
Otherwise, when you feel your blood pressure may be too high and you want to lower it quickly, Dr. Osborne suggests calming down. Stop what youre doing and sit. Take some deep breaths. If you find that doesnt help, then call your doctor. If its a continual problem, try exercising and altering your diet it can take a few weeks or up to a month to see the effects of that in your blood pressure, so keep plugging away for the best results.
Keep in mind that in some cases, blood pressure medication may be necessary if you cant lower high blood pressure through diet and lifestyle changes. Those drugs will be the quickest path to lower blood pressure levelsoften taking only minutes to even your blood pressure out. Finding the right medication might be the only way to control high blood pressure in some cases, like resistant hypertension. A rule of thumb is to start blood pressure medications and make lifestyle changes. As blood pressure improves with lifestyle modifications, medications can be weaned off.
How To Get Blood Pressure Down To 120
A new study links reducing blood pressure with lower risk of heart attack and stroke
Exercising and reducing salt can get blood pressure into the normal range
Patients taking several blood pressure medications may be able to add more
Doctors have long known that systolic blood pressure below 120 was considered normal and meant a lower risk of heart disease and kidney problems. But they would often only treat patients if that top number crept above 140, the threshold for officially having high blood pressure.
Recent findings from a large National Institutes of Health study now suggest that its worth treating patients in that prehypertension gray area of 120 to 140, in order to bring them down into the normal range.
The findings, which have not yet been published and are still preliminary, found lower rates of heart attack, stroke and death among people with high blood pressure who brought that top number down to 120. In order to reach that goal, study participants in the 120 group took an average of three blood pressure medications, whereas the 140 group took two medications.
This is notable because there a lot of people out there with blood pressure in the 130s that we might previously have left alone, but if the results of this trial as we think they are, it might be reason to try to get them to 120, said Dr. John D. Bisognano, professor of medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center and president-elect of the American Society of Hypertension.
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The ‘bottom’ Blood Pressure Number Matters Too
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, July 18, 2019 — When it comes to blood pressure readings, the “top” number seems to grab all the attention.
But a large, new study confirms that both numbers are, in fact, critical in determining the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Blood pressure measurements are given as a “top” and “bottom” number. The first reflects systolic blood pressure, the amount of pressure in the arteries as the heart contracts. The second reflects diastolic blood pressure, the pressure in the arteries between heart muscle contractions.
For years, systolic blood pressure has been seen as the one that really matters. That’s based on studies — including the famous Framingham Heart Study — showing that high systolic blood pressure is a stronger predictor of heart disease and stroke.
At the same time, though, doctors measure both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and treatment guidelines are based on both. So just how important is that diastolic number?
“The idea behind this new study was to address the confusion,” said lead researcher Dr. Alexander Flint, an investigator with Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s division of research.
Using medical records from 1.3 million patients, his team confirmed that, yes, high systolic blood pressure was a stronger risk factor for heart attack and stroke. But those risks also climbed in tandem with diastolic pressure and people with normal systolic readings were still at risk if their diastolic pressure was high.
Lose Weight To Manage Hypertension Naturally
Getting and maintaining a healthy body weight puts less strain on your heart and helps to lower blood pressure.
Getting enough exercise and enjoying a healthy, well-balanced cardiac diet help to lose weight and also treat hypertension. One study found that combining the DASH diet with exercise had a positive effect on both body weight and elevated blood pressure.
One study involving over 13,000 obese individuals found that losing weight was a major factor in reducing the risk of uncontrolled hypertension.
Losing weight can also help to lower high blood pressure quickly. Over a 10-week period, people who lost 5% of their body weight experienced a notable drop in blood pressure.
You can start on a program to lower your blood pressure today if you take measures to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight.
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Vitamin C Is A Good Natural Remedy For High Blood Pressure
One of the best vitamins for treating hypertension is vitamin C because of its benefits to the health of your arteries.
A systematic review of 29 trials found that taking 500 mg of vitamin C a day helped to quickly treat high blood pressure problems. Over an 8-week period, vitamin C supplementation was effective in lowering both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Find out more about the benefits of taking vitamin C to strengthen your immunity and prevent oxidative damage in your body.
Replace Regular Chocolate With Dark Chocolate
A 2010 interpretation of 15 different studies propose that dark chocolate might somewhat decrease the risk of blood pressure. If you are consuming chocolate, prefer dark chocolate over all other types which are sweetened artificially, and make certain that the chocolate is at least made of 70 percent cocoa.
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Low Diastolic Blood Pressure Symptoms
“Low blood pressure by itself is not a cause for concern,” says Erika Schwartz, MD, a New York-based physician who specializes in combining conventional and integrative medicine_._ “But when symptoms start occurring, then that’s when you should look at ways to counteract it.”
Several common symptoms may indicate that you need a blood-pressure check, the AHA notes.
- The first is dizziness or feeling lightheaded, especiallywhen you change position. For example, if you’re reaching down to a bottomshelf for a grocery item and pop up to put it in your cart, you may get a”head rush” feeling.
- The second major symptom is brain fog, which can make youfeel disconnected or spacey, or even mess with your short-term memory, Dr. Schwartzsays.
- There’s also fatigue, especially the kind that makes you feellike you’re dragging through your day. Since you’re not getting enoughoxygenated blood into your system, your muscles may feel weakened.
Less-common symptoms include blurred vision and nausea, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Regular Exercise To Reduce High Blood Pressure
The Journal of the American Heart Association reports on a review of trials involving the effects of exercise training on blood pressure. The results of 95 trials found that regular exercise and resistance training lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Even less vigorous exercising such as walking can also help to remedy hypertension. One study found that moderate walking can help to lower blood pressure naturally and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
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Get Enough Sleep Each Night
Although sleep may not directly lower a persons blood pressure, it is vital for physical health and mental wellbeing. A lack of good quality sleep can increase the risk of chronic health conditions, some of which may increase a persons blood pressure.
The exact amount of sleep a person needs will vary from person to person. However, adults should be aiming to get between 79 hours of good quality sleep each night.
What Is A Dangerous Level Of Blood Pressure
As far as specific numbers for high blood pressure, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology released updated guidelines in November 2017. It can be broken down into two categories: elevated and high.
Elevated blood pressure ranges from 121/80 to 129/80. Its generally not treated, but serves more as a warning sign that it should be monitored and the patient might explore how to lower blood pressure by making some lifestyle changes.
High blood pressure starts at 130/80 or higherthats stage one. Stage two, or the worst degree, is 140/90 and above. If the upper limit of blood pressure is more than 180, thats where it starts getting really dangerous, increasing the likelihood of an immediate heart attack, heart failure, or stroke.
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Reduce And Avoid Chronic Stress
Some stress in life is unavoidable. But if you feel stressed out and tense for much or all of the day, your habits might be affected. People with chronic stress are in danger of unhealthy coping habits like overeating and substance abuse. It can also be difficult to sleep if you are frequently or constantly stressed. All of these things can raise your blood pressure.
To keep your stress in check, make time for healthy activities. Spend some time every day in an activity that relaxes you, such as:
- Gardening
How To Lower Diastolic Blood Pressure
The first step for how to lower diastolic blood pressure is finding out symptoms that indicate high blood pressure. Wondering how to lower diastolic blood pressure, here are a few things and facts that can help you achieve your goal and be in a good shape whatsoever.
At times getting the blood pressure under check needs you to take a few medicines each day, such as calcium channel blocker and diuretic blocker. But there are few therapies that dont require medication. People who possess a drug intolerance or are not willing to take any medicines may decide on a pill-free therapy, and it may also be utilized to make a medicine regimen more efficient.
Nonetheless, if you simply have high diastolic blood pressure, you can not combat that alone. You will require to work jointly with the doctor to find answers for how to lower diastolic blood pressure and not allowing it to fall lower than 60 millimeters of mercury . Know that when diastolic blood pressure is too low, it may lead to heart diseases and increase the risk of heart damage.
This article will let you know all about how to lower diastolic blood pressure and deal with it.
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Avoid Heavy Alcohol Drinking
Drinking too much alcohol has been associated with high blood pressure. Heavy drinking also contributes to stroke. The CDC recommends that men drink two or fewer drinks per day. Women are recommended to drink one or fewer alcoholic beverages per day.
Alcoholism is a disease that is difficult to treat on your own. If you find it difficult to control your drinking, many people have successfully limited or quit drinking through counseling and drug treatment. You can reach the national substance abuse hotline anytime at: 1-800-662-HELP .
Try Meditation Or Yoga
Mindfulness and meditation, including transcendental meditation, have long been used and studied as methods to reduce stress. A 2012 study notes that one university program in Massachusetts has had more than 19,000 people participate in a meditation and mindfulness program to reduce stress .
Yoga, which commonly involves breathing control, posture, and meditation techniques, can also be effective in reducing stress and blood pressure.
A 2013 review on yoga and blood pressure found an average blood pressure decrease of 3.62 mm Hg diastolic and 4.17 mm Hg systolic when compared to those who didnt exercise. Studies of yoga practices that included breath control, postures, and meditation were nearly twice as effective as yoga practices that didnt include all three of these elements .
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What Do The Blood Pressure Numbers Mean
When blood pressure is measured, the result is given as two numbers, such as 120/80. The first number is the amount of force used when the heart beats . The second number is the pressure in the arteries between heart beats . Pressures are measured in millimeters of mercury . High blood pressure is defined as pressures above 140/90 for a period of time. Prehypertension is defined as a systolic pressure from 120139 millimeters of mercury or a diastolic pressure from 8089 mm Hg. Because blood pressure changes often, your health care provider will check it on several different days before deciding whether your blood pressure is too high. Blood pressure is considered high when it is elevated above 140/90 for a period of time. For people with chronic kidney disease, the recommended level is below 130/80.
Buying A Blood Pressure Instrument To Measure Your Blood Pressure At Home
Blood pressure instruments can be purchased in most pharmacies. Buy a blood pressure instrument that has been approved by the Association for the Advancement in Medical Instrumentation , the British Hypertension Society or the International Protocol . These labels will be marked clearly on the box. If you are unsure whether an instrument is approved, ask your pharmacist for help. Once you have bought the instrument, ask your doctor or pharmacist to check it to make sure the instrument measures your blood pressure accurately.
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Garlic Supplements For High Blood Pressure
You can use garlic as a natural medicine to treat hypertension and improve your cardiovascular health.
Regularly taking garlic as a supplement can help to turn prehypertensive conditions into safe conditions. For example, a meta-analysis of 20 trials found that garlic supplementation can lower systolic blood pressure by 9 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 7 mmHg.
Other studies have found that taking garlic supplements on a long-term basis could have a significant effect on blood pressure. Over a 12-week period taking 2 aged garlic capsules daily helped lower systolic blood pressure by around 12 mmHg.
Reduce Your Sodium Intake
Itâs a prime offender in raising blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends that people with hypertension keep it under 1,500 milligrams a day. Check your food labels to see how much youâre getting. If you cut back gradually, youâre less likely to notice the difference.
One way to cut back is to prepare your food at home. Seventy-five percent of your sodium intake comes from eating out and packaged foods. Use more spices for flavor instead of salt. Eating more potassium helps move sodium out of your body. A small effort can bring blood pressure down as much as two to eight points.
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Acupuncture To Help Reduce Blood Pressure Fast
One of the natural remedies for hypertension to reduce your dependence on medication is acupuncture.
Acupuncture therapy every second day for a month helped to lower dangerously high blood pressure. On average acupuncture lowered systolic blood pressure by 18 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 7 mmHg.
Other trials have found that acupuncture is an effective natural remedy for mild hypertension.
Learn how acupuncture can also help to improve your mood and lower stress levels.
How Is High Blood Pressure Diagnosed
High blood pressure usually has no symptoms. So the only way to find out if you have it is to get regular blood pressure checks from your health care provider. Your provider will use a gauge, a stethoscope or electronic sensor, and a blood pressure cuff. He or she will take two or more readings at separate appointments before making a diagnosis.
| Blood Pressure Category | |
|---|---|
| and | 120 or higher |
For children and teens, the health care provider compares the blood pressure reading to what is normal for other kids who are the same age, height, and gender.
People with diabetes or chronic kidney disease should keep their blood pressure below 130/80.
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High Diastolic Blood Pressure
By | Submitted On January 23, 2011
High blood pressure can lead to heart failure and eventually death if you don’t do anything about it. A good reading is 120/80, where 120 is systolic pressure and 80 is diastolic. If the second number gets to be 80 or above, then you have high diastolic blood pressure and need to lower it immediately. It can be a result of things like mental or physical stress, eating too much salt, excessive smoking or alcohol drinking, being overweight from lack of exercise, genetics, and old age. Managing these things is the first step to improving your heart health and getting your diastolic number to the safe range.
So what are some of the things that you can do to lower that high diastolic number? The simple answer is to exercise regularly, lose weight, and eat a proper diet. While this is not what most people want to hear, it is the way to go because it is natural, safe, and fast. You don’t have to worry about any side effects when you make it a point to get exercise and eat healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, wheat, and low fat dairy items. Any foods that are high in calcium, vitamin c, and potassium will work wonders for your blood pressure, and avoiding foods high in saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol will do the same.