American Academy of Family Physicians High Blood Pressure:
Keeping It in CheckWhat is high blood pressure?
Imagine that your arteries are pipes that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body. High blood pressure (also called hypertension) occurs when your blood moves through your arteries at a higher pressure than normal. This can damage your blood vessels, raising your risk of stroke, kidney failure, heart disease and heart attack. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms.
High blood pressure that can be linked to a specific cause, such as a disease or drug, is called secondary hypertension. Often, however, the exact cause isn't known. When the cause isn't known, the high blood pressure is called primary or essential hypertension.
In some people, alcohol causes the blood pressure to rise quite a lot. In other people, it doesn't. If you drink alcohol, limit it to no more than two drinks per day. One drink is a can of beer (12 ounces), a 4-ounce glass of wine or one jigger (1 ounce) of liquor. If your blood pressure increases with alcohol, it's best not to drink any alcohol.
What changes do I need to make?
Treating your high blood pressure begins with making changes in your lifestyle. These things alone may work. If these changes don't work, you may also need to take medicine.
- Exercise regularly.
- Lose weight if you're overweight.
- Limit how much sodium you eat.
- Limit how much alcohol you drink.
- Don't smoke or use any tobacco product.
Exercise helps lower blood pressure and helps make the heart strong. It is also the best way to lose weight and keep it off. A good goal is to exercise for at least 30 to 60 minutes four to six times a week, but any exercise is better than none.
You may need to watch how much salt you're putting on your food and how much salt is in prepared and canned foods. It's also a good idea to limit how much fat and cholesterol you eat. A low-fat diet is the healthy way to lose weight. A lot of information is available to help you make healthy food choices. Your family doctor can also give you nutrition advice.
The nicotine in cigarettes and other tobacco products causes your blood vessels to constrict, which raises your blood pressure. If you quit smoking or using other tobacco products, you can significantly lower your risk of heart disease and heart attack.
If diet and exercise alone don't control your blood pressure, your doctor will probably recommend medicine. Many different types of medicines can be used to treat high blood pressure, such as diuretics, beta blockers, alpha blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and calcium channel blockers. These are called antihypertensive medicines. Within each group of medicines, there are many different brand names.
The goal of treatment is to control your blood pressure with medicine that's easy to take and doesn't have side effects. This goal can almost always be met.
If your blood pressure can only be controlled with medicine, you'll need to take it for the rest of your life. Don't stop taking the medicine without talking with your family doctor. If you do, you raise your risk of having a stroke or heart attack.
Talk to your family doctor about any changes or side effects you notice while taking the medicine. If one medicine doesn't work for you or causes side effects, you have other options.
Does stress affect my blood pressure?
Stress may affect blood pressure. To help combat the effects of stress, try relaxation techniques or biofeedback. These things work best when used at least once a day. Ask your family doctor for advice.
This handout provides a general overview on this topic and may not apply to everyone.
To find out if this handout applies to you and to get more information on this subject, talk to your family doctor.
This health education material
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The doctors who specialize in you© 1997 American Academy of Family Physicians
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