How To Get My Blood Pressure Down

Your blood pressure is a critical indicator of your overall health, which is why monitoring it regularly—and understanding what the numbers mean—is important, especially if you're at risk for hypertension, or high blood pressure.

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High blood pressure should never be ignored, as it can lead to health complications, diseases like heart disease, retinopathy (eye disease) and chronic kidney disease, and even death. An easy way to keep tabs on your blood pressure levels and ensure they aren't in an elevated range is with an at-home blood pressure monitor. There are an array of blood pressure monitors out there that make tracking your readings easy, and once you know your numbers, you can take the necessary steps to get them within a healthy range.

While medications may be necessary to lower your blood pressure, reducing high blood pressure at home is possible with some dedication. Even if you're on doctor-prescribed medication, there are steps you can take to reduce your blood pressure naturally.

What Is High Blood Pressure?

"Blood pressure is basically the pressure within our arteries, which are the tubes that carry blood away from the heart in order to distribute oxygen to the rest of our bodies," says Sameer K. Mehta, M.D., a cardiologist at Denver Heart in Lakewood, Colorado.

A blood pressure reading consists of two numbers: systolic blood pressure, which is the top number, and diastolic blood pressure, which is the bottom number. A reading lower than 120/80 mmHg is considered normal blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As of 2017, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology define elevated blood pressure as systolic readings between 120 and 129 mmHg and diastolic readings less than 80 mmHg. And as of 2021, nearly 50% of U.S. adults have high blood pressure ^[1] Cost-Effectiveness of High Blood Pressure Interventions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed 7/11/2021. .

Unless blood pressure is extremely elevated, at least three separate blood pressure readings are required to diagnose hypertension, and one of those readings should be performed outside the doctor's office, says Dr. Mehta. Up to a third of the population develops high blood pressure readings isolated to the doctor's office because of a phenomenon known as "white coat hypertension," which is when your blood pressure readings are higher in a doctor's office exclusively, often thought to be caused by the stress of being there.

"High blood pressure means that this consistently elevated pressure is more than what your organs and arteries can handle," says Aseem Desai, M.D., a cardiologist with Providence Mission Hospital in Southern California. "As a result, the heart and arteries work harder to deliver blood and oxygen to organs. If this occurs, part of our organs do not function properly and/or can die." For instance, if the heart has to pump against high blood pressure constantly, the heart muscle can hypertrophy (enlarge) and eventually lose its ability to function properly.

High blood pressure can increase your risk of developing a heart attack, stroke, death, kidney failure, eye damage and heart failure.

12 Natural Ways to Reduce High Blood Pressure

In addition to determining whether you need medications, which you should discuss with your doctor, healthy lifestyle choices can make a significant difference in reducing high blood pressure. Try incorporating the following changes and habits into your daily life.

1. Lose Weight if You're Overweight

Weight loss is an important part of reducing high blood pressure, especially for people with obesity, as it's a strong risk factor for hypertension. Dr. Mehta says people who are overweight can have between a two- to six-fold increase in risk of developing hypertension.

"With less weight, the heart and arteries do not have to work as hard," says Dr. Desai. "The heart muscle and the muscles in the arteries do not thicken. Thickening can lead to further increases in blood pressure because of reduced give or elasticity of blood vessels."

Talk to your doctor or registered dietitian about a safe weight loss plan that will work for you, or consider trying a support app like Noom. "Even modest weight loss in these patients—4 to 10 pounds—is associated with a significant reduction in blood pressure levels," says Dr. Mehta. However, a 2013 study of more than 740 people found long-term reductions in blood pressure only persisted with weight loss exceeding 2% of the person's initial weight ^[2] Tyson CC, Lawrence JA, Vollmer WM, et al. Impact of Five Year Weight Change on Blood Pressure: Results From The Weight Loss Maintenance Trial. J Clin Hypertension. 2013;15(7):458-464. .

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2. Exercise

Regular exercise not only aids in weight loss, but also helps decrease high blood pressure. A 2016 study found blood pressure decreased in the hours after an exercise session regardless of a person's age, sex and other characteristics ^[3] Carpio-Rivera E, Moncada-Jiménez J, Salazar-Rojas W, Solera-Herrera A. Acute Effects of Exercise on Blood Pressure: A Meta-Analytic Investigation. Arq Bras Cardiology. 2016;106(5):422-433. . This effect can result in "somewhere between a 10 and 15 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure levels," says Dr. Mehta.

Most doctors recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each day. "Aerobic exercise gets the heart rate up in a gradual and consistent fashion, helps to stretch the heart and arteries, and also increases blood flow to the organs," says Dr. Desai.

If you can't do 30 minutes, Dr. Desai recommends at least 15 to 20 minutes a day, five to seven days a week. Some aerobic exercise options include walking, running, swimming, using an elliptical machine, cycling and playing tennis.

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3. Decrease Your Salt Intake

"Salt is the enemy of high blood pressure," says Dr. Desai. When you eat too much salt, it increases the amount of fluid that enters the bloodstream and arteries from the surrounding tissue, which raises the pressure in the arteries.

While you may not have to remove salt from your diet completely, avoid foods very high in salt like chips, french fries, salted nuts, soups, store-bought salad dressings, processed foods and cheese.

4. Avoid Excess Caffeine

Drinking too much coffee or too many energy drinks that contain caffeine isn't recommended for people with high blood pressure. "Caffeine is a form of adrenaline," says Dr. Desai. "It constricts the arteries and raises the heart rate, both of which increase blood pressure."

If you have high blood pressure, ask your doctor whether you need to adjust your morning coffee habit, as Dr. Mehta says high levels of caffeine can worsen blood pressure control. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers the equivalent of four cups of coffee a day (400 milligrams) safe for the general population, but most experts recommend 200 milligrams or less (two cups of coffee) for people with established hypertension, says Dr. Mehta.

5. Drink Water

Staying hydrated may be an important way to keep your blood pressure reading in a normal range. "When you're dehydrated, the body produces stress hormones to maintain blood flow to organs," says Dr. Desai. This response can increase blood pressure.

Meanwhile, a 2015 study found a link between dehydration and high blood pressure, although more research is needed ^[4] El-Sharkawy AM, Sahota O, Lobo DN. Acute and Chronic Effects of Hydration Status on Health. Nutrition Review. 2015;73(2):97-109. . Reducing your caffeine intake and drinking water regularly are both effective ways to prevent dehydration.

6. Ditch Alcohol

A large 2019 study conducted by the American College of Cardiology found moderate alcohol consumption, defined as seven to 13 drinks a week, can substantially increase risk of high blood pressure ^[5] Aladin A, Chevli P, Ahmad MI, Rasool S, Herrington D. Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Hypertension. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019;73:12. .

Alcohol can increase your body weight, deplete the body of magnesium and potassium, and dehydrate you, according to Dr. Desai. What's more, alcohol increases stress levels, which cause elevated blood pressure over time as well, he says.

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7. Eat More Foods High in Magnesium

A small study in the International Journal of Hypertension found magnesium supplementation can reduce blood pressure in small amounts ^[6] Nguyen H, Odelola OA, Rangaswami J, Amanullah A. A Review of Nutritional Factors in Hypertension Management. International Journal of Hypertension. 2013;698940. . Talk to your doctor before taking magnesium supplements, especially if you have kidney disease. You can also safely incorporate high-magnesium foods into your diet. Dr. Desai recommends foods like leafy green vegetables and unsalted almonds.

8. Avoid Processed Foods

A healthy diet plays an important part in reducing high blood pressure, so many doctors recommend reducing consumption of processed foods. Processed foods are often loaded with sodium and saturated fats, two things people with hypertension want to avoid.

"A good rule of thumb is to have multiple colors of food on your plate," says Dr. Desai. He recommends eating more berries, bananas, beets, dark chocolate, kiwis, watermelon, oats, garlic, lentils, pomegranates, cinnamon, unsalted pistachios and fermented foods like yogurt.

9. Reduce Stress Through Meditation and Rest

"Chronic stress can lead to chronic elevations in the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline," says Dr. Desai. "These hormones constrict the arteries and cause weight gain, which further increases blood pressure."

He recommends reducing stress by using breathing exercises, practicing meditation, completing physical exercise, practicing yoga, logging quality sleep, taking breaks throughout the day, spending time in nature, listening to music and eating a balanced diet.

10. Quit Smoking

"Smoking leads to constriction of the arteries acutely, and long-term use greatly contributes to the development of high blood pressure," says Dr. Mehta. One study in Hypertension found smoking can cause an immediate but temporary increase in blood pressure ^[7] Primatesta P, Falaschetti E, Gupta S, Marmot MG, Poulter NR. Association Between Smoking and Blood Pressure. Hypertension. 2001;37:187-193. . Take the steps you need to quit smoking if you have hypertension.

11. Eat Dark Chocolate

Small amounts of dark chocolate aren't just tasty—they might help lower blood pressure as well. One large 2010 study found people who didn't have hypertension and ate more dark chocolate had lower blood pressure than those who ate less dark chocolate ^[8] Al-Safi SA, Ayoub NM, Al-Doghim I, Aboul-Enein FH. Dark Chocolate and Blood Pressure: A Novel Study From Jordan. Curr Drug Deliv. 2011;8(6):595-9. .

Dr. Desai notes the dark chocolate should have high amounts of cocoa—aim for at least 70%—and should be low in sugar. "It's likely that a compound in dark chocolate known as flavonoids releases a substance known as nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels," says Dr. Mehta.

12. Try the DASH Diet

If you're unsure how to change your diet to lower blood pressure, Dr. Mehta recommends trying the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which he says is "the best studied dietary approach to helping with hypertension." It consists of foods rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, fiber and protein and low in saturated fat and sodium.

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Common Causes of High Blood Pressure

In many cases, the cause of high blood pressure can be difficult to determine. "At least 90% of blood pressure is defined as essential hypertension, which basically means there is no distinct cause identified," says Dr. Mehta. According to the CDC, hypertension develops over time and can often occur due to unhealthy lifestyle choices like poor diet and a lack of exercise.

According to Dr. Mehta, less than 10% of patients have identifiable causes of high blood pressure, which can include:

•     Tumors in the adrenal glands
•     Aorta abnormalities
•     Narrowing of the kidney arteries
•     Thyroid abnormalities

Dr. Desai adds other risk factors include:

•     A family history of high blood pressure
•     Obesity
•     Physical inactivity
•     A high-salt diet
•     Alcohol and caffeine use
•     Sleep apnea

According to the CDC, diabetes can increase your risk, too, and hypertension can occur during pregnancy. Some medications, such as oral contraceptives, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, corticosteroids, antidepressants, weight loss medications and antacids that contain sodium, can exacerbate hypertension as well.

Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

Doctors and researchers like Dr. Desai refer to high blood pressure as "the silent killer" because there typically are no symptoms, which is why it's so important to monitor your blood pressure, especially if you are already at risk.

However, a small number of people do experience symptoms, according to Dr. Desai, which may include:

•     Headache
•     Poor vision
•     Shortness of breath
•     Blood in urine
•     Dizziness
•     Chest pain
•     Nose bleeds

When to See Your Doctor

If you have a family history of high blood pressure or any of the risk factors or symptoms listed above, make an appointment with your doctor to discuss your blood pressure, says Dr. Mehta. You should also get it checked at least once a year.

If your systolic blood pressure is greater than or equal to 180 mmHg or your diastolic blood pressure is greater than or equal to 120 mmHg, call your doctor immediately. If, in addition to these blood pressure readings, you have symptoms including headache and chest pain, call 911.

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How To Get My Blood Pressure Down

Source: https://www.forbes.com/health/healthy-aging/how-to-lower-blood-pressure/

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