Since prevention and cure of high blood pressure are essentially the same, the measures listed above under “Prevention” are applicable to treatment as well.

That is, you should stop smoking, lose weight if necessary, decrease the amount of sodium/salt, cholesterol, and saturated fat in your diet, reduce stress; and exercise regularly.

In mild high blood pressure, this may be all the treatment that is needed. In other cases, however, medication to lower blood pressure may be necessary in addition to these measures. There are several major categories of medication to control high blood pressure.

The most commonly used are diuretics (water pills). Diuretics help the kidneys to get rid of salt as well as water which decrease the blood volume in the body and lower the blood pressure to a desirable level. However, some diuretic medications promote loss of potassium, and supplements may need to be taken as prescribed by a health care practitioner.

Examples of diuretics: Lasix, Hygroton, Esidrex, Dyrenium, Aldactone, Dyazide.

The second group of medications acts directly on the blood vessels by opening up the narrowed arterioles (small arteries). Example: apresoline (hydralazine).

The third group acts on the nervous system by relaxing the tightened and narrowed arteries and arterioles, thus allowing the blood to flow more easily. Examples: Aldomet, Minipress, Catapres (cloth dine).

The fourth group decreases the work of the heart by blocking the body’s response to adrenalin, thus lowering blood pressure. Examples: Inderal, Lopressor.

All the medications that are used to control high blood pressure should be taken regularly under the supervision of a health care practitioner. The thought of taking medication for an extended period of time, possibly for the rest of one’s life, may not be particularly appealing.

However, we are fortunate that high blood pressure can be controlled through treatment. The benefits of control (decreased risk of heart disease, stroke, increased life expectancy) are too great to ignore. Medications used to treat high blood pressure can cause side effects.

Some of these are minor and may decrease with time; others may be more unpleasant. It is important to be aware of the side effects of the particular medication you are taking so that you may report their occurrence to your health care practitioner.

If side effects occur, or if treatment is not successful, your practitioner may try several different medications or combinations of medications to find what works best for you. It is not wise to skip, stop, or increase your medication unless told to do so by your health professional.

If stopped abruptly, some medications may cause serious side effects such as a very rapid rise in

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Well, hear me out. One third of the average American’s sodium intake comes direct from the SALT he or she dutifully adds at the table or when cooking. And the average American’s sodium intake totals around 5,000 mg per day.

So, if this average American took the salt shaker off the table or better yet, stuck it way behind the baking powder in some hard to reach cupboard couldn’t we expect to drop to the 1,000 to 3,000 mg per day limits recommended by the American Heart Association and the National Academy of Sciences? The prosecution rests.

Why all this fuss over salt and sodium? In a word, HYPERTENSION . Right at this moment, one of every four Americans have it 60 million people. About 95 percent of them are stuck with it for the rest of their lives because the cause is unknown. That’s obviously the BAD news. The good news is there ARE several ways to help CONTROL HYPERTENSION.

Hypertension is a fancy name for high blood pressure disease. It’s a major risk factor for the number one American killer, Heart Disease. It also is an underlying cause of America’s number three cause of death, Stroke.

It often develops when we reach age 30 or 40 without any symptoms. And it’s difficult to predict who will be that one person in four to get it! More bad news. But I can tell you right now, if your parents have it or had it, there’s a good chance you will too! Here are a few more facts about hypertension.

•    The incidence of severely high blood pressure disease is three times higher for blacks than for whites.
•    The older you get the higher your risk. (By age 74, half the U.S. population has hypertension.)
•    If you’re considered “obese”, your risk is increased.
•    If you’re over 35, use oral contraceptives, and smoke, your risk is increased.
•    If you have diabetes or kidney disease, your risk is high.

But no matter what, getting your blood pressure checked is the key. More than one third of the 60 million people with hypertension don’t even know they have it. And it’s the high blood pressure that goes untreated that can lead to heart attack and stroke.

If your blood pressure was normal the last time it was checked, be sure to get it rechecked every couple of years. And bring your kids with you. The National Heart Lung Blood Institute says, “High blood pressure in children represents a significant clinical problem.”

High blood pressure treatment, other than medications, usually includes weight reduction if you’re obese, limiting salt and sodium in your diet, controlling heavy drinking, and exercising. All of these are things we all should be doing for other reasons!

Some minerals, new on the hypertension scene, may help in the treatment of hypertension disease :

•    Magnesium: Recent population studies suggest eating magnesium packed foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low fat dairy items, to ensure an adequate intake of magnesium.

•    Potassium: The diet high in potassium may provide some protection in the arteries of people with high blood pressure. It may also lower blood pressure a little and protect the kidneys from related damage.Potassium is the mineral that made bananas the famous fruit it is. But potatoes, apricots, orange and grapefruit juice, and just about any kind of fruit and vegetable not cooked in water will add potassium to our diet. People with a history of kidney failure should check with their doctors before increasing their intake of these items.

•    Calcium: Just when you thought it was safe to avoid dairy products, evidence turns up linking decreases in systolic blood pressure and higher intakes of calcium or calcium supplements. It seems to work best for people with previous intake of calcium well below the RDA who have high systolic blood pressure readings. (Systolic is the top number in the blood pressure reading.)

A small number of people with hypertension may even have a rise in blood pressure with calcium supplements. And, of course, we’re not able to detect who these people are beforehand. At this point, though, experts only recommend we take in the RDA for calcium (800 mg. per day, 1200 mg. per day for ages 11-24 and pregnant women). Very little evidence supports a need for more than this amount.

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Alcohol

You may have heard that moderate alcohol intake can help reduce the risk of heart disease. It is true that one or two drinks a day can increase the beneficial type of cholesterol in your blood. But the disadvantage of alcohol can easily outweigh any advantage. If you take more than a couple of drinks a day, the net effect will be harmful to your heart, as well as your liver and other organs. For some people, two or more drinks a day also increase blood pressure.

Here are some tips for those who may need to cut down:

1. Drink only with meals.
2. If you expect to be in situations where you might be tempted to drink too much, plan ahead. Have a nonalcoholic drink between alcoholic drinks. Take drinks in tall glasses and sip to make them last longer.
3. If it is hard to cut down to two drinks a day, consider quitting altogether. It will be easier in the long run.

Caffeine

Caffeine need not be harmful. Even through it may boots pressure temporarily, the pressure doesn’t stay high. However, some doctors will suggest that their patients drink less coffee particularly if it is interfering with sleep or making it hard to relax. As a rule of thumb, it is smart to cut down if you are drinking more than two strong cups a day.

Caffeine is an addictive drug. If you cut it out completely, you may have with drawl symptoms for a few days, including sleepiness and a dull headache. To help avoid such symptoms, try cutting down gradually.

1. Each week, switch one of your daily cups of cofee to a decaffeinated type. Finally, switch over completely to decaf.
2. Explore the many tastes of herbal teas.
3. Switch from decaffeinated colas to soft drinks without caffeine or better to water juice.

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In other cases, youmay need medication right way. But even if you do, the doctor will also suggest that you make lifestyle changes to reduce your pressure and help the medication do its job.

Even if your high blood pressure is caused by some underlying disease, such as kidney disease, in all probably you will still have to work on the pressure itself, just like everyone else with high pressure. There is unlikely to be a “magic bullet” that can “cure” your high blood pressure by removing the underlying cause.

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In the early stages of your campaign to bring your pressure down, get your pressure checked every two or three weeks. Later on, once a month is usually enough.

1. Arrange for pressure to be measured by a nurse at your doctor’s office or perhaps work.
2. Don’t use automatic or coin operated machines unless you know that they are being kept well adjusted.

Should you buy your own equipment?

In recent years, blood pressure monitoring have become easier to use, and many types are accurate enough to help you keep the track of changes. There are two main types of blood pressure monitoring devices to use at home:

Aneroid Manual Types

These have a cuff, a stethoscope, and a dial. They are accurate and less expensive than electronic tyoes, but many be hard to use if you don’t have a helper. The best ones have the stethoscope built into the cuff and a metal clasp that holds the cuff in a circle.

Electronic Types

These are more expensive that many manual types but are much easier to use. The best have a cuff that inflates itself, and all you need to do is read the numbers off the display. Some types measure pressure at the wrist or finger, but these are not considered as accurate as those with an arm cuff.

If you plan to use your own equipment:

1. Make sure the cuff fits. If necessary, order an extra large or extra small size.
2. Keep a log of your home blood pressure measurements, and take them to your doctor. If there is difference, your doctor may ask you bring in your equipment to check its accuracy.

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Most of the 50 million Americans with high blood pressure have what doctors call primary, or essential, hypertension. That means there is no underlying disease no kidney or hormone condition, for instance creating the problem.

Medical experts say the exact cause for this kind of high blood pressure is unknown. Many doctors who treat high blood pressure, however, argue that many of the contributing causes are well know: Obesity, a high fat or high salt diet, smoking, alcohol abuse, too much everyday stress and not enough physical activity all combine to send blood pressure creeping upward over the years.

In fact, instead of turning directly to medications, these days some doctors advice their patients with high blood pressure to take at least six months to attempt to lose weight, wuit smoking and drinking and begin exercising. If their blood pressure is still too high at the end of the time, they will begin using drugs to treat it.

Many of people who i talk with about the question on high blood pressure use a number of tactics to keep their condition on line. Most are under a doctor’s care, and some use drugs. But they also rely on dietary changes such as eating more garlic and onions, lowering salt intake and increasing their intake of potassium, calcium and magnesium.

Some of them are primarily vegetarian. One patient even contends that simply drinking more water has dropped his blood pressure. Here are some home remedies for high blood pressure.

- Eat more garlic
- Eat more onion
- Low salt diets
- Exercise and walks
- Potassium and other minerals
- Eat more fish
- Drink more water
- Relax

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