|
|
| How is hypertension treated? |
|
|---|
|
|
|
Lifestyle modification |
- Weight loss. Doctors recommend weight loss and regular exercise as the first steps in treating mild to moderate hypertension. These steps are highly effective in reducing blood pressure, but easier to suggest than to achieve, and most patients with moderate or severe hypertension end up requiring indefinite drug therapy to bring their blood pressure down to a safe level.
- Stop smoking. Discontinuing smoking does not directly reduce blood pressure, but is very important for people with hypertension because it reduces the risk of many dangerous outcomes of hypertension, such as stroke and heart attack.
- Exercise. Mild hypertension is usually treated by diet, exercise and improved physical fitness. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables and fat-free dairy foods and low in fat and sodium lowers blood pressure in people with hypertension. Regular mild exercise improves blood flow, and helps to lower blood pressure.
- Decrease salt intake. Dietary sodium (salt) causes hypertension in some people and reducing salt intake decreases blood pressure in a third of people.
- Reduce environmental stress. Reduction of environmental stressors such as high sound levels and over-illumination can be an additional method of helping reduce hypertension.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
