Help us better understand heart health by choosing to share your Apple Watch data. The Study is a meaningful opportunity to contribute to health research. In this free all-in-one learning tool , you can learn the risks of high blood pressure and how self-monitoring can help get it under control.

Explore on your own time and download free information along the way. Home Health Topics High Blood Pressure Changes You Can Make to Manage High Blood Pressure. Know your numbers. By adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle, you can: Reduce high blood pressure.

Prevent or delay the development of high blood pressure. Enhance the effectiveness of blood pressure medications. Lower your risk of heart attack , stroke , heart failure , kidney damage , vision loss and sexual dysfunction. HBP Resources Questions to Ask Your Doctor Interactive Questions to Ask Your Doctor PDF Animation Library Track Your Blood Pressure PDF How to Measure Your Blood Pressure PDF Find High Blood Pressure Tools and Resources.

Always check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking herbal supplements. They may interfere with your prescription medications. Learn more about herbal remedies for high blood pressure. Sleep deprivation may increase the risk of high blood pressure.

Tips for sleeping well include :. Get some tips on sleeping well. Fresh garlic or garlic extract may help lower blood pressure.

One review found that for people with high blood pressure, garlic supplements reduced their systolic blood pressure by up to about 5 mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure by up to 2. Can you eat raw garlic? Previous studies had already suggested that consuming protein may lower blood pressure in the short term.

High-protein foods include:. Anyone considering switching to a high protein diet should first speak with a doctor, as it may not be suitable for everyone. It is also essential to balance different types of protein and to balance protein foods with other items.

How much protein do you need per day? However, there is not enough evidence to confirm that most supplements can manage blood pressure. Always check with a doctor before using a supplement, as not all supplements are safe for everyone. They may worsen other conditions or interact with existing drugs.

Learn more about supplements that may lower blood pressure. A review found that consuming 30 g or more of alcohol appears to increase the heart rate for up to 24 hours.

Blood pressure, meanwhile, tends to fall for the first 12 hours but then increases. A standard drink contains around 14 grams of alcohol. Despite the hype, drinking a lot of red wine is not beneficial for heart health, according to the American Heart Association.

They suggest limiting alcohol intake to two standard drinks per day for males and one per day for females. How does alcohol affect the body? People who usually consume 1—3 cups of coffee per day are unlikely to experience a rise in blood pressure.

However, your blood pressure might go up if you consume a lot of coffee or even a small amount when you are not used to it. In contrast, high-caffeine energy drinks may increase blood pressure and, with that, the risk of cardiovascular problems.

Experts discourage the consumption of energy drinks, especially among minors with existing health conditions. If you find that caffeine is affecting how you feel, you might want to try decaffeinated coffee. Is caffeine good or bad for health? Some research suggests that drinking milliliters ml of water within 2 hours of waking up and another ml 2 hours before bedtime may help reduce blood pressure.

However, more research is needed. How much water do you need each day? Which medications can manage high blood pressure?

This will depend on the cause and any existing diagnoses you have. Sitting quietly and doing breathing exercises might help. A person with an existing diagnosis may need to take their prescribed medication.

There is a strong link between salt intake and high blood pressure, and reducing salt in the diet can help lower the risk of hypertension and its complications. How much salt do you need each day?

High blood pressure increases the risk for a number of health conditions. People can often prevent it or manage it at home through exercise, dietary choices, stress management, and other strategies.

Read this article in Spanish. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

VIEW ALL HISTORY. If left untreated, high blood pressure may lead to heart failure. We show you how to lower your blood pressure using diet, supplements, exercise, and…. You can manage high blood pressure with more than medication. This article takes a look at seven home remedies for high blood pressure, including….

Several herbs may help lower high blood pressure. Learn more about good herbs for hypertension, from basil to hawthorn. High blood pressure can often be prevented or reduced by eating healthily, maintaining a healthy weight, taking regular exercise, drinking alcohol in moderation and not smoking.

Cut down on the amount of salt in your food and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. The Eatwell Guide highlights the different types of food that make up our diet, and shows the proportions we should eat them in to have a well-balanced and healthy diet.

Salt raises your blood pressure. The more salt you eat, the higher your blood pressure. Aim to eat less than 6g 0. Find out how to cut down on salt. Eating a low-fat diet that includes lots of fibre, such as wholegrain rice, bread and pasta, and plenty of fruit and vegetables also helps lower blood pressure.

Find out how to get your 5 A Day. Regularly drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure over time. Staying within the recommended levels is the best way to reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure:. Find out about alcohol units and get tips on cutting down. Alcohol is also high in calories, which will make you gain weight and can further increase your blood pressure.

Being overweight forces your heart to work harder to pump blood around your body, which can raise your blood pressure.

There are several types of blood pressure medications, which are often effective as single agents but sometimes need to be used in combination.

Examples of these are enzyme inhibitors, beta-blockers and diuretics. It is usually best to use the maximum tolerated dose of a blood pressure medication before adding in another agent. GPs usually start patients on blood pressure medications, but will refer to a Cardiologist when multiple agents are required.

Regular tablets It is essential to take your blood pressure medications regularly as prescribed, to maintain a healthy blood pressure.

If medications are not taken as directed, your blood pressure will not be well controlled and associated health issues related to hypertension may still occur. The results from these operations were variable, and they are no longer routinely undertaken.

Over the last 10 years, Cardiologists have developed a keyhole procedure to treat hypertension, called renal denervation. This involves a tube being inserted through an artery in the groin under local anaesthetic, through which the sympathetic nerves in the kidneys can be modified, to lower blood pressure.

Currently this procedure is being used in patients with resistant hypertension. The early experience of this technique is promising, and Cardiologists predict that it will be used in a wider range of patients with hypertension in the future, and not just resistant hypertension.

Hypertension is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and should not be considered in isolation. If you have a diagnosis of hypertension, it is important to explore other risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as diabetes and high cholesterol — the possibility of a heart attack or stroke is higher, the more risk factors you have.

Early identification and treatment of your risk factors by a Cardiologist can help lower your risk of a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke.

If you would like to speak to one of our specialists about managing your own blood pressure, or any other concerns you might have regarding your heart health, please get in touch with us today. Understanding Blood Pressure Readings.

Why HBP is a "Silent Killer". Health Threats from HBP. Changes You Can Make to Manage High Blood Pressure. Baja Tu Presión. Find HBP Tools and Resources. Blood Pressure Toolkit. Help us better understand heart health by choosing to share your Apple Watch data.

The Study is a meaningful opportunity to contribute to health research. In this free all-in-one learning tool , you can learn the risks of high blood pressure and how self-monitoring can help get it under control.

Explore on your own time and download free information along the way. Eating a low-fat diet that includes lots of fibre, such as wholegrain rice, bread and pasta, and plenty of fruit and vegetables also helps lower blood pressure.

Find out how to get your 5 A Day. Regularly drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure over time. Staying within the recommended levels is the best way to reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure:. Find out about alcohol units and get tips on cutting down.

Alcohol is also high in calories, which will make you gain weight and can further increase your blood pressure. Being overweight forces your heart to work harder to pump blood around your body, which can raise your blood pressure.

Find out if you need to lose weight with the BMI healthy weight calculator. If you do need to lose some weight, it's worth remembering that just losing a few pounds will make a big difference to your blood pressure and overall health.

Get advice on losing weight safely. Being active and taking regular exercise lowers blood pressure by keeping your heart and blood vessels in good condition.

Regular exercise can also help you lose weight, which will also help lower your blood pressure. Adults should do at least minutes 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking, every week.

Physical activity can include anything from sport to walking and gardening.