High blood pressure doesn’t always present symptoms, yet it quietly damages blood vessels and important organs. Fortunately, the right treatment plan customized to your needs can help you manage high blood pressure successfully. Keep reading for tips on how to work with your physician to develop a personalized blood pressure management plan.
Understanding Blood Pressure Readings
The first step in managing high blood pressure is understanding what the numbers from a blood pressure reading mean. A blood pressure reading consists of two numbers, with the systolic pressure (top number) measuring the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart beats and the diastolic pressure (bottom number) measuring the pressure between heartbeats.
Blood pressure is considered normal when it’s less than 120/80 mmHg and elevated when the numbers range from 120 to 129/80 mmHg. High blood pressure (hypertension) is diagnosed when pressure is equal to or higher than 130/80 mmHg over multiple readings. Based on your exact blood pressure numbers and other risk factors such as age, gender, and medical conditions, your doctor will determine your blood pressure goal.
Lifestyle Changes
Implementing healthy lifestyle changes is imperative for protecting yourself against high blood pressure. Work with your doctor to determine which lifestyle changes will be most impactful for you.
Follow a Healthy Diet
A diet centered around plant-based proteins, fruits, whole grains, veggies, beans, nuts, legumes, and lean animal proteins such as fish and seafood can help lower blood pressure. Limit foods and drinks that contain sugar and reduce red or processed meats, salty foods, refined carbs, and highly processed foods. Potassium-rich foods may also help reduce your blood pressure.
Increase Physical Activity
Your goal should be 150 minutes or more per week of moderate physical activity similar to fast walking, dancing, biking, or swimming. Strength training twice weekly might also assist in reducing your blood pressure.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Reducing your body weight by even just a little bit may help reduce elevated blood pressure. Confer with your doctor to develop a healthy weight loss plan if needed.
Limit Alcohol
Drinking more than moderate amounts of alcohol might increase your blood pressure. That’s why men should stick to a max of two drinks per day, while women shouldn’t have more than one drink.
Don’t Smoke
Nicotine from smoking or vaping causes a temporary spike in blood pressure every time it’s inhaled. Your cardiac health and overall well-being benefit significantly from giving up smoking.
Prioritize Sleep
Not getting consistent quality sleep can negatively impact blood pressure. Strive to get between seven and nine hours of quality sleep per night. One way to improve your sleep is by setting up a regular sleep schedule.
Manage Stress
Finding healthy ways to manage emotional stress is essential if you want to keep your blood pressure controlled. Exercise, meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and connecting with a support network of family and close friends may all help reduce stress.
Medications
Medications may be needed if lifestyle changes aren’t cutting it on their own and you can’t reach your blood pressure goal. Many types of blood pressure medications work in different ways: relaxing blood vessels, decreasing blood volume, or decreasing nerve signals that can raise blood pressure.
To find the ideal medication or combination of medications, your doctor will take into account your specific health history, risk factors, side effects, and how well your body responds to different medications. The goal is to find the medications, dosages, and combinations that your body responds best to.
It’s essential to take blood pressure medications exactly as prescribed and not abruptly stop them without first consulting your doctor. Over time, dosages and medications may need adjustment to keep your blood pressure at goal.
Home Blood Pressure Monitoring
Home monitoring can give valuable insight into how well your blood pressure treatment plan is working on a day-to-day basis. Your doctor may recommend using an arm cuff monitor for the most reliable at-home readings.
Monitor your blood pressure daily when first beginning a new treatment plan, then a few times per week once your blood pressure stabilizes. Keep detailed logs of your blood pressure numbers, medications taken, lifestyle factors, including diet, exercise, sleep, and stress, and any symptoms you experience.
Review the logs with your doctor to determine if medication adjustments or lifestyle changes are needed to help you consistently maintain blood pressure readings in the healthy range.
Other Important Tests
In addition to checking blood pressure, your doctor may order other tests to evaluate your heart disease risk and see if other underlying conditions may be causing elevated blood pressure readings. Common tests include:
- Blood tests to check cholesterol and blood sugar levels and kidney and thyroid function
- A urine test to check for protein, blood, or signs of a kidney disorder
- An EKG to measure your heart’s electrical activity
- An echocardiogram to examine images of heart structures
Your doctor uses these test results along with your medical history, family history, blood pressure readings, age, weight, and other health factors to determine your risk of heart attack, stroke, and other complications. This comprehensive risk assessment guides treatment recommendations.
Partnering With Your Doctor
Successfully managing blood pressure long-term requires an ongoing partnership with your doctor. To get the most out of your appointments:
- Prepare yourself with detailed logs and a list of questions/concerns
- Discuss challenges with medication, side effects, or sticking to lifestyle changes
Review home blood pressure readings- Get clear next steps for testing or medication/lifestyle adjustments
- Clarify your ongoing blood pressure goal
Staying optimistic and proactive will help you overcome obstacles in lowering your blood pressure. Small, consistent changes make a significant impact over time.
Turn to Imperial Center Family Medicine for Ongoing Lifestyle Support for Blood Pressure Management
Sticking to healthy lifestyle changes and properly taking medications is important for successfully managing blood pressure long-term. But doing so isn’t always easy. Imperial Center Family Medicine’s supportive team understands the challenges you face and will help keep you motivated.
We provide compassionate, evidence-based care and partner with you to map out a personalized blood pressure management plan. Through ongoing collaboration and encouragement, we empower you to make manageable, sustainable changes to improve your heart health one step at a time. Contact us today at 919-873-4437 or online to discuss your blood pressure concerns and how we can help you on your wellness journey.