| Today, high blood pressure treatment emphasizes | | | | exercises. |
| lifestyle as much as medicine. Approaches to lowering | | | | Many stressors cannot be eliminated, but may be |
| blood pressure may also involve using alternative | | | | successfully reduced. Both work and home related |
| medicines to supplement traditional medication. | | | | stress needs to be managed to help control high blood |
| In other words, sole reliance on drugs is now being | | | | pressure. |
| replaced by more comprehensive methods of disease | | | | A healthy diet is, of course, essential for hypertensive |
| management. | | | | patients. They are advised to avoid excessive intake |
| One of the centerpieces of this approach is replacing | | | | of dairy products and salt. Blood pressure can be |
| a sedentary lifestyle with a more active one. Physical | | | | controlled much more easily when diet is managed |
| activity is very helpful in reducing hypertension. | | | | well. |
| Increasing levels of physical fitness has many benefits | | | | Alcohol consumption needs to be moderated or |
| including bringing blood pressure closer to normal levels. | | | | eliminated. Now, there is some evidence that alcohol in |
| Of course, taking up an exercise regimen should be | | | | small quantities can actually be beneficial to the body. |
| done under medical supervision, particularly if the | | | | However, continued excess consumption of alcohol |
| patient has been leading a sedentary lifestyle. | | | | puts considerable strain on many organs of the body |
| Exercise also cuts down on excess weight, which is | | | | including the heart. Part of the problem arises from the |
| another factor that pushes up blood pressure above | | | | sheer bulk of alcohol, particularly if beer is consumed. |
| normal levels. There is a strong correlation between | | | | Foods like garlic and onions as well as some herbs |
| obesity and hypertension and the latter can often be | | | | have been found to contribute to lower blood pressure. |
| controlled by taking care of the former. | | | | Herbs that contain an amino acid called L-arginine are |
| Stress is a big factor in most people's lives these days. | | | | said to be useful for this purpose. Utilizing alternate |
| And stress can contribute significantly to hypertension. | | | | medicine should be done only under adequate |
| Therefore contemporary treatment for hypertension | | | | supervision. |
| includes making patients aware of the factors that | | | | There are also newer drugs to control high blood |
| contribute to stress levels. | | | | pressure, including calcium channel blockers. Some of |
| They are also taught to manage these stress factors | | | | these drugs effectively counteract side effects |
| better. That includes managing the stress-causing | | | | caused by medication. |
| situations better as well as managing the patients' | | | | High blood pressure treatment has evolved into a |
| internal reactions to the stress. The latter can include, | | | | well-rounded approach that relies on more than just |
| among other things, yoga, meditation and relaxation | | | | medication to handle the condition. |