If You Have Normal Blood Pressure
Read how To prevent That!
If you don't have high blood pressure (HBP), you can take steps to prevent it. Healthy lifestyle habits can help you maintain normal blood pressure.
For more information about healthy lifestyle habits, go to "How Is High Blood Pressure Treated?"
Also Read: Ulcer Kills, Prevent It
Follow the treatment plan your doctor prescribes to control your blood pressure. Treatment can help you prevent or delay coronary heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and other health problems.
If you don't have high blood pressure (HBP), you can take steps to prevent it. Healthy lifestyle habits can help you maintain normal blood pressure.
- Follow a healthy diet. Limit the amount of sodium (salt) and alcohol that you consume. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan promotes healthy eating.
- Be physically active. Routine physical activity can lower HBP and reduce your risk for other health problems.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Staying at a healthy weight can help you control HBP and reduce your risk for other health problems.
- Learn to manage and cope with stress. Learning how to manage stress, relax, and cope with problems can improve your emotional and physical health.
For more information about healthy lifestyle habits, go to "How Is High Blood Pressure Treated?"
Also Read: Ulcer Kills, Prevent It
If You Have High Blood Pressure
If you have HBP, you can still take steps to prevent the long-term problems it can cause. Healthy lifestyle habits (listed above) and medicines can help you live a longer, more active life.Follow the treatment plan your doctor prescribes to control your blood pressure. Treatment can help you prevent or delay coronary heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and other health problems.
Children and Teens
A healthy lifestyle also can help prevent HBP in children and teens. Key steps include having a child:- Follow a healthy diet that focuses on plenty of fruits, vegetables, and, for children older than 4 years old, low-fat dairy products. A healthy diet also is low in salt.
- Be active for at least 1 to 2 hours per day. Limit screen time in front of the TV or computer to 2 hours per day at most.
- Maintain a healthy weight. If your child is overweight, ask his or her doctor about how your child can safely lose weight.
Living With High Blood Pressure
If you have high blood pressure (HBP), you'll need to treat and control it for life. This means making lifestyle changes, taking prescribed medicines, and getting ongoing medical care.
Treatment can help control blood pressure, but it will not cure HBP. If you stop treatment, your blood pressure and risk for related health problems will rise.
For a healthy future, follow your treatment plan closely. Work with your health care team for lifelong blood pressure control.
Make sure you refill your medicines before they run out. Take your medicines exactly as your doctor directs—don't skip days or cut pills in half.
If you're having side effects from your medicines, talk with your doctor. He or she may need to adjust the doses or prescribe other medicines. You shouldn't decide on your own to stop taking your medicines.
Keeping track of your blood pressure is important. Have your blood pressure checked on the schedule your doctor advises.
You may want to learn how to check your blood pressure at home. Your doctor can help you learn how to do this. Each time you check your own blood pressure, you should write down your numbers and the date.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI's) "My Blood Pressure Wallet Card" can help you track your blood pressure. You also can write down the names and doses of your medicines and keep track of your lifestyle changes with this handy card.
During checkups, you can ask your doctor or health care team any questions you have about your treatments. For possible questions you may want to ask your doctor, go to the NHLBI's Questions to Ask Your Doctor If You Have High Blood Pressure Web page.
Also Read: Things to Eat and Drink For Better Health
If you're thinking about having a baby and you have HBP, talk with your health care team. You can take steps to control your blood pressure before and while you're pregnant.
Some women get HBP for the first time while they're pregnant. In the most serious cases, the mother has a condition called preeclampsia (pre-eh-KLAMP-se-ah).
This condition can threaten the lives of both the mother and the unborn child. You'll need special care to reduce your risk. With such care, most women and babies have good outcomes.
Go to the NHLBI's Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure Web site for more information about HBP and pregnancy.
Also Read: Real Things You can Start Doing To younger
Treatment can help control blood pressure, but it will not cure HBP. If you stop treatment, your blood pressure and risk for related health problems will rise.
For a healthy future, follow your treatment plan closely. Work with your health care team for lifelong blood pressure control.
Lifestyle Changes
Making healthy lifestyle changes can help control HBP. A healthy lifestyle includes following a healthy diet, being physically active, and maintaining a healthy weight. (For more information, go to "How Is High Blood Pressure Treated?")Medicines
Take all blood pressure medicines that your doctor prescribes. Know the names and doses of your medicines and how to take them. If you have questions about your medicines, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.Make sure you refill your medicines before they run out. Take your medicines exactly as your doctor directs—don't skip days or cut pills in half.
If you're having side effects from your medicines, talk with your doctor. He or she may need to adjust the doses or prescribe other medicines. You shouldn't decide on your own to stop taking your medicines.
Ongoing Care
If you have HBP, have medical checkups or tests as your doctor advises. Your doctor may need to change or add medicines to your treatment plan over time. Routine checkups allow your doctor to change your treatment right away if your blood pressure goes up again.Keeping track of your blood pressure is important. Have your blood pressure checked on the schedule your doctor advises.
You may want to learn how to check your blood pressure at home. Your doctor can help you learn how to do this. Each time you check your own blood pressure, you should write down your numbers and the date.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI's) "My Blood Pressure Wallet Card" can help you track your blood pressure. You also can write down the names and doses of your medicines and keep track of your lifestyle changes with this handy card.
During checkups, you can ask your doctor or health care team any questions you have about your treatments. For possible questions you may want to ask your doctor, go to the NHLBI's Questions to Ask Your Doctor If You Have High Blood Pressure Web page.
Also Read: Things to Eat and Drink For Better Health
High Blood Pressure and Pregnancy
Many pregnant women who have HBP have healthy babies. However, HBP can cause problems for both the mother and the fetus. HBP can harm the mother's kidneys and other organs. It also can cause the baby to be born early and with a low birth weight.If you're thinking about having a baby and you have HBP, talk with your health care team. You can take steps to control your blood pressure before and while you're pregnant.
Some women get HBP for the first time while they're pregnant. In the most serious cases, the mother has a condition called preeclampsia (pre-eh-KLAMP-se-ah).
This condition can threaten the lives of both the mother and the unborn child. You'll need special care to reduce your risk. With such care, most women and babies have good outcomes.
Go to the NHLBI's Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure Web site for more information about HBP and pregnancy.
Also Read: Real Things You can Start Doing To younger
Clinical Trials
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is strongly committed to supporting research aimed at preventing and treating heart, lung, and blood diseases and conditions and sleep disorders.
NHLBI-supported research has led to many advances in medical knowledge and care. However, many questions remain about various diseases and conditions, including high blood pressure (HBP).
The NHLBI continues to support research aimed at learning more about HBP. For example, NHLBI-supported research on HBP includes studies that explore:
For example, new treatments for a disease or condition (such as medicines, medical devices, surgeries, or procedures) are tested in volunteers who have the illness. Testing shows whether a treatment is safe and effective in humans before it is made available for widespread use.
By taking part in a clinical trial, you can gain access to new treatments before they're widely available. You also will have the support of a team of health care providers, who will likely monitor your health closely. Even if you don't directly benefit from the results of a clinical trial, the information gathered can help others and add to scientific knowledge.
If you volunteer for a clinical trial, the research will be explained to you in detail. You'll learn about treatments and tests you may receive, and the benefits and risks they may pose. You'll also be given a chance to ask questions about the research. This process is called informed consent.
If you agree to take part in the trial, you'll be asked to sign an informed consent form. This form is not a contract. You have the right to withdraw from a study at any time, for any reason. Also, you have the right to learn about new risks or findings that emerge during the trial.
For more information about clinical trials related to HBP, talk with your doctor. You also can visit the following Web sites to learn more about clinical research and to search for clinical trials:
NHLBI-supported research has led to many advances in medical knowledge and care. However, many questions remain about various diseases and conditions, including high blood pressure (HBP).
The NHLBI continues to support research aimed at learning more about HBP. For example, NHLBI-supported research on HBP includes studies that explore:
- How HBP and its treatments affect brain function in children
- Behavioral approaches to HBP treatment in adults
- The relationship between stress, ethnicity, and blood pressure
- How much blood pressure needs to be lowered to reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease, and other health problems in adults who have HBP
- How certain medicines and therapies can help treat and control blood pressure
For example, new treatments for a disease or condition (such as medicines, medical devices, surgeries, or procedures) are tested in volunteers who have the illness. Testing shows whether a treatment is safe and effective in humans before it is made available for widespread use.
By taking part in a clinical trial, you can gain access to new treatments before they're widely available. You also will have the support of a team of health care providers, who will likely monitor your health closely. Even if you don't directly benefit from the results of a clinical trial, the information gathered can help others and add to scientific knowledge.
If you volunteer for a clinical trial, the research will be explained to you in detail. You'll learn about treatments and tests you may receive, and the benefits and risks they may pose. You'll also be given a chance to ask questions about the research. This process is called informed consent.
If you agree to take part in the trial, you'll be asked to sign an informed consent form. This form is not a contract. You have the right to withdraw from a study at any time, for any reason. Also, you have the right to learn about new risks or findings that emerge during the trial.
For more information about clinical trials related to HBP, talk with your doctor. You also can visit the following Web sites to learn more about clinical research and to search for clinical trials:
- http://clinicalresearch.nih.gov
- www.clinicaltrials.gov
- www.nhlbi.nih.gov/studies/index.htm
- www.researchmatch.org (link is external)
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