Reducing High Blood Pressure without Drugs

Non-pharmacological blood pressure reduction is the treatment of blood pressure without the use of drugs.

It involves making simple lifestyle changes more often than not diet and exercise and usually to control excess weight

This natural method of reducing blood pressure is the preferred treatment as it means you may end up with a normal blood pressure reading without having to resort to treatment by drugs.

Salt intake is something that should be monitored and reduced as nowadays most people's salt intake is greater than it should be.

Getting used to eating food that contains less salt might be difficult at first but if you consistently stick to your lower salt intake, over time, you should find that you actually quite like your food with less salt. Reducing salt intake can be achieved by never adding any salt to your cooking or to the food when it is at the table. If you can't bear to eat your food without any salt, don't salt whilst cooking and eating. (Use one or the other).

Another way of reducing salt intake is to use a salt substitute. There are several available on the market. They contain less sodium chloride and are more potassium-rich. Sea salt, rock salt and natural salt are still sodium chloride so are not salt substitutes.

Losing weight is another natural way of reducing high blood pressure. Research studies have shown there is a clear link between taking more exercise and a reduction in blood pressure. Not only that, but taking more exercise is also a key factor in the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Exercise, such as aerobic exercise, that makes a physical demand on the heart, strengthens the heart and helps reduce major known risk factors for coronary heart disease. It also lowers blood pressure, as well as lowering blood fat levels which helps prevent thrombosis.

Studies show moderate alcohol consumption can actually lower blood pressure. Generally speaking, the more you drink the higher your blood pressure will be although at this moment in time it is not clear why this should be the case.

Alcoholics or heavy drinkers are highly likely to have raised blood pressure and may be more prone to developing strokes. It has been proved that when alcoholics stop drinking, their blood pressure is usually reduced.