How to Lower Blood Pressure Fast

Hypertension, high blood pressure, is a disease that affects many people. This disease causes your heart and arteries to work extra hard. Blood pressure increases when the blood begins to push too hard against the artery walls. Hypertension is also referred to as the "silent killer" because the symptoms are very mild or nonexistent. If the blood pressure gets too high, it could be a life threatening situation, if left untreated. There are ways to lower your blood pressure in a timely manner.

Instructions

1

Eliminate and reduce the stressors. When a person feels stressed, their blood vessels constrict, causing the blood pressure to increase. Try to find ways to relax such as getting a massage, meditating, reading, sitting on the beach, or even an occasional nap could do the trick.

2

Maintain a healthy diet and reduce your sodium intake. Read food labels and choose foods that are low in sodium. Eating foods high in calcium will allow the body to take in more potassium. The potassium helps to balance out the amount of sodium in your body, which reacts with the kidneys and lowers your blood pressure.

3

Take your medication on time daily if you've been diagnosed with hypertension. Blood pressure medicines are called maintenance drugs, because you have to take it daily to maintain or keep your blood pressure under control. Missing or skipping doses altogether is not a good idea. It causes your heart to become overworked, and eventually the heart gets weaker.

4

Exercise often to help lower your blood pressure. Exercising helps to prevent plaque buildup in the arteries. Our blood vessels contain a substance called nitric oxide, which is stimulated when we exercise. Nitric oxide helps to keep the blood vessels open. The more dilated (open) the blood vessels, the lower the blood pressure.

5

Reduce your alcohol intake. Excessive alcohol consumption interferes with the flow of blood to and from the heart, causing it to work extra hard. If you reduce your alcohol intake, your blood pressure will also decrease.