Did you know that almost half of adults in the United States deal with hypertension or high blood pressure? With such prevalence, it should come as no surprise that many treatment options are available for lowering your blood pressure to healthy levels.
So, whether you’re dealing with blood pressure concerns yourself or care about someone who is, you may be wondering what treatment options are available to alleviate high blood pressure and its side effects. But then, you’ll be glad to know that there are many different types of treatment options available.
Prescription Medication
Perhaps the most commonly understood treatment option, there are a variety of medications prescribed to achieve healthy blood pressure levels. There are a few different classes of blood pressure medications or antihypertensives. Firstly, thiazide diuretics allow the body to eliminate more significant amounts of fluid through urine. Calcium channel blockers, a second class, work to relax blood vessels while decreasing heart rate.
ACE inhibitors—angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors—block ACEs to relax blood vessels. Finally, beta-blockers work to lower both blood pressure and heart rate and block adrenaline. Each class comes with different side effects and may work better for some patients than others. When you talk to your doctor about pursuing prescription medications for your blood pressure, they’ll discuss the best options for your unique circumstances.
Natural Supplements
Like many health conditions, hypertension isn’t only treated with prescription medications. Instead, or in addition, many patients look to supplements like Blood Pressure 911 Phytage Labs’ blood pressure supplement. Using various natural ingredients, Phytage Laboratories has created a formula that can help maintain your blood pressure level at a healthy level. Other supplements with potential benefits include magnesium, vitamin D, B vitamins, and potassium. Of course, you should always consult a health professional before starting a new supplement, even in the name of healthy blood pressure.
Lifestyle Changes
In addition to prescriptions or a dietary supplement, your doctor may recommend making certain lifestyle changes to help you reach a recommended blood pressure level. Most commonly, you’ll find these recommendations include weight loss, regular exercise, a healthy diet, reduced sodium intake, and cutting back on vices like alcohol or caffeine. They may also suggest you monitor your blood pressure at home between appointments and find ways to cut back on stress. This is especially crucial if you have mental health issues like anxiety or panic disorders, increasing your stress levels by default.
Root Cause Treatments
In many cases, high blood pressure is caused, or at least exacerbated, by the antitheses of the suggested lifestyle changes. For instance, high sodium intake or a lack of physical activity can impact a person’s blood pressure level. In other cases, the root cause may be another chronic condition, such as kidney problems, diabetes, high cholesterol, or other heart conditions. If one of these health conditions is the cause of your particular instance of hypertension, your doctor may ensure you get treatment for these underlying issues to benefit your high blood pressure by extension. When you consult a professional like those at the Beverly Hills Institute for Cardiology & Preventive Medicine, they’ll consider the potential root cause and the treatment options that will work best to combat it.
Just as there are many causes of high blood pressure, there are just as many treatments for hypertension, if not even more treatments than causes. When talking to your doctor about your blood pressure, you’ll, of course, want to know how you can best treat it. Your path to healthy blood pressure levels will depend on factors such as the cause of your high blood pressure, any other medications you’re on, comorbid conditions, and even your genetics and family history. However, no matter the case, you can go into treatment with the reassurance of knowing there are plenty of options available to get your blood pressure back on track.
