Read up on High blood pressure treatment options at Consumer Reports Health.

High blood pressure

Key points about treatments

If you have high blood pressure, you probably won't feel bad or have any symptoms. But high blood pressure increases your risk of a heart attack or stroke. It can also cause kidney disease and heart failure.

There is a whole range of treatments for lowering blood pressure. Your doctor may talk about using a combination of the treatments listed below.

Key points about treating high blood pressure

Not all people with high blood pressure need to be treated with drugs. You may be able to reduce your blood pressure by making changes to your lifestyle. Helpful changes could include eating less salt, exercising more or losing weight.
If lifestyle changes aren't helping, you may need medication, depending on how high your blood pressure is. But medications can have side effects. To learn more, see What the numbers tell you.
Lowering your blood pressure can reduce your risk of

heart disease
You get heart disease when your heart isn't able to pump blood as well as it should. This can happen for a variety of reasons.

heart disease,

stroke
You have a stroke when the blood supply to a part of your brain is cut off. This damages your brain and can cause symptoms like weakness or numbness on one side of your body. You may also find it hard to speak if you've had a stroke.

stroke and

kidney disease
Kidney disease refers to conditions in which the kidneys (the organs in the body that make urine) have been damaged. Kidney disease can result from a number of different causes, including hypertension, which puts too much pressure on the kidneys.

kidney disease, and help you live longer.
It's important to take your blood pressure medication the way your doctor has prescribed it. Don't stop taking your pills without talking with your doctor.
Tell your doctor if you get side effects. You don't have to accept them. There are lots of drugs to treat high blood pressure, so you can switch if one doesn't suit you.
You may need to take more than one drug to control your blood pressure.

This information was last updated on Jul 02, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
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